Three of the four available positions in the 2022 International Bunker Industry Association board elections have been filled by women, meaning all the women standing for election were successful.

A total of 10 candidates from 10 different companies and backgrounds, from seven different countries stood for election in the 2022 IBIA board elections.

The four candidates elected for a three-year term starting April 1, 2022 are:
Timothy Cosulich, Fratelli Cosulich, Singapore (re-elected for a second term)
Valeria Sessa, Reseaworld, Italy

Eugenia Benavides, Terpel, Colombia (re-elected for a second term)
Anna Stefanou, PMG Holding, UK

The election results were announced at the IBIA AGM on Monday 21 February, 2022.

Prior to the AGM, the current board of IBIA formally elected the chair, vice-chair and treasurer for the year starting April 1, 2022.

Timothy Cosulich, who is currently the vice-chair, will take over as the chair of IBIA.
Constantinos Capetanakis of Starbulk, Greece will be the new vice-chair of IBIA.
Adrian Tolson, Blue Insight, USA will take on the role of Treasurer.

The board also co-opted the chairs of the Interim IBIA Regional Boards for Africa and Asia, respectively, to the IBIA Global Board: Paul Maclons of AMSOL (South Africa) and Rahul Choudhuri of VPS (Singapore). Choudhuri will replace Timothy Cosulich as the chair of the Interim IBIA Regional Board for Asia on April 1, 2022 when Timothy becomes the chair of IBIA globally.

Setting up Regional Boards is part of a strategy to restructure IBIA in a way that allows the Association to have both a stronger international reach and a more profound local commitment and understanding of the regional challenges in the marine fuels industry, a project set in motion by IBIA’s current chair, Henrik Zederkof.

The IBIA Board will be as follows on 1 April, 2022:

Chair: Timothy Cosulich, Fratelli Cosulich, Singapore

Vice-Chair: Constantinos Capetanakis, Starbulk, Greece
Hon Treasurer: Adrian Tolson, Blue Insight, USA

Peter Beekhuis, Maersk Oil Trading, Singapore
Eugenia Benavides, Terpel, Colombia
Rahul Choudhuri of VPS, Singapore
Paul Maclons of AMSOL, South Africa
Mustafa Muhtaroglu, Energy Petrol, Turkey
Jesper Rosenkrans, Total Marine Fuels Pte Ltd, Singapore
Valeria Sessa, Reseaworld, Italy

J. Stephen Simms, Simms Showers LLP, USA
Anna Stefanou, PMG Holding, UK

Nicolas Vukelja, Terramar, Panama

The current chair of IBIA, Henrik Zederkof of Bunker Holding, Denmark, and the current treasurer, bunker industry veteran and independent consultant Nigel Draffin. UK, will be stepping down at the end of March 2022, when their elected terms come to an end. IBIA extends a huge thanks to both for their dedication and valuable contributions to the Association during their tenure.

IBIA would also like to thank all who signalled an interest in taking a more active role in the Association by standing for election to the board.

“I was so pleased to see the high number, calibre and variety of candidates in the IBIA board elections both this year and last year; a testament to IBIA’s growing stature and relevance,” says Unni Einemo, Director of IBIA, adding: “It is refreshing to see more women join the board, increasing the number from one at present, to three.”

Einemo continues: “Henrik has shown such strong drive and commitment to the focus areas he outlined for IBIA when he became chair, and we are lucky to have another driven individual when our current vice-chair, Timothy, steps into the role. Our new vice-chair, Constantinos and our new treasurer, Adrian are both very pro-active and great resources for IBIA. We will miss Henrik and our treasured treasurer Nigel, but we have a great team in place for the year ahead. Besides, you do not have to be a board member to take part in IBIA’s work, so we hope both will remain active members.”