FONASBA Young Ship Agent or Ship Broker Award (YABA) 2025 Edition

Launch Announcement

We are excited to announce the launch of the YABA 2025 competition, celebrating young talent in the ship agency and ship brokering sectors.

This year, thanks to the generous support of our esteemed partners, three prizes will be awarded—expanding recognition beyond our traditional awards.

First Prize

The first prize winner will receive a comprehensive package of awards, including:

• €1,000 cash prize from FONASBA.
• €500 cash prize from ITIC.
• Access to a BIMCO e-Learning module of their choice.
• Complimentary entry to either the FONASBA ACB Liner Shipping Transportation or Tramp Shipping course.
• Certificate of Achievement.
• Opportunity to present their work at the FONASBA Annual Meeting in Istanbul, Türkiye (October 2025).

Second Prize

The second prize winner will receive complimentary entry to the ASBA Shipbrokering & Charter Vessel Operations (SBCVO) Course, courtesy of our U.S. member association, ASBA.

Third Prize

New this year, the third prize is made possible by the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, offering a set of five textbooks valued at £550 to further the winner’s professional development.

YABA 2025 Timeline

Keep track of key dates:

• Step 1: Paper Abstract Submission – Deadline: 24th February 2025
• Step 2: Committee Feedback – Deadline: 10th March 2025
• Step 3: Final Paper Submission – Deadline: 26th May 2025
• Step 4: Winners Announced – Date: 21st July 2025

Review Process

We are proud to uphold our rigorous evaluation process, with an expanded Review Committee featuring experienced professionals:

• Aziz Mantrach, Committee Chair, nominated by the Executive Committee, supported by Stinne Taiger Ivø (BIMCO) and Mark Brattman (ITIC).
• Antonios Venieris, Chair of the FONASBA Education and Quality Committee.
• Jakov Karmelic,  former FONASBA VP for Education.
• Anacreon Mataragas, representing the International Maritime Union of Greece.

We thank the Committee members for their dedication to fostering excellence in our industry.

Here, you will find the criteria for this year’s competition.

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YABA 2023 – 2024 E-BOOK

Please find here the copy of the YABA 2023  and 2024 papers submitted.

Click here.

2023 COMPETITION

ENHANCING PORT PERFORMANCE THROUGH
EFFICIENT OPERATIONAL INDICATORS: A FOCUS ON
GOODS DWELL TIME

Elias Machado Junior

Brazil

Click to access FONASBA-YABA-BOOK-2023-2024-Amadeus-Elias-Machado-Junior-Brazil-.pdf

SMALL PORTS: SURVIVING AND THRIVING WITH THE
ECONOMIES OF SCALE AGAINST YOU

Elliot James Atkins Beng

United Kingdom

Click to access FONASBA-YABA-BOOK-2023-2024-Elliot-James-Atkins-Beng-UK.pdf

THE SHIP AGENT PROFESSION IN 2030 AND NEW
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN A CHANGING SHIPPING
WORLD

Emmanuel Hugo Britos

Argentina

Click to access FONASBA-YABA-BOOK-2023-2024-Emmanuel-Hugo-Augusto-Britos-Argentina.pdf

ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND GOVERNANCE(ESG)
IN THE SHIPPING INDUSTRY: IMPACTS AND
OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE SHIPPING AGENCIES

Thiago Santos

Brazil

Click to access FONASBA-YABA-BOOK-2023-2024-Thiago-Santos-Brazil.pdf

THE IMPORTANCE OF MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS IN
THE SHIP’S AGENCY

Augusto Cesar Silva De Aquino

Brazil

Click to access FONASBA-YABA-BOOK-2023-2024-Augusto-Cesar-Silva-De-Aquino-Brazil.pdf

REPORT ON CARGO HOLDS INSPECTIONS

Yasmin Belen Marizza

Argentina

Click to access FONASBA-YABA-BOOK-2023-2024-ARGENTINA-YASMIN-BELEN-MARIZZA.pdf

2024 COMPETITION

SAILING INTO THE FUTURE: UNLEASHING THE
POTENTIAL OF DATA ANALYSIS IN SHIP AGENCY
OPERATIONS

Amadeus Elias Machado Junior

Brazil

Click to access FONASBA-YABA-BOOK-2023-2024-Amadeus-Elias-Machado-Junior-Brazil.pdf

PLANNING IN LINER SHIPPING – TARROS S.P.A.,
A CASE STUDY

Fernando Miguel Marques Silva

Portugal

Click to access FONASBA-YABA-BOOK-2023-2024-Fernando-Miguel-Marques-Silva-Portugal.pdf

