Seabury Maritime Continues to Strengthen Executive Team

Seabury Maritime LLC, the global maritime and transportation investment bank and industry advisory and a subsidiary of Seabury Corporate Finance, which is a division of Seabury Capital Group LLC, announced today the promotions of Jonathan R. Montbach to Executive Director, Investment Banking, and Nikos Petrakakos to Director – Head of Environmental Innovation. In addition, the company appointed Gary W. Pedersen as Director of Operations and Gerardo E. Ayzanoa as Director of Advisory.

Seabury Maritime’s efforts to strengthen its executive team come at a pivotal time as the firm recently completed two successful transaction advisory assignments for the Diamond State Port Corporation and the Connecticut Port Authority, further advancing its growth strategy to expand into new markets and position the business to meet evolving client requirements. 

“We are thrilled with Jonathan and Nikos’ promotions as they are widely recognized leaders whose breadth and range of past experiences at providing innovative solutions and services to solve complex challenges in the maritime sector will continue to greatly enhance our existing advisory and investment banking capabilities,” said Seabury Maritime President and Chief Executive Officer Edward M.A. Zimny. “As Seabury Maritime continues to execute on its growth strategy, we are building out robust service offerings that include an expanded focus on maritime and supply chain consultancy.”

Montbach has been with Seabury Capital since 2009. Prior to his new role, he was Senior Vice-President of Specialty Ship Finance at Seabury Maritime. Montbach will lead the institutional practices across Seabury Maritime’s four main business lines that include ship finance, maritime infrastructure and related assets, marine services, and maritime technology and digitalization. Montbach brings extensive experience with financial advisory and investment banking. Prior to Seabury Capital, he worked at KPMG as Vice President Special Situations Advisory Group, where he assisted clients in a broad range of industries, including maritime, gaming, industrials, homebuilders, investment funds, consumer products, satellite and cable communications, retail, and energy. 

Montbach led and managed deal execution teams throughout transactions, covering a range of areas involving out of court restructuring negotiations, exchange offers, distressed acquisition strategies, and special situations capital raises. During his career, Montbach has also worked with a number of leading financial services companies, such as UBS Investment Bank, AIG, and specialized leveraged and distressed investment firms, including GB Merchant Partners. He is a FINRA representative registered with the Series 7, 79 and 63, and is a CFA charter holder. Montbach holds a B.A. from Colgate University, and an M.B.A. with honors from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business.

Petrakakos joined Seabury Maritime in October 2018 to head the Environmental Initiatives Unit, which encompasses Green Ports, Environmental Advisory, and in conjunction with Seabury Maritime’s Investment Banking Unit, Green Marine Equipment Finance (Scrubbers, Ballast Water, and more). Prior to joining Seabury Maritime, Petrakakos co-founded and served as Chief Executive Officer of Ursus Maritime Capital, a specialized consultancy, which was the first company in the maritime industry to provide turn-key ESCO-style project finance for fuel efficiency retrofits, scrubber and ballast water treatment retrofits, and alternative fuels for the maritime industry, as well as other sustainability and technology projects.

Petrakakos has a broad experience in the maritime industry, both in the commercial and technical aspects, and is able to effectively bring solutions that address every stakeholder’s pain points. He began his career as Operations and Projects Manager at Oldendorff Carriers, the largest global dry-bulk ship operators, focusing on their Bauxite Transshipment project. He later worked for PPG Industries and Chugoku Marine in business development for coating technologies. He also worked for shipowner and operator HART Shipping (before Ursus was formed) as Commercial Director and served as a board member. Petrakakos holds an M.Sc. from M.I.T. in Ocean Systems Management, and a B.Sc. in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the Webb Institute.

Patrick Bird, Seabury Maritime Managing Director and Global Head of Advisory, commented: “We welcome Gary and Gerardo to our team as their extensive industry knowledge and the diversity of their capabilities will enable our company to deliver immediate value for our clients. These gentlemen have a distinguished track record of being successful, and we look forward to them continuing to do great things while here at Seabury Maritime.”

Pedersen has more than 25 years of industry experience in the maritime operation and advisory sectors, as well as international supply chain development. During his career, Pedersen has led the operational management and building of international freight forwarding business ventures for companies, such as Kuehne + Nagel and Century Distribution Systems. He has spearheaded numerous supply chain software development platforms in the fields of e-commerce, international order / fulfillment management, marine procurement, and asset management. In addition, Pedersen has taught supply chain management and worked as an adjunct professor at New Jersey-based Fairleigh Dickinson University and Union County College. Pedersen started his career as a U.S. Coast Guard Licensed Third Officer, where he sailed on ocean-going vessels, and as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve. Pedersen holds a B.Sc. in Marine Transportation from SUNY Maritime College and an M.B.A. from Wagner College.

Prior to joining Seabury Maritime, Ayzanoa worked in Washington, D.C., for consulting firms Nathan Associates and The Louis Berger Group as project manager, port planner, maritime systems/shipping specialist, and trade analyst. He began his career at the National Institute for Ports and Waterways, the only academic and research center in the U.S. dedicated to performing technical and economic evaluations for the planning of maritime and river terminals and waterway navigation systems. An international consultant with more than 25 years of experience, Ayzanoa has managed specialized multi-disciplinary teams conducting global trade analysis, transport master planning, and economic impact analysis to support the development of transport infrastructure projects in the U.S., Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, and Europe. 

His technical work is extensive and includes the assessment of transport operations performance and productivity and the design and development of simulation models to optimize intermodal transportation networks, including all the physical components and interfaces of logistics chains for containerized, bulk, and other cargos. Ayzanoa holds an M.Sc. from The George Washington University in Engineering Management, and a B.Sc. in Computer Science from the University of Maryland.