26 / 05
Columbia Cocktail Reception
Manning Agencies Meeting 2026
Maritime Cyprus Party
SENIOR MANAGERS WEEKEND
Maritime Cyprus Party
WHAT TO EXPECT
The weekend will be an opportunity to connect, exchange ideas, and enjoy memorable experiences together. Below are some things for you to keep in mind when preparing your luggage.
PACKING LIST & PREPARATION
Come dressed in a costume that embodies who you are, or who you wish to be.
Pack your confidence, a touch of flair, and something that feels uniquely you.
There will be prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-place Award Winners. Funny costumes are a MUST.
How to Get Here!
Directional signage will be in place to ensure a seamless arrival and guide you to all key facilities.
Parking Slots
Signs will direct you to the closest available slots and facilities.
PANELS
During the weekend, we will host a series of thought-provoking panels.
Panellists will be selected at random on the day, so please come prepared to contribute your perspective.
The topics are:
Smart Shipping: Connecting the Dots Between Sea and Shore
From Platform to Ecosystem: Building the Columbia of Tomorrow
The Future of Crewing: People at the Core of Performance
Charting a Sustainable Course: ESG at the Core of Shipping
WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO SPEND SOME TIME REFLECTING ON THESE AREAS IN ADVANCE.
(1) AGENDA
14:30 - 15:30 Arrival of CSM Agencies Delegates | Diamond Court
16:00 - 17:00 Brief Tour of CSM Headquarters with C-Level Welcome Note | CSM Main Building
17:00 - 17:30 Group Picture | CSM Garden
17:30 - 20:00 Dinner | Pizza Express
20:00 Transfer of Guests to Hotel | Columbia Beach Resort (Pissouri)
08:45 - 09:00 Registration & Safety Briefing – Organisers
09:00 - 09:10 Welcome Notes – Simona Toma
09:10 - 09:30 Opening Notes & Columbia Group Updates – Mark O’Neil
09:30 - 10:30 C-Level Panel Discussion – Market Trends, Industry Developments, and Columbia’s Position
Moderator: Anca Preda
Interviewees:
-
- Overall Group Update - CEO & President, Mark O’Neil
- Market & Client Feedback - CCO, Andreas Hadjipetrou
- Financial Perspective - CFO, Kyriakos Vlachos
- Cruise Market Perspective - COLUMBIA blue’s CEO, Norman Schmiedl
- Far East Developments - Asia Region CEO, Demetris Chrysostomou
- Operational Update - Deputy COO, Ulla Eithz Nielsen
10:30 - 11:15 Maritime HR Journey - Simona Toma
11:15 - 11:30 Coffee break
11:30 - 12:10 Fleet Expansion, Challenges & Objectives for 2026 - Saurabh Mahesh & Anca Preda
12:10 - 12:50 Learning & Development - Group Director Maritime HR, Stewart Bankier
12:50 - 14:00 Lunch
14:00 - 14:45 Panel Discussion – Crew Excellence for Safe and Efficient Ship Operations
Moderator: Stewart Bankier
Interviewees:
-
- Group Technical Director, Andrii Bezrodnii
- Deputy Group Director QSHE & Compliance, Ko Ko Naing
- Group Director Marine & Operations, Dimitrijs Adamecs
- Group Director Maritime HR Crewing Operations, Saurabh Mahesh
- Owners Representative Schoeller Holdings, Capt. Andreas Xapolytos
14:45 - 15:30 Manning Agencies KPI 2026 and New Objectives - George Francu, Tychonas Agisilaou & Mazen Barhoun
15:30 - 15:45 Coffee break
15:45 - 16:15 Booth Walkthrough & Updates from Partners – OneCare Group, Marketing & Columbia eShop, MCTC, The Hood, Columbus Travel & Horizon Shipping Agencies
16:15 - 17:00 Panel on Marketing for Recruitment & Sourcing
Moderator: Nicolas Papados
Interviewees:
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- Crew Fleet Manager Cruise, Nadine Krause
- Delegates from CSM Agencies (to be invited)
- Columbia Maritime Talent – General Manager, Mazen Barhoun
- The Hood - Managing Director, Josephine Le
17:00 - 17:30 Claims related matters – P&I - Stavros Fokas Kavalierakis
17:30 - 17:45 Summary & Key Takeaways - Simona Toma
17:45 - 18:30 Booth Walkthrough & Partner Discussion on Agencies’ Role & Contribution
19:00 Dinner | Columbia Plaza
08:50 - 09:00 Registration & Coffee
09:00 - 09:15 Wrap-Up of First Day Discussions - Simona Toma
09:15 - 09:45 Crew Impact on Safe and Reliable Operations – GCOO Perspective - Capt. Leonid Zalenski
09:45 - 10:15 Business Offers & Crewing Costs, Salary Benchmarking & Benefits 2026 - Aren Armenagian
10:15 - 10:30 Coffee break
10:30 - 11:00 CSM Agencies Budget & CMT Invoicing - Achilleas Nerouppos
11:15 - 11:45 Global HR Development & Agencies Onboarding - Niki Prokopiou & Maro Christofides
11:45 - 12:30 Panel Discussion – Technology Solutions for Effective Crew Management & Development
Moderator: Tychonas Agisilaou
Interviewees:
-
- Group IT Director, Alex Oswald
- Head of Group AI, Christina Orfanidou Viegang
- Group Director Insurance & Claims (DPO), Andreas Andreou
- Group Director Maritime HR (Learning & Development), Stewart Bankier
- Columbia Maritime Talent - General Manager, Mazen Barhoun
12:30 - 13:00 Update on CG project Development Related to CSM Manning & Seafarers - Lukas Drumm
13:00 - 14:00 Lunch
14:00 - 14:30 Booth Walkthrough & Partner Discussion on Agencies’ Role & Contribution
14:30 - 15:00 Panel Discussion – Seafarers Talent Retention, Maritime HR Approach and Challenges
Moderator: Mazen Barhoun
Interviewees:
-
- Director, Maritime HR-Cruise - Anca Preda
- Senior Fleet Manager - Romas Juska
- Delegates from CSM Agencies (to be invited)
15:00 - 15:30 CG Cadet Strategy: Learning & Development - Stewart Bankier
15:30 - 15:45 Coffee break
15:45 - 16:30 Panel Discussion – Collaboration and Communication for successful Maritime HR
Moderator: Christiana Moustaki
Interviewees:
-
- Crew Managed Fleet - Senior Crew Manager, Michalis Yiasemides
- SH Fleet - Crew Fleet Manager, Charles Chaves
- Maritime HR (Learning & Development) - Alejandro Justiniani
- General Manager Manning EMEA, George Francu
- Delegates from CSM Agencies (to be invited)
16:30 - 16:45 ‘icare’ Agencies Appreciation Award - Livia Roizen & Saurabh Mahesh
16:45 - 17:00 Q&A - MHR Leadership Team
17:00 - 17:30 Wrap-Up, Conclusions & Action Plan 2026 - George Francu & Tychonas Agisilaou
17:30 - 17:45 Closing Notes - Simona Toma
19:00 Dinner | Forsos Tavern (Limassol)
Senior Managers Teambuilding & Workshops
08:30 - 09:00 Registration
09:00 - 11:00 Teambuilding Activities | Gamestry
11:00 - 11:15 Final Results and Closing Note - Simona Toma
11:15 - 12:30 Agencies Delegates (1:1) Meeting With Maritime HR Leaders
14:30 Return to Limassol Office | Diamond Court
PARTICIPATING COMPANIES
