William Brown has been elected new president of the Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA).

Brown who is the immediate past president of the Shipping Association of Jamaica, was elected yesterday at the CSA’s 54th annual general meeting, conference and exhibition in St Maarten.

He succeeds Marc Sampson, who served as president for the past three years.

“We have seen the growth of the CSA from having membership from just the English-speaking Caribbean at its inception, to now include all the countries of the Greater Caribbean area, as well as companies from around the world who do business in the region. We have emersed ourselves in the decarbonization of the industry by our Memorandum of Understanding with the Inter-American Development Bank,” Brown said.

An experienced maritime professional with a strong track record in the shipping and logistics industry, Brown brings a wealth of experience to the role, most recently serving as CSA vice-president and Group D Chairman prior to that.

He is a chartered accountant and Certified International Trade Professional with a specialization in fraud, inventory logistics, shipping agency forensics, and international trade investigations.

Brown is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Jamaica and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.

Maria del Mar Rodriguez new VP

Maria del Mar Rodriguez was elected as the CSA’s new Vice-President. Del Mar Rodriguez, who was previously CSA Group C chairman, is the assistant vice-president for the Hispaniola and US Virgin Islands at Tropical Shipping and has extensive knowledge of and insights in the sector.

With her deep understanding of the Caribbean shipping landscape and her commitment to the industry, Rodriguez is expected to make significant contributions to the CSA leadership team.

Looking to the future

Referring to the future, Brown told the AGM, “I believe we are perfectly poised to become a regional advocate; to use our connectivity to encourage and facilitate regional trade between our countries. In a region where significant wealth coexists alongside extreme poverty, the leadership of the region and its institutions, including the CSA, must pay closer attention. Therefore, our contribution to the growth in regional trade must become a major part of our next agenda.”

The AGM, which runs from October 7-8 at the JW Marriott St. Maarten Beach Resort & Spa, brought together almost 400 delegates from across the Caribbean and beyond to discuss key issues facing the maritime industry, including decarbonization, the global supply chain, cybersecurity, sustainability, and trade facilitation.

The CSA is the leading regional body representing the shipping and maritime industry in the Caribbean.