North America Regional Meeting

Richard Purser has over 25 years of experience in Dynamic Positioning, starting as a cadet engineer at P&O Containers. He transitioned to the offshore industry, gaining extensive experience on seismic surveys, pipelayers, and DSVs, eventually earning his Class 1 Chief Engineers Certificate. 

After working at Trinity House Lighthouse Authority, Richard joined PML, later acquired by Noble Denton and DNV, as a DP Practitioner. He specialised in FMEAs, incident investigations, and advanced generator protection systems. 

Since June 2021, Richard has led IMCA’s Dynamic Positioning activities, including committee work, DP Event Reporting, and accreditation schemes. Richard also leads the Marine Division Committee and the Marine Autonomous Surface Systems (MASS) Committee.

Dustin has 20 years of experience in offshore energy and marine operations. He spent fifteen years offshore as a ship’s officer working internationally on large-scale projects in Asia, the Gulf of Mexico, and Brazil.  

He is a Master Mariner, an experienced Dynamic Positioning operator, and holds many industry credentials and certifications. His shipyard and vessel construction experience include projects in Japan, Singapore, and various locations in the United States. 

Dustin has construction and operational planning experience in the developing U.S. offshore renewable energy industry and is passionate about the implementation of marine technology to improve safety. 

Michael “Mike” Hebert is the Supervisory CBP Officer for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) National Jones Act Division of Enforcement (JADE). Due to his vast knowledge of coastwise trade laws, SCBPO Hebert was appointed by senior CBP leadership to create and lead JADE, a national unit with the focused mission of education and enforcement of our nation’s coastwise trade laws. SCBPO Hebert created and has direct oversight of the CBP coastwise trade enforcement strategy.

SCBPO Hebert has over 36 years of federal service, including nine years as an active-duty military veteran, both in the U.S. Army and the Louisiana National Guard. As a member of the Louisiana National Guard Counter Drug Program (CDP), he was assigned to the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office first, then to the U.S. Customs Service Office of Investigations in Houma, LA.

Mr. Hebert began his career with the U.S. Customs Service in 1998 in the Port of Morgan City. He was a student of Customs Inspector Basic Training Course USCSI-9907, where he was awarded both the Outstanding Performance Award and the Distinguished Student Award. In 2005, Mr. Hebert was promoted to the position of Supervisor, then to Port Director for the CBP Morgan City in 2007. As Port Director, he was responsible for all operational and administrative aspects of the CBP Morgan City, the 2nd busiest vessel arrival port in the nation for CBP during his tenure. In 2010, he was assigned to the BP Oil Spill Incident Command Center in Houma, LA, where he was the lead CBP Official, responsible for coordinating CBP operations nationwide related to the BP Oil Spill. He was also the liaison between USCG and CBP for all “Jones Act” related issues for the oil spill. In 2011 he was awarded the Leadership Award by the Area Port Director of New Orleans. In 2014 Mr. Hebert was selected by senior OFO leadership as the OFO lead to update HB 3100-03, the OFO Vessel Handbook, which was published on July 15, 2015. This handbook serves as the policy & procedure guide for CBPOs working in the maritime environment. Until this update, the handbook had not been updated for 15 years.

Because of his outstanding relationship with internal and external partners, SCBPO Hebert was voted in as the Vice Chairman of the South Louisiana Area Maritime Security Committee in 2015 and also served as the Chairman of the Law Enforcement Sub-Committee.

SCBPO Hebert graduated in 2014 with a Master of Science Degree in Criminal Justice Leadership & Executive Management. Due to his academic achievements, he was inducted into both the Golden Key International Honor Society and Alpha Phi Sigma (Criminal Justice Honor Society). From January 2015 through December 2018, Mr. Hebert served as an Adjunct Instructor at the Nicholls State University, teaching courses on Marine Accident Prevention, Maritime Enforcement & Security, and Disaster Management & Recovery.

Mr. Hebert was honored with two distinguished community awards in the recent past. In 2021, he received the Houma-Thibodaux Diocesan Service Award for St. Gregory Barbarigo Church. In March 2022, he was awarded the James L. Powell Alumni Award, the highest recognition given to a Nicholls State University graduate.

Capt. Sean Hogue is a Master Mariner with a background in subsea construction and offshore operations.

He is an accomplished marine surveyor and currently leads the Marine Assurance & Marine Warranty divisions at Baker Marine Solutions.

Capt. Hogue sits on the IMCA North America marine committee, is a director at the Society of Offshore Marine Warranty Surveyors (SOMWS), a member of the Houston Marine Arbitration Association (HMAA), and is regularly featured in Maritime Executive magazine where he writes about safe operations, the energy transition, and the new technology that supports it.

Aditya Nawab is the Founder and CEO of Robosys Automation, a global leader in software-defined autonomy for maritime and offshore operations. A technocrat with over 20 years of experience, he has developed advanced robotic and autonomous systems across the United States and internationally, working in complex, unstructured environments spanning ground, marine, and industrial domains.

His career includes pioneering work on first-of-its-kind stealth robotic platforms in the UAE and leading early autonomous navigation trials in the North Sea. Aditya has contributed to programs with the U.S. Department of Defense and NASA, and holds multiple patents with publications in leading journals such as IEEE.

At Robosys, he is driving the adoption of edge-based AI for real-time, COLREG-compliant autonomous navigation, enabling safer and more efficient offshore and maritime operations worldwide.

Talita Scarcela is a maritime professional with a global background across operations, training, and leadership. She has built her career sailing on a wide range of vessel types, bringing a practical, real-world perspective into everything she does.

At Maersk Training, she has taken on leadership roles managing simulation operations and supporting the development of training programs across different regions.

Now based in Houston, Talita focuses on delivering simulation-based training and contributing to the growth of maritime and emergency response programs. She also holds an MBA and is currently completing a Master’s degree in leadership.