Governance

The Poseidon Principles Association is the governing body of the Poseidon Principles, responsible for the management, administration and development of the principles. Upon joining, signatories and associate members automatically become members of the Poseidon Principles Association, meaning all members play a role in shaping the initiative. Decision-making and association processes are defined by a set of Governance Rules.

The Steering Committee coordinates the association and principles on behalf of its members. Members can join a variety of working groups with specific focus areas, including the Technical Committee, Governance Committee, and Future Principles Committee, that report back to the Steering Committee. In addition, an Advisory Council was established in 2026 to serve as a sounding board for the Steering Committee and to ground the association’s future development in industry experience.

To support the association’s activities, the secretariat handles day-to-day operations and serves as the first point of contact for existing and prospective members. The secretariat is provided by the Global Maritime Forum. In addition, the technical expertise needed for the methodology framework to remain up to date and accurate is provided by CE Delft and may include other organizations when necessary.

Steering Committee

The Governance Rules detail the scope of the Steering Committee’s role (including the chair, vice chair, and treasurer) and how representatives are nominated and appointed. Members of the Steering Committee must be signatories, and elections are held every two years.

The current members of the Steering Committee are:

KfW IPEX-Bank

• Sebastian Blum, Managing Director, Global Head Mobility (Vice Chair)
• Dominik Höhn, Director, Maritime Industries

Nordea Bank Abp

• Thor-Erik Bech, Global Head of Shipping
• Sia Benedikte Strømsnes, Relationship Manager, Associate

SEB

• Chris Fasseland, Director and Client Executive, Shipping Finance
• Per Olav Bucher-Johannessen, Head of Shipping Finance Norway

SMBC

• Guillaume Dufour, Managing Director, Head of Marine Finance, EMEA
• Sabrina Han, Director, Transportation Department

Societe Generale

• Paul Taylor, Global Head of Maritime Industries (Chair)
• Benoit Micaelli, Shipping Structured Finance

Standard Chartered Bank

• Heng Chih Chwen, Executive Director, Head of Maritime Research and Decarbonisation
• Jatin Sarvaiya, Director, Net Zero Programme

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, Limited

• Riro Sato, Senior Managing Director
• Shintaro Fujioka, Manager, Ship Finance Department

UBS AG

• Joshua Alexander Walter, Executive Director (Treasurer)
• Christian Wieser, Managing Director, Global Head of Ship Finance

Advisory Council

The Advisory Council is made up of senior representatives from across the maritime sector, including shipowners from the major segments (container, bulk, tankers, cruise, etc.), along with academics and industry associations. It was established in the spring of 2026 to provide a structured mechanism for consulting with stakeholders on important issues relevant to the maritime sector and the objectives of the Poseidon Principles.

The council is currently chaired by Lindsey Keeble, Managing Partner at Watson Farley & Williams. Members participate for approximately two-year terms. The current members serving until 2028 are:

James Lewis (Sea Cargo Charter Chair), Global Head of Operations, Cargill Ocean Transportation

Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO, DNV Group

Lindsey Keeble (Advisory Council Chair), Managing Partner, WFW

Martin Fruergaard, CEO, Pacific Basin

Mary Wisz, Senior Scientist, DTU

Michael Parker, Vice Chairman, Citi (London)

Patrizia Kern (IUMI representative), Chief Insurance Officer, Breeze

Synnove Seglem, CEO, Knutsen