About Us
About Us
The Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI) is a member-led, not-for-profit organisation and UK-registered charity catalysing change across the maritime ecosystem. Our mission is to take shipping to zero negative impacts.
Since 2010, we have brought together leaders across the shipping value chain, from shipowners, operators, and managers to banks, cargo owners, classification societies, ports, and service providers, to advance environmental, social, and socioeconomic goals for a sustainable industry. We are governed by a Board of Trustees and managed by a Secretariat, and we receive funding from members and a range of external sources.
Our work spans three Strategic Delivery Platforms: Commercial Pathways to Transition, Human Risk and Resilience, and Ocean Impact and Implementation. We approach sustainability as an interconnected system, addressing oceans, communities, people, transparency, finance, and energy through cross-sectoral collaboration.
We believe change is accelerating, that urgent action is needed, and that investing now will deliver for companies, society, and the planet in the long term.
15 Years of SSI
For well over a decade, the Sustainable Shipping Initiative has brought together leaders across the maritime value chain to advance a more sustainable, equitable, and resilient industry. This anniversary reel celebrates the organisations and individuals whose collaboration has shaped SSI’s journey and turned ambition into real-world action.
From decarbonisation and circularity to crew welfare and ocean health, SSI and its members have developed credible guidance, tools, and pilots that support meaningful change across one of the world’s most complex global systems. The achievements highlighted here belong to our members and the wider SSI community. Sustainable shipping is a whole-of-sector challenge, and progress happens when shipowners, charterers, ports, financiers, NGOs, seafarer organisations, and innovators work together with shared purpose.
Board of Trustees
The Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI) is governed by our Board of Trustees, consisting of independent members (Chair and Co-Chair) and representatives of member organisations. The Board of Trustees meets regularly to oversee progress against priorities, manage budget, set strategy and provide guidance.
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Guy Campbell
Independent Trustee (Chair)
A dry cargo specialist, Guy Campbell became a Baltic Exchange member in 1991 having commenced his career as a shipbroker at JE Hyde & Co. He joined Koch Industries in 1997, spending 10 years as a Chartering Manager and eventually as Director, Ocean Freight for Koch Carbon LLC. After a further six years as Dry Cargo Managing Director at the world’s largest shipping service provider Clarksons, Guy joined The China Navigation Co Pte Ltd, now Swire Bulk Pte Ltd, the deep sea ship owning and operating arm of the Swire Group where he was General Manager (Atlantic) until becoming a full time Arbitrator. His broad shipping career has included broking, chartering, freight and derivative trading and operating.
Guy served as Chairman of the Baltic Exchange’s Freight Market Information Users’ Group in 2005 at a time of migration from OTC derivatives trading toward a modern FFABA contract. The period also saw the introduction of clearing to the FFA market which ultimately enabled the market to survive the disruptions of 2008. He served on the Board of the Baltic Exchange from 2009-2016, eventually as Chairman (2014-2016) Chairing the shareholder sale to SGX in 2016, the most important transition in the Baltic Exchange’s 272 year history.
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Alastair Fischbacher
Independent Trustee (Co-Chair)
Alastair’s career started at sea. Qualifying as a Master Mariner he came ashore and worked in roles including cargo superintendent, chartering, coal marketing, mine acquisitions and rail and terminal operations before being responsible for the commercial and legal ownership frameworks and the construction and ongoing operation of a fleet of ships ranging from 70-205,000 deadweight bulk and specialist carriers of a value of around US$1 billion for Rio Tinto Marine.
With additional responsibility for sustainable development in Rio Tinto Marine, Alastair was the driving force in their founding membership of the SSI, joining the SSI board on its inauguration and has served since then, except for 2014-2016 when he was CEO of the SSI. He was also on the inaugural board of the World Ocean Council and was chair from 2013-2014. He was a director of RightShip Pty Limited, the dry and wet ship vetting company from 2008 and held the position of chairman from 2009 to 2013. He was also chair of the Sailors’ Society marine charity from 2014-2019. Alastair remains a member of the Lloyd’s Register Classing Committee and is President-elect of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology.
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Katharine Palmer
Katharine Palmer qualified with a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Science from the University of Leeds, UK and a MSc in Environmental Biogeochemistry from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. Katharine has 20 years experience in marine environment and the shipping industry and currently is the global head of sustainability for Lloyd’s Register Marine & Offshore business, providing advice and insight to a wide range of maritime stakeholders including regulators, ship owners and operators and trade associations on sustainability and environmental leading practice and future strategies.
Katharine is an established shipping industry influencer and thought leader in climate change, environment and sustainability and has held a number of positions on external industry bodies, currently Katharine is an Elected Trustee for the Sustainable Shipping Initiative and co-chairs the IMarEST technical leadership Board.
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Susan Ruffo
Susan serves as Senior Advisor to the United Nations Foundation, bringing more than 20 years of experience across the U.S. government and civil society advancing conservation and climate policy internationally.
