Seatrade Maritime Club Round Table Makes Waves at CMA Shipping 2025

[By: CMA Shipping]

A gathering of senior personalities from key industry players including V.Group, d’Amico, OL Shipping Group, Ardmore Shipping, International Seaways Inc, and AET Tankers have set the scene for three days of industry discussion at the 40th edition of CMA Shipping, which got underway today at the Hilton Stamford Hotel & Executive Meeting Centre in Connecticut, USA.

The Seatrade Maritime Club Round Table precedes all global Seatrade Maritime events and allows stakeholders to debate topical discussion points in a closed-door environment before joining wider conversations in the main event conference agendas. This Round Table marks the third time it has been held at CMA Shipping. According to John Lindquist, CMA President and Director of Marine Development, Stabilis Solutions, who welcomed the prestigious attendees: “The Seatrade Maritime Club is a special gathering, offering a closed door setting with intelligent discussions about the most important topics of our industry today.  All over the world, this forum has addressed pressing challenges by creating an open dialogue amongst
c-suite executives and leaders.”

Leading a discussion on ‘Geopolitics and the Future of Global Trade’, Chris Aversano, Partnership Lead, Maritime Operations, Wood Mackenzie and Seatrade Maritime Club Ambassador, said: “In an era of rapid geopolitical shifts, leaders across all sectors must be prepared not for hypothetical disruptions but for the inevitability of change at a pace that few have seen. This panel explored the evolving landscape of global trade, including shifting trade lanes, the formation of strategic alliances between nations and regions that are not only new but fly in the face of recent history, and the impact of tariffs on commerce.” 

Part two, titled, ‘The role of AI in Transforming Shipping’ was moderated by Captain Alexandra Hagerty, Founder, Captains Without Borders; Founder, Hagerty Maritime Consulting and Seatrade Maritime Club Ambassador and the discussion explored the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence in shipping.

As the third topic of the Round Table, ‘Seafarers Role in Decarbonization’ was under the spotlight.

Moderated by Darren Shelton, Director, Moran Shipping and Seatrade Maritime Club Ambassador, said: “Seafarers are at the frontline of maritime decarbonization, yet training, safety protocols, and career development are not evolving fast enough to support them in this transition. As alternative fuels, digital oversight, and emissions regulations reshape operations, we must strike a balance between technological progress and the expertise, autonomy, and well-being of our crews. Today we addressed the key question of ‘how do we invest in the future of shipping in a way that advances both sustainability and seafarer readiness—ensuring that decarbonization is not just a corporate initiative, but a workforce-driven success?’.

As always, the Round Table meeting is not held in front of an audience and Chatham Rules apply.  Learnings from the session are written up and presented back to attendees to ensure that the conversations are fully captured and actions taken.

The Round Table is the latest in a series which has seen gatherings take place in Qatar; Saudi Arabia; Dubai; the Philippines and London. At CMA Shipping it precedes both the main conference, which will tackle current industry issues, while a brand new, free-to-attend conference stream will place a focus on technical innovation across AI, decarbonisation, and cyber security in the shipping industry.

The introduction of this new conference stream, which will take place on the Expo Stage and run alongside the usual conference programme, will ensure more professionals have access to essential insight and expertise that can inform future strategies and protect operations amidst emerging challenges and threats to safety and risk mitigation.

Access to the Expo Stage is included in all registration types for CMA Shipping 2025, which will take place April 1-3, 2025. 

CMA Shipping has been connecting maritime professionals in North America since 1985 and has earned an enviable reputation for serving content that connects attendees with the most important industry issues and trends. To find out more about CMA Shipping, which is bought to the industry by Connecticut Maritime Association and organised by Seatrade Maritime - Informa Markets, visit the CMA Shipping website.