A STUDY ON NAVIGATING THE DIGITAL SEAS: THE
IMPACT OF MODERN COMMUNICATION ON SHIP
BROKING

Jithesh Prakash

United Arab Emirates

Click to access FONASBA-YABA-BOOK-2023-2024-Jithesh-Prakash-United-Arab-Emirates.pdf

A SHIPBROKERS PERSPECTIVE ON GLOBAL TRENDS IN
THE TOWAGE AND SALVAGE MARKET:
CONSOLIDATION AND FUTURE FUELS

Lukas Larson

United Kingdom

Click to access FONASBA-YABA-BOOK-2023-2024-Lukas-Larsson-UK.pdf

INVESTIGATING THE NUMBER OF BERTHS AND THEIR
OPTIMAL LOCATION FOR TRANSPORTING BULK
MINERAL MATERIALS IN SHAHID RAJAEI PORT

Mohsen Naderi

Iran

Click to access FONASBA-YABA-BOOK-2023-2024-Mohsen-Naderi-Iran.pdf

THE IMPORTANCE OF COMPLIANCE AND QUALITY
MANAGEMENT IN SHIP AGENCY OPERATIONS

Mustafa Öztaşkin

Turkey

Click to access FONASBA-YABA-BOOK-2023-2024-Mustafa-Oztaskin-Turkey.pdf

PANAMA CANAL
CHALLENGES IN SHIPPING DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGES

Andrea Lakic Selimovic

Croatia

Click to access FONASBA-YABA-BOOK-2023-2024-Andrea-Lakic-Selimovic-Croatia.pdf

NAVIGATING DIGITAL DISRUPTION, THE ROLE OF SHIP
AGENTS AND BROKERS IN THE DIGITAL
TRANSFORMATION OF THE MARITIME INDUSTRY

Ambikesh Kumar Ray

India

Click to access FONASBA-YABA-BOOK-2023-2024-Ambikesh-Kumar-Ray-India.pdf

THE IMPACT OF GEOPOLITICAL EVENTS ON SHIP
AGENTS: THE RED SEA CRISIS

Omnia Allam

Egypt

Click to access FONASBA-YABA-BOOK-2023-2024-Omnia-Allam-Mics-Msc-Egypt.pdf

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AUGUST 2024 – THE 2024 YABA WINNERS ARE ANNOUNCED

We are delighted to announce the winners of the FONASBA Young Ship Agent or Shipbroker of the Year Award for 2024.

The first prize goes to MR. MUSTAFA OZTASKIN, for his paper on:

THE IMPORTANCE OF COMPLIANCE AND QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN SHIP AGENCY OPERATIONS.

The award was supported by the following statement from the Committee:

“This subject is directly and intimately relevant to the shipping agent profession considerable acceptance in recent years of the rising relevance of compliance of quality management in optimizing these operations, are crucial to ship agency operations to enhance agency competitiveness, cost service and reputation.

In this paper the author recalled the history of the standards of the profession, their development and especially their impact on the management of a shipping agent company.

He largely developed the FQS certification of FONASBA and ended by making suggestions on how to improve the quality of the management of the shipping agent”

The second prize of this year goes to by MR. AMBIKESH KUMAR RAY for his paper on : NAVIGATING DIGITAL DISRUPTION: THE ROLE OF SHIP AGENTS AND BROKERS IN THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF THE MARITIME INDUSTRY.

Again, the Committee expressed their motivation with the following statement.

“This paper caught the attention of all the members of the jury because it highlights the crucial importance for the shipping agent and broker to adapt and to enhance using new technologies by listing the different aspects of improving the quality of service and management of the business

His paper also ended with very timely recommendations such as the importance of investing in modern technology, promoting personal continuous training to adapt to digital changes and adjusting career descriptions to reflect technological developments while recommending the shipping agent and broker to engage in sustainability”

Congratulating the winners Aziz Mantrach, Chairman of the YABA Review Committee, said:

“The diversity and quality of the topics covered across the papers submitted this year bring real richness to the YABA for the younger generations of shipping and augur a future of stability and development of the profession.

This year, the YABA initiative saw the participation of a significant number of countries from different continents: Brazil, Croatia, Egypt, India, Iran, Portugal, Turkey, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, which implies a responsibility for FONASBA to extend participation to other countries for the next editions of YABA and to encourage member states to encourage their young members to participate in this competition, which is beneficial to their professional careers.