Most recently, she was Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Affairs at NOAA. Previous roles include Senior Director for Ocean and Climate at the UN Foundation, where she focused on ocean-based climate solutions and shipping decarbonisation; Executive Director of The Circulate Initiative; Managing Director of International Initiatives at Ocean Conservancy; and lead on the Vibrant Oceans portfolio at Bloomberg Philanthropies. From 2011 to 2015, she served as Associate Director for Climate Preparedness at the White House Council on Environmental Quality, supporting President Obama's Climate Action Plan. She began her career as a U.S. diplomat, serving in China, Argentina, Nigeria, and Washington D.C.
Susan holds degrees in Economics and Political Science from MIT.
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John Kornerup Bang
Independent Trustee
John Kornerup Bang is SVP, Sustainability Transformation at Stora Enso, responsible for driving leadership and growth using sustainability and climate change as levers. Before joining Stora Enso, John served 10 years as Director, Climate Change & Sustainability Strategy at Maersk and 10 years in WWF, where he worked on sustainable globalisation.
Over the years, John has served in a number of fiduciary roles related to sustainable development, notably as Board Member in Fair Trade Denmark, Board Member and Founder of the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation, and as advisor to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s High Level Advisory Group on sustainable transportation.
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Simon Bennett
Simon Bennett spent 39 years with the Swire Group marine companies. After joining Swire Pacific Offshore (SPO) and serving as Master, he came ashore in 1991, holding roles including HSE and Country Manager in Brunei, HSE Manager in Qatar and Iran, Marketing Manager in Dubai, and General Director managing SPO's icebreaking Platform Supply Vessels in the Russian Far East.
From 2008, he served as GM for Sustainable Development for SPO and, from 2010, for The China Navigation Company (now Swire Shipping), and later Swire Bulk. Across these companies, 18 ships have been responsibly recycled in China and India over the past five years.
Simon retired in October 2022 but continues as a Sustainability Adviser. He serves on the SSI Board of Trustees, the World Ocean Council board, the BIMCO ESG group, and represents the Singapore Shipping Association at the Singapore Standards Organisation.
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Olivia Swift
Olivia is Head of Maritime Systems at Lloyd's Register Foundation, where she leads the Foundation's global maritime portfolio, overseeing a grants portfolio totalling tens of millions of pounds and developing partnerships and initiatives to improve maritime safety and sustainability.
Previously, she served as Senior Programme Manager at the Foundation, focusing on portfolio development, partner engagement, and grant-making strategy. She is currently seconded part-time as Senior Advisor to the World Maritime University, supporting policy engagement on maritime sustainability and the blue economy. She also serves as Steering Committee Chair of the International Fund for Fishing Safety and as a board member of Engineering X Safe End of Engineered Life.
An anthropologist by training, Olivia has conducted research in ports, aboard ships, and in seafaring communities. She has held academic roles at Goldsmiths, University of London, and the Greenwich Maritime Institute.
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David Peel
David has a strong background in maritime safety and quality with significant experience in Safety Management System recertification, tanker vetting, training and auditing, and conducting risk assessments of vessels and port authorities, and in March 2017 David was appointed as a Director at the Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI).
David has consulted on ISO 9000, International Safety Management, safety and quality and related auditing services to a range of companies including P&I Clubs, industry associations and various ship owners. He began his career with the P&O General Cargo Division and has served as a First Mate and Master on offshore supply vessels and salvage tugs.
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Robert Haggquist
Robert Haggquist is South32’s representative in the Sustainable Shipping Initiative. Robert is based in London and handles the company’s freight activities in the Atlantic, Americas and African region. He is also leading the company’s sustainability work on the shipping side and is driving the developments on emissions tools that will aid commercial decisions. Prior to relocating to London Robert was based in Singapore for 6 years, working for BHP Billiton as head of freight analysis and since 2015 for South32 when the company demerged from BHP. Robert started his shipping career with a Swedish owner, before joining Clarksons in London as drybulk freight analyst. Robert has a degree in economics from Gothenburg University and a degree in maritime law and arbitration from NUS.
Secretariat
The Secretariat is responsible for progressing our strategy and managing day-to-day operations in collaboration with the Board of Trustees, members, and other partners.
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Eleanor Besley-Gould
CEO
Ellie Besley-Gould is the Chief Executive Officer of the Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI), leading a global coalition of industry leaders, NGOs, and financiers working to accelerate the transition to a sustainable and resilient maritime sector. She oversees SSI’s strategic direction and partnerships, driving collective action across the shipping value chain to deliver on the Roadmap to a Sustainable Shipping Industry.
With over 15 years’ experience in sustainability, climate, and organisational transformation, Ellie has led initiatives that connect commercial performance with environmental and social impact. Her work has spanned strategy, policy, and implementation—bringing together business, finance, and civil society to deliver practical progress on decarbonisation, nature, and systems change.
