Judges announced, it’s time to prepare for The Maritime Standard Awards 2018

The Maritime Standard Awards 2018 will take place at iconic The Atlantis, the, Palm, Dubai, on Monday, 15 October. Clive Woodbridge, Editor of The Maritime Standard, and Chairman of the judging panel, says, “We are giving companies a bit of a head start, with a pre-nominations announcement. Now is the time to start planning your nominations and begin to gather together the evidential information you will need to submit.”

He adds, “It takes time to put together a high quality nomination and those who are successful have usually put a lot of effort into compiling evidence against all the key criteria for their particular category. My advice is the sooner you start the process, the better your chance of a positive outcome will be.”

There will be around 28 different awards presented on the night, covering a range of activities in shipping, ports, and related sectors. The majority of these will be selected by an eminent panel of independent judges. 

The Judging Panel for the Maritime Standard Awards 2018 has now been confirmed. Chaired by The Maritime Standard editor, Clive Woodbridge, the Judging Panel is made up of experienced, well respected individuals that have been drawn from many different fields and countries to ensure that the Awards maintain their reputation for being the “Gold Standard” awards for the industry.

This year The Maritime Standard is pleased to confirm that the judges will comprise: Clive Woodbridge, Editor, The Maritime Standard; Abdulla Bin Damithan, Chief Commercial Officer, DP World; Abdulkareem Al Masabi, Chief Executive, ADNOC Logistics and Services; Ali Shehab, Deputy CEO, Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC); Angus Frew, Secretary General and Chief Executive, BIMCO; Capt. Anoop Kumar Sharma, Chairman and Managing Director, The Shipping Corporation of India; Capt. David Stockley, Chief Operating Officer, Oman Shipping Company; Capt. Jitendra Misra, Managing Director, Emarat Maritime; Dr. Mustafa Massad, President, Jordan Academy for Maritime Studies; Capt. S.R. Patnaik, Director and Chief Executive Officer, International Shipping and Logistics; Ruwan Waidyaratne, Managing Director  of Hayley’s Advantis Limited and Chairman of Ceylon Association of Ships Agents (CASA); and Eng. Sherine El Naggar, Chairman, AK Naggar Group.  

All the judges for the Maritime Standard Awards 2018 are experts in their fields, with many years of experience in shipping, ports, ship agency and logistics, maritime training and other areas of the maritime industry. The judges independently assess the nominations and submit marks based on predetermined criteria to ensure a transparent and fair process.

Trevor Pereira, Founder and Managing Director of The Maritime Standard, says, “We are delighted that these leading figures in the industry, whose knowledge spans many different market segments and geographical regions, have agreed to be part of the judging process. Their expertise and integrity are unquestionable and the industry can have every faith in their judgment in adjudicating who are the most worthy winners in all categories.” The Maritime Standard Awards is a glittering ceremony that recognises exceptional achievements and innovations within the region. Over 700 prominent personalities are expected to attend the gala dinner and awards, representing many of the biggest and most prominent companies within the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent. 

Ali Shehab, Deputy CEO, Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC) says, “The TMS judging process is very transparent, accountable and fair. I strongly encourage companies to nominate themselves for the Awards, as it is a very valuable experience.”

Capt. Jitendra Misra, Managing Director, Emarat Maritime, adds, “The difference between a good and a great nomination usually lies in the effort put into the entry. So do your research and put effort in at this stage of the process.”

Nominations are invited from across the region, including the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent. A full list of categories can now be found on http://www.tmsawards.com/award-categories/.

Nominations will open on 15 May 2018.