I would like to thank for their solid commitment and impressive work the members of the YABA Review Committee who supported me in this important initiative: Jakov Karmelic (VP Education FONASBA), Stinne Taiger Ivø (Deputy Secretary General BIMCO), Mark Brattman (Claims Director and Legal Advisor ITIC). This year, we had the pleasure of welcoming Merete L. Greisen and Indu Chitran of BIMCO Copenhagen, to our consultation meeting, which was held on Wednesday, August 28, 2024.”

We would like to pay tribute to the great work produced by all participants:

SAILING INTO THE FUTURE: UNLEASHING THE POTENTIAL OF DATA ANALYSIS IN SHIP AGENCY OPERATIONSAMADEUS

• Mr. Elias Machado Junior from Brazil

A SHIPBROKER’S PERSPECTIVE ON GLOBAL TRENDS IN THE TOWAGE AND SALVAGE MARKET: CONSOLIDATION AND FUTURE FUELS

• Lukas Larsson

PLANNING IN LINER SHIPPING – TARROS S.P.A., A CASE STUDY

• Fernando Miguel Marques Silva

THE IMPACT OF GEOPOLITICAL EVENTS ON SHIP AGENTS: THE RED SEA CRISIS

• Omnia Allam MICS, MSc.

A STUDY ON NAVIGATING THE DIGITAL SEAS: THE IMPACT OF MODERN COMMUNICATION ON SHIP BROKING

• Jithesh Prakash

CHALLENGES IN SHIPPING DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGES: PANAMA CANAL

• Andrea Lakic Selimovic

INVESTIGATING THE NUMBER OF BERTHS AND THEIR OPTIMAL LOCATION FOR TRANSPORTING BULK MINERAL MATERIALS IN SHAHID RAJAEI PORT

• Mohsen Naderi

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These papers will be published in the coming months via this website.

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FEBRUARY 2024 – LAUNCHING THE YABA FOR 2024

BRAZIL TAKES THIRD WIN IN 2023 AWARD

Thiago Santos, Corporate Strategy Director at Unimar Shipping Agency in Brazil, is the winner of the 2023 Award. Mr. Santos entered a paper entitled: “ESG in the Shipping Industry: Impacts and Opportunities for Ship Agents”. He is the third winner of the award from Brazil, following the inaugural winner, Mr. Renan Queiroz, in 2015 and 2022 winner Nicolas de Souza.

Announcing the award, the Review Committee Chair, FONASBA Immediate Past President Aziz Mantrach, congratulated Mr. Santos on a detailed and carefully researched paper that looked at the impact of ESG on the ship agency sector from both theoretical and practical viewpoints. Mr. Mantrach also said the paper, which will shortly be published on the FONASBA website as part of an e-book containing all six entries, will prove very useful for ship agency companies looking to introduce ESG principles in their businesses.

Mr. Santos will receive prizes kindly sponsored by the Barcelona Shipping Agents’ Association (ACB), BIMCO and ITIC, whose support for the Award is gratefully acknowledged.

The runners-up in the 2023 Award were:

Augusto Cesar Silva de Aquino, Emmanuel Hugo Augusto Britos and Yasmin Belen Marizza of Argentina,
Amadeus Elias Machado jnr. of Brazil and
Elliot Atkins of Great Britain

The 2024 Young Agent of the Year Award, which is open to ship agents and ship brokers aged 40 or younger, will be launched towards the end of 2023 (www.fonasba.com/young-agentbroker-award) .

YOUNG AGENT AND BROKER AWARD 2023 OPENS

The FONASBA Young Ship Agent or Ship Broker of the Year Award (YABA) 2023 is now open.

Since 2022, the Award has been open to anyone working in the ship agency or ship broking sector under the age of 40 at the time of submission of their completed paper to the Review Committee, latest 28^th July 2023. Entries are therefore welcome from eligible individuals outside the FONASBA community.

Full details of the criteria for the 2023 Award, the procedure for entering and the deadlines for submission, can be found in the attached document.

SHIP AGENT FROM SANTOS TAKES 2022 YOUNG AGENT & BROKER AWARD

Nícolas Henrique Marques Esperança De Souza, of Wilhelmsen Port Services in Santos, Brazil is the winner of the 2022 Award with his paper entitled “A Technical Analysis of the Key Element Behind Ship Operations: Husbandry Services, Under the Remote Centralisation Scope”.

Nicolas is the second winner of the Award from Brazil, following the first recipient, Renan Queiroz from Fortaleza.

