Mohamed Safwan Othman is a distinguished maritime leader whose vision and dedication have significantly advanced Malaysia’s shipping industry while strengthening regional maritime cooperation across ASEAN. As Chairman of the Federation of ASEAN Shipowners’ Associations (FASA) and Chairman of the Malaysia Shipowners’ Association (MASA), he plays a pivotal role in representing the collective interests of ASEAN and Malaysian shipowners, fostering stronger collaboration among industry stakeholders, governments, and international maritime organisations to advance a safer, more competitive, and sustainable maritime sector.

Widely recognised for his strategic leadership and commitment to regional partnership, Mohamed Safwan continues to strengthen ASEAN’s voice within the global maritime community by championing progressive maritime policies, industry innovation, sustainability, and human capital development. His leadership has contributed to enhancing the competitiveness, resilience, and long-term growth of the maritime industry while reinforcing ASEAN’s position in the global shipping landscape.

Waqas Samad has been CEO of Lloyd’s List Intelligence, a leading maritime data and analytics company, since August 2025.

Before joining Lloyd’s List Intelligence, Waqas had more than 30 years of experience in financial markets and technology. He has held C-suite and senior leadership roles in financial markets, most recently as a member of the Executive Committee at London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG). As Group Director of LSEG’s Information Services Division, he led global data and analytics businesses, including in the role as CEO of FTSE Russell, the index business. At LSEG, he led major transformations, including the acquisition of Yieldbook from Citi and the acquisition of Refinitiv. After LSEG, Waqas was a Senior Advisor to Oliver Wyman and an advisor to a number of global private equity firms.

Alongside leading major corporate transformations, he has experience in building high-performing executive teams and executing commercial and corporate strategy, including in global, regulated financial markets businesses. Before LSEG, he was CEO of Barclays Index and Analytics Solutions, a business he built by combining the index and analytics operations of Barclays and Lehman Brothers. Over nine years, he led the creation of the standalone business and its growth before it was acquired by Bloomberg.

Waqas brings extensive industry experience from leading global institutions, including Barclays Capital, Deutsche Bank, Credit Suisse, SG Warburg and Nortel Networks. In addition to his executive leadership responsibilities, Waqas has been deeply engaged as a hands-on technologist throughout his career. He has led the development of complex data, analytics and index platforms, working closely with engineering and product teams to design scalable architectures, modernise legacy infrastructure, and commercialise advanced analytics through client-facing products.

Waqas holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Imperial College London and completed the Investment Management Programme at London Business School.

Datuk Eddie Lee is the Group Managing Director of Westports Holdings Berhad (WHB), a public-listed company on Bursa Malaysia with a market capitalization of approximately RM24 billion. Appointed to the role effective 1 February 2025, he oversees key divisions including Corporate Business Development Projects, Commercial, Finance, Legal, Claims & Insurance, Secretarial Affairs, at Westports Malaysia, WHB’s wholly owned subsidiary.

Datuk Eddie previously served as CEO of Westports Malaysia Sdn Bhd for seven years from 2018 to 2024, having risen through the ranks since 2003 in roles such as Senior General Manager, Head of Commercial, and Finance Manager.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business from Edith Cowan University, Australia, and is a Chartered Accountant (MIA) as well as a member of CPA Australia. He is also an alumnus of Harvard Business School, having completed the Senior Management Development Programme in Malaysia and the General Management Programme in Boston.

Wei Zhuang began his career with BIMCO in 2011, joining the Legal and Contractual Affairs Department at the organization’s headquarters in Denmark. In this role, he contributed to a broad range of BIMCO’s standard contracts and clauses projects, playing an active part in their development, revision, and global promotion.

In 2016, Wei was appointed Regional Manager for Asia, where he focused on fostering constructive relationships with regional regulators and industry stakeholders while supporting BIMCO members and prospective members across the region. He currently serves as Head of Asia-Pacific at BIMCO, leading the organization’s engagement and membership activities throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

Prior to joining BIMCO, Wei spent eight years as a maritime lawyer and served as a senior fellow at a maritime university. He holds a Master’s degree in Maritime Law and a PhD in International Law.