Carlos Urriola-Tam of Panama was elected the 15th president of the Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA) during the association's 39th annual general meeting held last week in Suriname. Jamaica's Grantley Stephenson, chairman and chief executive officer of Kingston Wharves Limited, was electedvice-president.

The new CSA president is general manager of Manzanillo International Terminal (MIT) in Panama, a position he has held since 2003. Prior to being appointed general manager, Urriola served as vice-president of marketing for MIT. He holds a degree in industrial and systems engineering from the Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

A 30-year veteran in the shipping industry, Urriola has held a number of positions in the National Port Authority of Panama from 1979 to 1993, including operations director, executive planning director and special projects director. From 1993 to 1995, he worked as a private consultant in port projects and was involved in the Manzanillo International Terminal project from the early stages.

Active role in industry

Urriola-Tam is also the senior vice-president for marketing and projects development for SSA Marine. He also served as president of the Maritime Chamber of Panama for the period 2001-2003; president of American Chamber of Commerce of Panama in 2006-2007 and president of Junior Achievement for the period 2006-2007.

Grantley Stephenson is a past president of the Shipping Association of Jamaica and maintains an active role in the development of the industry by continuing to serve as a member of that association's managing committee. He has also served at the helm of some of the industry's leading companies including Jamaica Merchant Marine, Jamaica Freight and Shipping Company Limited and Seaboard Marine.

Stephenson is the longstanding Honorary Counsel General for the Kingdom of Norway. He is a graduate of the University of the West Indies; graduate of the University of Plymouth in England and the University of Technology in Jamaica.

Michael Bernard, immediate past president of the SAJ, was elected chairman of Group A - Agents and Stevedore committee - during the conference, and Roger Hinds, president of the SAJ, was also elected a member of this committee, rounding off the total number of Jamaicans elected to serve.