Announcing the winner, Mr. Mantrach said “My colleagues and I really appreciated the entry, it was just the type of paper we looked forward to receiving. We were particularly interested in the  hypothesis that the Remote Centralization of Husbandry Services (RCHS) would be the revolution for husbandry services coordination, utilizing scale advantage and introductions to new digital solutions, ensuring effectiveness. That it did not forget to mention the need to develop ESG business principles was also noteworthy”. Mr. Mantrach also expressed FONASBA’s gratitude to prize sponsors BIMCO and ITIC for their ongoing support for the Award.

A copy of Mr. Henriques’ paper can be found here and the press release issued on 13th October here.

2021 SEES FIRST FEMALE WINNER OF THE YOUNG SHIP AGENT AND SHIP BROKER AWARD

Ms. Ana Ruiz García de los Rios, of Bergé Logistics, Madrid, took first prize in the 2021 Award with a paper entitled “The Impact of Technologies in the Maritime Sector from a Ship Agent’s Vision”. Ana is both the first female winner of the Award and the first from Spain. The Award was postponed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Congratulating Ana on securing first prize, Review Committee Chair Gunnar J. Heinonen said “The introduction of new technologies will have a profound impact on the way ship agents work. Ms. Ruiz’ paper provides a clear and comprehensive overview of how current and anticipated developments will drive changes in working patterns and procedures. It covered a range of subjects, clearly explaining each one in detail. My Review Committee colleagues and I congratulate Ms. Ruiz on an excellent entry”.

A copy of Ms. Ruiz paper can be found here  and the press release issued on 19th August 2021 here.

Other entries  for the Award this year were received from entrants in Bahrain, Belgium and Brazil.

The Award has received favourable coverage in the mariitme press, featuring in Hellenic Shipping News and Shipping & Freight Resource

As always, FONASBA thanks prize sponsors BIMCO and ITIC for their continued support of the Award.

2019 YOUNG SHIP AGENT OR SHIP BROKER WINNER ANNOUNCED

The winner of the 2019 Award is Stefan Gielen of Mediterranean Shipping Company, Antwerp. His paper, entitled “Crusade towards correct Dangerous Goods declarations” looked at the problems for shipping companies in securing correct and accurate DG data.

Philippe Oyen, Chairman of the Antwerp Shipping Federation, Gielen’s home association highlighted the issue, saying that: “Next to a correct weight declaration, the pursuit of a correct Dangerous Goods declaration for containers is a high priority for the many container agents”.

Gielen’s paper was extremely well received by the Award panel, with Chair Gunnar J. Heinonen stating: “It was an excellent, intelligent, informative and forward-looking analysis, spotting and analysing the problems of Dangerous Goods declarations”.

A copy of Stefan’s paper can be found here.

Four other papers we received this year, from Brazil, Great Britain, Israel and Portugal.

FONASBA once again thanks our colleagues at BIMCO and ITIC for their sponsorship of the Young Agent Award prizes for 2019.

A copy of the press release issued by FONASBA on Tuesday 21^st August can be found here.

The 2020 Award will be launched later this year and further information will be provided on this page.

2018 YOUNG AGENT AWARD GOES TO PORTUGAL

Our congratulations this year go to Filipe Miguel Dias Martins (pictured below) of Navex Empresa Portuguesa de Navegação, S.A, Portugal, winner of the 2018 FONASBA Young Ship Agent or Ship Broker Award.

Filipe’s paper, entitled “The Shipping World in 2025 – a Road Map for shipping agent” looked at how advances in technology and disruptive influences would impact on the work of the ship agent in the coming decades. A copy of his paper can be found here.

The Chairman of the Award Review Panel, FONASBA Honorary member Gunnar J. Heinonen, said “My colleagues and I really appreciated Mr. Martins’ entry, it was an excellent, energetic and forward-looking analysis of the threats and opportunities for our profession. The interactive test he set readers at the end of the paper was also a novel addition to his entry. We congratulate him and the other entrants for their high quality papers”.

For those readers wishing to undertake the small challenge Filipe set at the end of his paper, further information can be found in this YouTube link: https://youtu.be/gyNqeZ0fLww. Wikipedia also has historical information at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_of_Columbus

A further four entries for the Award this year were received from Bahrain, South Africa and two from Brazil.

FONASBA once again thanks our colleagues at BIMCO and ITIC for their sponsorship of the Young Agent award prizes for 2018.

A copy of the press release issued by FONASBA on Tuesday 21^st August can be found here.

