Dirk Obermann is a deacon, social worker and is coordinating the psycho-social response program (Psychosoziale Notfallversorgung - PSNV) within the worldwide network of the German Seafarers’ Mission.

The physical and psychological strain on seafarers is severe and with a rising number of conflicts and wars in the world, as well as the increase of severe storms and bad weather events, work on board also is increasingly perceived as threatening.

"Fear is always on board", as a seafarer who was worried about pirate attacks said many years ago, when passing the Somali coast. Due to the war in Ukraine, Gaza and, above all, the missile attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea, fear has unfortunately become a frequent companion.

Fini Hansen started his career at Nakskov Skibsværft (Nakskov Shipyard) in 1974, where he helped build the Great Belt ferries Prins Joachim and Kronprins Frederik, which later joined the Gedser-Rostock route.

Following the path he started at the Svendborg Maskinmesterskole (nowadays SIMAC - Svendborg International Maritime Academy) where he graduated as a qualified engineer, he has been at the Royal Danish Navy, DFDS, DSB, DSB-rederi. And Scandlines (at that time when he started somehow 41 years ago, a.k.a. DSB-rederi) in different positions such as Senior Chief Engineer, On Site Manager under the shipbuilding of the Rødby-Püttgarden ferries in 1997, HR-employee and since 2008 Scandlines Technical Superintendent. Fini has extensive experience as marine engineer, specific from "a lot" of Conversion Projects, New Building Projects, and dockings. He currently holds the title of Vice President Fleet.

As Technical Superintendent, Fini Alsted Hansen is responsible for Scandlines' hybrid system, including the installation and operation of the hybrid ferries, with a constant focus on the efficiency potential in ferry operations.

It was Fini's visionary choice that the Rødby-Püttgarden ferries should be designed as diesel-electric as early as 1997, so that there was the possibility of flexibility. And it was ground-breaking when Fini invented the hybrid system in 2013, which has been a huge success and has since been copied by shipping companies worldwide. Since the ferries were launched in 1997, Scandlines has reduced the energy consumption of the double-ended ferries by 50 percent – this is not least due to Fini's ingenuity.

Jens Meinhard Rasmussen is CEO of Smyril Line, a leading North Atlantic shipping company specializing in both RoRo freight and passenger transport. He has held the position since 2021, following a decade as Chairman of the Board.

Mr. Rasmussen is also CEO of Skansi Offshore, an offshore vessel operator based in the Faroe Islands, a role held since 2006. In addition to his executive roles, he serves as Chairman of the Board of the Shipowners of the Faroe Islands and is a long-standing board member of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS).

Mr. Rasmussen holds a Master Mariner certification from the Faroese Maritime Academy and a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the University of Copenhagen. His early career included seagoing service and shipbroking, forming a well-rounded foundation for his leadership in maritime transport.

Smyril Line was established in 1982 and is today a well-reputed shipping company linking the North Atlantic and continental Europe. Headquartered in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands, Smyril Line also maintains offices in Iceland, Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark. The company’s primary work area is travel and freight transport in the North Atlantic, operating a fleet of four vessels including the ROPAX Norrøna, and currently has two newbuilds on order.

Skuld Germany GmbH former Head of FDD and meanwhile its Vice President of Claims and FDDA-turned claims specialist, Jens M Priess leverage his deep expertise to continue leading and mentoring a team of claims handlers, ensuring excellence in a fast-paced environment.

With over 30 years of experience in the maritime, shipping, and insurance industries, Jens specializes in providing expert legal counsel, strategic claims and risk management, and innovative loss prevention solutions. His journey started in 1995 at ARNECKE SIBETH DABELSTEIN, continued at UK P&I Club London and Ince & Co. Hamburg and arrived at Skuld Hamburg in 2009.

Jens has an ongoing commitment to integrity, continuous learning, and professional growth which "drives value for my clients, my team, and the industry". Bilingual in English and German, he navigates international claims - whether litigation, arbitration, or ADR (CEDR accredited) - with ease, focusing on client-centric solutions that build and maintain long-term relationships.

