Wednesday 13th May 2026

8.45-9.15
Registration & Coffee

9.15-9.30
Welcome to the Spinnaker Maritime People & Culture Conference
Phil Parry, CEO, Spinnaker

9.30-10.30
Maritime Economics 
The annual market overview of the shipping sector and outlook for the year ahead.
Sarah Holden, Director, Clarksons Research

10.30-11.15
Clarity over chaos. How to thrive amid stress and choice overload
Pellegrino Riccardi, Cross-Cultural Expert & Human Behaviour Hacker

11.15-11.45
Coffee Break

11.45-12.15
The neurodivergent advantage
Neurodivergence brings unique skills and perspectives rather than challenges. NeurodiversAtSea aims to shift audience perspectives toward inclusion by championing the Neurodivergent cause through information, engagement and education.
Daniel Smith, Founder, NeurodiversAtSea.org

12.15-13.00

Leading the next wave through mentorship  
How strong leadership and commitment to mentoring programmes can inspire the next generation and create positive change.
Spinnaker CEO Phil Parry chats with Captain Louise Sara, Fleet Captain and Director of Maritime Standards at Carnival Corporation

13.00-14.00
Lunch sponsored by Clyde & Co

14.00-14.45
Less complexity, more clarity: A simple approach to EU Pay Transparency 
This session will look at the key requirements of the directive, and when they come into force. The session will also consider how to handle employee requests for pay comparisons without causing disruption.
A Q&A with Dr. Timon Gru, Partner, Pusch Wahlig Workplace Law

14.45-15.30
Building great workplaces that create an exceptional employee experience
Amy Reid, Global People & Culture Director, Mintra and winner of the Sunday Times Best Place to Work, talks to Tim Browne about their focus on employee engagement and experience throughout the whole lifecycle from talent attraction, development and success planning.

15.30-16.00
Coffee

16.00-16.30
Connecting young people with workplace opportunities and structured mentoring in the corporate world 
A case study from Johnny Shonibare-Soutan, Regional Manager, Career Ready and Jennifer Russell, HR Business Partner, Thomas Miller

16.30-17.15
Shining a spotlight on the next generation of talent in the maritime industry through Spinnaker’s 30 under 30.
A panel discussion with rising stars in the sector, where we uncover the key drivers and motivators of the next generation.
Chaired by James Wilkes, Managing Director, Gray Page

17.30-19.30
Champagne Reception

19.30-22.00
Gala Dinner sponsored by ABS

Thursday 14th May 2026

8.45-9.30
Registration & Coffee

9.30-10.15
How AI is Reshaping Maritime HR
How the HR function needs to be responding to the fast-changing world of artificial intelligence. Chaired by Phil Parry.
Chuck Kemper, Chief Human Resources Officer, ABS
Shadia El Dardiry, Senior Employment Associate, Clyde & Co
Ole Christian Olsen Apeland, Innovation Director Learning, Mintra
Saurav Chopra, CEO, 5Mins.ai

10.15-10.45
How to prepare for the new Sexual Harassment legislation 
This session focuses on the manager’s viewpoint when it comes to sexual harassment prevention and response. We’ll unpack what the 2026 SASH training requirements and the UK’s updated expectations on preventing sexual harassment mean for day-to-day decisions on ships and offices, including how Gen X–Gen Z differences show up in ‘banter’, boundaries and reporting. You’ll leave with concrete steps HR can build into policies, training and reporting channels to show they’re taking reasonable steps and to give managers the confidence to act early, not after the fact.
Emma Mark, Executive Coach & Maritime Retention Specialist

10.45-11.15
Coffee Break

11.15 -11.45
Strategic Approaches to Seafarer Mental Health and Wellbeing. From Prevention to Effective Response
Dr Pennie Blackburn, Director, Waypoint Maritime CiC

11.45 -12.15 
When AI becomes a confidant.
Understanding the risks of seeking support from tools, not therapists.
Charles Watkins, Clinical Psychologist, Mental Health Support Solutions (MHSS)

12.15-12.45
Recovery After Traumatic Incidents
An Introduction to Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) in Maritime Settings.
Dr Rachel Glynn-Williams, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Seaways Psychology Services

13.00-14.00
Lunch sponsored by Clyde & Co

14.00-14.30
Developing our leaders of the future
How to mentor and lead the rising stars of the future
Njsane Courtney, Vice President, Human Resources, ABS

14.30 – 15.00
How small changes can make big differences to the well-being of our seafarers and their families
Emma MacCarthy, West of England Insurance Services, Loss Prevention Officer

15:00 – 15.45
From living conditions to lasting change. Building mental health and diversity, for the future of shipping
Eva Rodriguez, Group Director Marine People Development & Welfare, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM), leads a discussion on the human sustainability challenges and opportunities in the maritime industry. She will be joined by active seafarers, Capt. Alexandros Lignos, Capt. Oleksandr Skrypkin and Deck Cadet Gamila Aly Saber Mohamed Hassan, who bring real-world insights from life at sea.