From left to right:
First row: Gerhard Kurz, Admiral William J. Flanagan, Mario Maffei, Patrick Murphy
Second row: Anthony Chiarello, Flemming Jacobs, Tommy Thomsen, Joe Reeder, Richard Gabrielson
Absent (inset): Albert H. Nahmad, Mikio Sasaki, Andrónico Luksic Craig, Wang Haimin, Hani Mahmassani, Eman Abdalla, Salvador Jurado, Han Kyu Lim
In December 1999, in accordance with Article 19 of the Organic Law (Law No. 19 of June 11, 1997), the Panama Canal Authority established the Advisory Board to serve as a consultative body for the Canal enterprise with the main responsibility to provide guidance and recommendations to the Board of Directors and the Canal administration.
In view of the international service provided by the Canal, the Advisory Board is composed of Panamanian and non-Panamanian citizens, all recognized professionals with broad experience in the business world and the Panama Canal in particular. The Board is a select group of highly distinguished advisers who represent a solid cross section of world’s transportation, trade, business, telecommunications, construction and development, academia, and the banking sector.
The Panama Canal Authority Board of Directors makes the appointment of the Advisory Board members for an initial period of five years, which can be extended at the discretion of the Board of Directors and the only condition is that the participation or representation cannot be delegated to any other individual.
The Advisory Board is chaired by Admiral William J. “Bud” Flanagan, US Navy (Ret), previous Commander In Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet and NATO’s Commander-In-Chief, Western Atlantic, and President of Caledonia Partners, Inc.; Flemming R. Jacobs, Director Samskip, Secretary of Danish Maritime Days and former President and CEO of Global Ship Lease and Neptune Orient Lines; Salvador Jurado, President of Building Components Group; Gerhard Kurz, industry advisor for Avista Capital Partners, SPADAC Director and former President and Chief Executive Officer of Seabulk International, Inc.; Andrónico Luksic Craig, Vice President of Banco de Chile; Albert H. Nahmad, Chairman of the Board, President and CEO of Watsco, Inc.; Joe R. Reeder, partner of Greenberg Traurig LLP (attorneys at law); Mikio Sasaki, Chairman of the Board of Mitsubishi Corporation; Tommy Thomsen, CEO of Lauritzen Fonden, Chairman of the Board of the Danish Maritime Fund and Chairman of C.W. Obel A/S. ; Mario Maffei, President of Verla International, Ltd., Vice President of Kurlas / Diamon Deb., Ltd.; Director of Bari Cosmetics, Ltd. and member of the Advisory Board of Patriot National Bank, Stamford, Connecticut; Hani Mahmassani, Director of the Northwestern University Transportation Center; Professor for Civil and Environmental Engineering at McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science; Professor (courtesy) of Managerial Economics and Decision Sciences at Kellogg School of Management; Wang Haimin, Executive Vice President and Party Committee Member of China COSCO SHIPPING Corporation Limited; Anthony Chiarello, President of Lighthouse Maritime Advisors; Patrick Murphy; former Vice Chairman of Board of Trustees and Chairman of the Audit and Risk Committee at CIP, Perú, former President and C.E.O. Appointed by the IFDC Board of Directors to serve as Interim President of this Professional International Organization (PIO).
The Advisory Board meets, at least, once a year, at the request of the Board of Directors. Nonetheless, it can do so more frequently if the need arises or the Board determines that it must meet with greater frequency.