Jens is an Ambassador for WISTA Germany (Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association) recognised for his longstanding and consistent dedication to equality – both in his role at Skuld and in his personal and professional environments: "His genuine support and ongoing efforts to create equal opportunities make him a role model within the industry". As an active member of the Diversity Project Group, he has played a key role in the development and implementation of the Ambassador Initiative. 

In addition, Jens is a board member of the German Association for International Maritime Law (Der Deutsche Verein für Internationales Seerecht).

Lars Rosenberg Overby is a qualified Danish lawyer and Dr. Juris from the Scandinavian Institute of Maritime law.
 
With more than 30 years in the business, Lars is one of Denmark's most experienced lawyers within maritime and transport law. He has experience as an arbitrator and has litigated cases before all Danish courts and in international arbitration cases.
 
Lars was on the BIMCO drafting committee of the standard contract Windtime and has P&I Club experience. 
 
Lars is president of the Danish Maritime Law Association and active in the Polar Shipping Committee of Comité Maritime International. In addition to his work as a lawyer, has been a judge at the Eastern High Court. He is a member of the Supreme Court bar and the Arbitration Association. 
 
In addition, Dr Lars Rosenberg Overby has written several books and articles on maritime law topics and has been an external lecturer at the University of Copenhagen in maritime law.
 
Lars is the Chairman of the trust managing the Danish sail training tall ship GEORG STAGE.

Tue Lippert is the CEO of Heimdal Critical Infrastructure and a Defence and Security Advisor at WindEurope. With a background as an officer in the Royal Danish Navy, he has spent the past 13 years in the wind industry, working across offshore wind development, construction, and operations & maintenance. He has held roles at Ørsted, Vestas, and K2 Management. At WindEurope, he combines his expertise in the wind sector with a deep understanding of critical infrastructure protection, particularly in defence and security. 

Heimdal Critical Infrastructure draws inspiration from Norse mythology, specifically the vigilant guardian god Heimdal, one of the most important gods in Norse mythology, known as the guardian of Bifrost, the rainbow bridge that connects Midgard (the world of humans) with Asgard (the world of the gods). He is described as incredibly vigilant and perceptive – with extraordinary senses, he can hear grass growing and see far in the dark. In this way, he constantly guards the bridge and protects the gods from threats posed by giants and other enemies. Heimdal is also known for his horn, Gjallarhorn, which he will blow at the end of the world, Ragnarok, to warn the gods and humans of the coming battles. Heimdall is seen as both a warrior and a mysterious figure.

Heimdal Critical Infrastructure wants to protect Bifrost ensuring that Ragnarok is not on our watch.

"My Naval education and career in the Navy and the Special Forces is the base of my leadership. I use this experience and my people skills in combination with my personal values and drive when I execute and deliver in my career and projects. 

The hallmark of my career is transparent, delegating and action oriented leadership – with a feed-forward culture that ensures each individual knows exactly how to act and deliver on a daily basis as well as in the full perspective. I know this creates both qualitative and quantitative results. And both are of high value to project Quality, Health & Safety as well as to the bottom line."

Tue Lippert remains active in the Danish Defence Reserves, holding the rank of Commander with Joint Arctic Command in Greenland.

Wolfgang Knopf is a Master Mariner and Senior Nautical Advisor at Germany's Havariekommando.

The Central Command for Maritime Emergencies (CCME) is Germany's only organization for accident management and the coordination of complex disaster situations in the North and Baltic Seas. It was founded in 2003 as a joint institution of the federal government and the five coastal states to improve response times to disasters at sea.

In day-to-day operations, the Havariekommando is Germany's center of excellence for maritime emergency preparedness. In the event of complex disasters, an emergency response team is convened to coordinate the actions of all federal and coastal state emergency services. Since its founding, the Havariekommando has successfully handled 90 complex disaster situations. Each year, conducts approximately 100 exercises and training sessions with its partner organizations. Around 50 employees work for the Central Command for Maritime Emergencies, and its headquarters are in Cuxhaven.