Ellie also contributes through governance and advisory roles that shape sustainability frameworks and investment approaches across sectors, with a focus on translating commitments into tangible outcomes for people, nature, and industry.
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Kendra Nicole Lædre
Communications & Stakeholder Engagement Lead
Kendra joined the Sustainable Shipping Initiative in June 2025 as a communications assistant, a role that has since evolved into project management. A proud graduate of Old Dominion University with a BA in Communication, she began her career as a communications manager for a non-profit organisation before transitioning to the private sector as a public relations consultant for a marketing firm in Virginia.
After relocating to California, Kendra merged her PR expertise with her passion for meaningful work, returning to the non-profit sector as an associate at a small firm dedicated to serving NGOs and foundations. Since moving to South Korea in January 2019, she has focused on personal development, earning her MA in Organisational Communication from The Ohio University, becoming a level one sommelier, and completing several continuing education courses at Stanford University.
Professionally, Kendra is dedicated to the non-profit sector, particularly at SSI, where collaboration spans oceans, the work is ever-evolving, and the aim is always the betterment of our planet.
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JD Carlton
Ocean Health Lead
JD is a marine policy and science professional passionate about issues affecting our planet and vulnerable communities. His career began as a marine scientist studying the mysteries of deep-sea microbial communities before transitioning into the policy and communication space to help better connect science and society. At the Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI), he currently leads the organisation’s Ocean Impact and Implementation platform, a portfolio that focuses on the intersection of the shipping industry, coastal communities, and marine environments.
Before moving to London and joining the SSI, JD lived and worked in the United States and spent time within the Texas State Senate, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and White House Council on Environmental Quality, supporting senior leadership through strategic planning, stakeholder management, and policy analysis. He is deeply passionate about reaching across communities and sectors for the betterment of our oceans and the people that rely on them, a goal that carries through his work at the SSI.
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Kristina Kunigenas
Human Risk & Resilience Lead
With a background in compliance and sustainability, Kristina works across the seafarer welfare and safety landscape by mapping evidence to build shared industry reference points, and translating this into practical tools for insurers and investors to assess and act on human risk.
Kristina first joined the SSI in 2021 as a Human Rights Lead, where she played a central role in developing the industry-wide Code of Conduct and Self-Assessment tool for seafarer welfare and rights.
Kristina is from Copenhagen, Denmark and holds a master’s degree in English from the University of Copenhagen and a Certificate Programme in Corporate Responsibility from UC Berkeley. Kristina’s career has always been centred on compliance and responsibility, including human rights assessments at the Danish Export Credit Institute, and corporate compliance and ESG reporting across industries such as pharma, finance, shipping, and furniture design.
She is also the owner of a small family microbrewery and cidery in Østerbro in Copenhagen.
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Maria Joseph
Ship Recycling Lead
Maria Joseph is a design futures researcher and strategist working at the intersection of circular economy, regenerative design, and ocean futures, with a focus on the maritime and shipping sectors.
Her work centres on how early design, policy, and governance decisions shape downstream outcomes across the life of ships, with an emphasis on unintended consequences, ethics, and long-term lifecycle impacts. She brings expertise in design research, futures thinking, and qualitative systems analysis to understanding complex socio-technical transitions in shipping.
Maria holds a Master of Design in Design Futures from the Royal College of Art (2024), including a collaborative module with Imperial College Business School, a Graduate Diploma from the RCA, and a Bachelor's degree in Industrial and Product Design from IED Barcelona and ISD Rubika India.
Her professional experience includes a Strategy Design Intern role at Mitsubishi Electric's R&D office in Japan, and research collaborations with institutions including CERN and MBARI. Her work has been exhibited internationally and recognised through multiple awards.
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Belle Collins
Programme and Operations Admin
Belle Collins is a student at Cardiff University studying Human Geography, looking to tackle social, political, economic and environmental challenges that affect how and where we live. This academic foundation complements her broader skill set and reflects her commitment to being a global citizen and to socially responsible engagement. Alongside Belle’s studies, she has a strong background in customer service and research. Her involvement in the National Citizen Service and sports-led initiatives has further motivated her to make a positive impact. As the Programme and Operations Admin, Belle is thrilled to be part of the Sustainable Shipping Initiative, contributing to meaningful progress towards a more sustainable shipping industry.
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Ed Glossop
Energy Transition Advisor
Ed has been engaged in the clean tech and low-carbon fuels field for over 15 years. His engagement with the decarbonisation of shipping dates back to 2010. Since then, he has been deeply involved in the development of LNG and ammonia as marine fuels. Ed has held key roles at the world’s two largest marine fuel suppliers and has served as an advisor to numerous leading ship owners, port authorities, and related stakeholders. His relevant experience covers not only LNG and ammonia but also waste-derived fuels and environmental policy and regulation.