Event speakers
Bio TBA
Bio TBA
David is a Civil Engineer and developed his career in the digital marketing industry. For the last 12 years of that stage, he was CEO of ISP, a group selling technology-enabled services with operations in 14 countries.
In 2019, he stepped out from his position and moved to the Netherlands, where he co-founded BlueHeart Energy, a climate tech company working in the decarbonization of heating. Back in Barcelona, in early 2024 he joined Ocean Ecostructures as a partner and Chief Development Officer.
Iain has over 40 years of experience in offshore marine construction, with his early career at Brown & Root where he was engaged in the engineering and project management of major offshore projects.
He then moved into commercial, strategy, and regional leadership roles with tier-one contractors, including Acergy, Subsea 7, and McDermott International.
Iain was previously an IMCA Board Member and Past President.
He has BSc and MBA degrees and is a Chartered Engineer
Captain John Lloyd has been Chief Executive of The Nautical Institute since May 2017 having originally joined the Institute in 2015 as Chief Operating Officer.
Previously he was Professor, Maritime Training at the Australian Maritime College (AMC). In 2014 he inaugurated a new maritime college in Angola following a two-year development programme developed in conjunction with the City of Glasgow College and Sonangol Shipping.
Prior to this he held appointments as: Chief Executive Officer of the Vanuatu Maritime College in Santo, Vanuatu; and senior posts at Flagship Training Limited and Warsash Maritime Centre.
John is a Master Mariner and served as a Marine Pilot in Namibia from 1994 – 1995. He is a Master of Business Administration, a Freeman of the (UK) Honourable Company of Master Mariners, a Younger Brother of Trinity House and a Chartered Master Mariner.
Since joining The Nautical Institute John has introduced a series of professional development short courses attracting a substantial amount of international interest, a new qualification for engineering and technical staff on DP vessels and has recently started working more closely on key safety issues in the fishing sector.
In September 2023, John was awarded the (UK) Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service for his contribution to maritime training and education, an award presented by HRH The Princess Royal at Trinity House, London.
Leila is a globally recognized expert in the blue economy, sustainability, and strategic communications. Founder of Blue Jay Communication, she has led transformative initiatives across Africa and internationally. A former General Manager at IC Publications, she is also an advisor to global institutions on ocean sustainability. Named among the Top 100 Influential African Women in 2022, Leila is a keynote speaker and advocate for gender equality, innovation, and inclusive development. She serves on the jury of the Financial Afrik Awards and represents the Women in Maritime Association in Africa (WIMAfrica) as an international ambassador.
Lindi is the Chief Operating Officer of LOGiiT, a digital logbook and project management platform purpose-built for the offshore industry. With almost a decade of experience in the payments and fintech sector, Lindi has led large-scale operational teams through mergers, acquisitions, and digital transformation.
Her deep understanding of operational resilience in high-stakes, highly regulated environments is used to bring this same discipline to the offshore sector, focusing on streamlining workflows, strengthening data integrity, and ensuring the platform meets the real-world needs of companies and crews alike. She is passionate about transforming legacy systems and empowering offshore teams with digital tools that are as robust as they are intuitive.
Dr Norman Skillen has 12+ years in offshore renewables, during a thirty year plus international energy sector career that has encompassed hydrocarbon production, electricity generation and energy networks. A scientist by background, his experience includes business development, management consultancy, and international supply chain development.
As a director of Jan De Nul UK Limited, Norman is the Group UK & Ireland general manager, a role that includes offshore wind primary component installation business development, and running the UK company. Norman also maintains a close interest in floating offshore wind, subsea cable construction and a sustainable energy transition.