Meet our Team.

Washington, DC

Joe Kramek is the President and CEO of the World Shipping Council since August 2024.

He first started at the World Shipping Council as Director of U.S. Government Relations for WSC in March 2021.

Prior to the World Shipping Council, he has served as a U.S. Coast Guard commissioned officer for twenty-eight years, where he spent time at sea and as the Chief of Maritime, International, and Environmental Law. In this role, he led the U.S. Delegation to the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Legal Committee.

Joe was detailed for two years to the Department of Justice as an Admiralty Trial Attorney. He was also selected as a Federal Executive Fellow at the Brookings Institution where he completed one of the first research projects on maritime cybersecurity at port facilities.

As Senior Advisor, Lars Kjaer deals with matters before the Safety and Security Council with a particular focus on container transport, containers lost at sea, Illegal wildlife trafficking and pest contamination in the international container pathway. He chairs ISO Technical Committee 104, responsible for all container‑related standards.

Lars has been with WSC since its inception. Before joining the Council, he served as Washington Representative for CENSA and previously worked at the Royal Danish Embassy in Washington, D.C., and the Danish Delegation to NATO in Brussels.

John Walsh is the Chief Operating Officer who oversees WSC’s global operations, budget and finance, governance processes, and coordination across offices as Chief Operating Officer. Based in Washington, D.C., he ensures organisational effectiveness and supports strategic and board‑level engagement.

He joined WSC in July 2025. Prior to that, John served twenty years in the U.S. Coast Guard as a professional mariner and finance officer, including command of a Coast Guard ship. He held senior roles in budget, policy, financial management, and program operations, and later served as Director of Technology Program Management with a federal enterprise IT provider. John holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Washington Foster School of Business and Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

Wei‑Jun Mun is Director Public Policy at the World Shipping Council and is part of the organisation’s environment and climate team, currently based in New York City. His work supports WSC’s global policy engagement on environmental and sustainability issues, drawing on his experience in public affairs and regulatory processes across multiple regions.

Before relocating to New York, Wei‑Jun worked on public affairs in Asia with the WSC office in Singapore. He brings a strong public policy background with a focus on environment and labour issues, most recently serving at the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, where he represented Singapore at both the International Maritime Organization and the International Labour Organisation.

Tamekia Flack leads WSC’s U.S. Government Relations work, advancing key safety, security, and environmental priorities in the U.S.A.

She joined WSC in Fall 2024. Previously, Tamekia served as Deputy Administrator of MARAD, guiding senior leadership, shaping policy, and leading mariner‑safety initiatives. She also served as MARAD’s Chief Counsel and earlier as Senior Legislative Attorney for the U.S. Coast Guard. Tamekia is a U.S. Army veteran, having served in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General Corps. She holds a Juris Doctorate from Tulane University School of Law and a degree from Dillard University.

Nicholas “Nick” Tabori directs WSC’s U.S. regulatory engagement, leading work on safety, security, and maritime regulatory frameworks and representing member interests across federal agencies and international bodies.

He joined WSC in April 2022. Nick previously served twenty years as a U.S. Coast Guard commissioned officer, conducting counternarcotics patrols, search and rescue, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. As a Judge Advocate General attorney, he drafted and implemented safety and security legislation and policy, including cybersecurity and autonomous technology. He also served with the National Pollution Funds Center and the Coast Guard’s Office of Information and Intelligence Law.

Patty Volonakis supports WSC’s administrative operations, coordination, and member‑facing functions, contributing long‑standing organisational continuity across the Council’s global activities.

She has been with WSC since its creation in 2000. Before joining the Council, Patty worked as an Administrative Coordinator in IT at Gannett and spent six years at the United Way of the National Capital Area. She holds a B.S. in Human Resources Management from the University of Maryland.

Ryan Barock joined WSC’s Washington office in 2023. His role involves supporting the internal development of policy positions on behalf of WSC member companies on issues of maritime safety and security, U.S. legislation and regulation, environment and climate, and related initiatives.  

Prior to joining WSC, he most recently served as a Graduate Research Assistant at the Gender and Policy Center at George Mason University, and previously held the same role at the National Security Institute at GMU. In this role he managed and supported research projects, events, and relationships with Center affiliates. His professional background also includes a project management role supporting USAID-funded international development projects. Ryan holds a BA degree in Foreign Affairs and Religious Studies from the University of Virginia and an MPA degree from the Schar School of Policy and Government at GMU.

Brussels

Simon Bergulf is the Vice President, Environment and Climate, who is responsible for leading WSC’s global environmental and climate policy work and oversees the organisation’s European Chapter, shaping regulatory frameworks affecting the liner shipping industry at international and regional levels.

He joined WSC in 2026. Before that, Simon spent nine years at A.P. Moller – Maersk as Group Representative for Europe and Head of Energy Transition and Operations. He previously led the Brussels office of the Danish Shipowners’ Association and worked at Hill & Knowlton in Brussels. Simon holds a Master’s degree in Public and Political Management from the Institut Supérieur de Management Public et Politique Européen and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from the Université Libre de Bruxelles and the Universidad de Granada and has served in the Danish Royal Guard.

Jim Corbett, P.E., PhD, directs WSC's policy engagement on the range of European maritime environmental regulations and supporting international regulations affecting liner shipping. Dr. Corbett joined WSC in April 2021.  

Jim is a leading expert on vessel air emissions and transportation environmental policy, previously as Professor at the University of Delaware and research consultant. He is a widely published scholar who has conducted technology-policy research related to transportation, including ground-breaking research on air emissions from maritime transport, energy and environmental impacts of freight transportation, and assessment of technological and policy strategies for improving goods movement. 

Damian Viccars is Director of Government Affairs, Europe at the World Shipping Council. He joined WSC in 2012 as its Brussels Representative and leads the organisation’s governmental cooperation and advocacy with the European Institutions. His work focuses on advancing WSC member priorities across EU legislative and regulatory processes particularly on trade, customs, supply chain and security issues. Damian also has responsibility for the WSC’s Africa Working Group and for the organisation’s government engagement on that continent.

Damian has worked in EU public affairs since 2001He has also worked extensively with UN bodies involved in transport, trade and security, such as the ILO, UNECE, UNODC and WCO. Damian holds an Honours degree in War Studies and History from King’s College, University of London, and speaks English and French.

Arthur Huxham is the Content & Social Media Manager responsible for strengthening brand presence across platforms, developing website and member‑communication content, and building an engaging global digital voice from Brussels.

He joined WSC in December 2022. Arthur is an experienced videographer with a background in social media, web management, and communications for organisations including Customs4Trade and BASF Group. He holds a joint Erasmus Mundus master’s degree in Journalism, Media and Globalization and a bachelor’s degree in Theatre & Drama.

Felix Sames is Policy Manager responsible for  WSC’s work on EU regulatory, environmental, and climate policy affecting the shipping industry, and supports WSC’s engagement in international marine environmental fora, including the IMO.

He joined WSC in 2024. Felix previously worked in EU public affairs across consultancy, NGO, and trade federation roles. He holds two LLM degrees from the University of Hamburg and Tilburg University and a Bachelor’s degree in Law from Universitas Pelita Harapan in Indonesia.

Serene Teo is a Senior Manager leading engagement with member carriers, government regulators, and industry organisations across Asia, contributing to WSC’s policy and regulatory work and regional coordination from the Singapore office.

She joined WSC in July 2025. Serene brings over a decade of experience in the shipping and logistics industry, including eight years at NOL/APL, with roles spanning commercial operations, finance, and talent recruitment. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Supply Chain Management from Curtin University of Technology in Australia.