GERMAN SHIP AGENT WINS 2017 YOUNG AGENT AWARD

FONASBA is pleased to announce that the winner of the Young Ship Agent or Ship Broker Award for 2017 is Niklas Soltow, a ship agent from Germany, pictured below:

His paper was extremely well-received by the judges, with Review Committee Chairman Gunnar J. Heinonen describing it as “just the type of paper we were expecting”. A copy of Niklas’ paper can be found here.

Close on the heels of Mr. Soltow’s paper was another excellent entry from Katy Aldrick from Kenya who won a Highly Commended award for her efforts. A copy of her paper can be found here. A further four entries were received from Argentina, Brazil, Croatia and a second from Kenya.

Mr.  Heinonen said “All the entries again this year have proved that the concept of the Award is a good one. We will continue to build on the experiences of the first three years to develop the Award to make it even more interesting to the growing number of young ship brokers and ship agents who represent the future of our profession”.

FONASBA once again thanks our colleagues at BIMCO and ITIC for their sponsorship of the Young Agent award prizes for 2017.

A copy of the press release issued by FONASBA on Monday 21st August can be found here.

FONASBA YOUNG SHIP AGENT OR SHIP BROKER AWARD 2016

FONASBA is pleased to announce that the winner of the 2016 Young Ship Agent or Broker Award for 2016 is Tim Polson MICS, a shipbroker with Australian Independent Shipbrokers, a division of Asiaworld Shipping Services (Pty) Ltd, itself a member of Shipping Australia Ltd.

Tim’s paper was entitled “The Role of the Shipbroker in the Break-Bulk, Multipurpose & Heavy-Lift Sector” and analysed the unique role of a Shipbroker trading in a small niche market within the Multipurpose/Heavy lift (MPP/HLV) Shipping Sector. In announcing the award, the Chairman of the Review Committee, former FONASBA President and Honorary Member Gunnar J. Heinonen, said of the entry: “It was incredibly well written, using excellent and engaging examples. Polson has shown a good appreciation of the cargo and ship board operations relevant to the multi-purpose and heavy lift sectors and a depth of knowledge about the relevant ports.  Furthermore he has recognised the need for the broker to maintain the core values of trust, integrity, authority and market intelligence, whilst at the same time seeking to expand on the range of services provided to the principal”.

A copy of the winning entry can be found here and of the official press release here.

Tim joined delegates and guests at the Gala Dinner to celebrate the conclusion of the 2016 Annual Meeting in London on Friday 21^st October, where he received his prizes, as last year generously sponsored by BIMCO and ITIC, and addressed those present, including the Lord Mayor of London, Lord Mountevans. A copy of his speech can be found here.

2015 AWARD eBOOK PUBLISHED

An eBook containing all the entries for the 2015 Young Ship Agent and Ship Broker Award was published on Friday 8th January.

The impressive publication includes all seven entries for the inaugural award as well as introductions from the President, Glen Gordon Findlay, the Vice President for Education Capt. Jakov Karmelić and Award Review Committee Chairman Gunnar J. Heinonen. Both award sponsors, ITIC and BIMCO, are also represented. Details of how to enter the 2016 Award are also provided.

Writing in his introduction, Glen Gordon Findlay said “Reading the papers also demonstrates the passion that our younger members have for our industry and their concern that whatever the future influences there are on it, the ship agent and ship broker will continue to play a vital role in the effective and efficient movement of goods by sea. With this level of commitment and enthusiasm being shown by our younger members, we can be confident that our profession is in safe hands for many years to come”.

A copy of the eBook can be downloaded here: YOUNG AGENT AND BROKER AWARD 2015 EBOOK

FONASBA YOUNG SHIP AGENT OR SHIPBROKER AWARD 2015

A total of seven entries for the inaugural Young Ship Agent or Broker Award were received by the Award Review Panel. The papers were scrutinised over the summer by the Panel, consisting of former FONASBA President and Honorary Member Gunnar J. Heinonen (Chairman) FONASBA Vice President for Education Capt. Jakov Karmelic, and Charlotte Kirk FICS representing ITIC, one of the prize sponsors.

On 15^th August, Mr. Heinonen announced that the winner of the Award was Renan Queiroz, a ship agent with Wilson Sons Ltda., of Brazil. Our congratulations go to Mr. Queiroz and also to the other six entrants for their excellent papers. Mr. Queiroz attended the FONASBA Annual Meeting in Vitória, Brazil in October where he received his prizes, which were generously donated by ITIC and BIMCO.

Renan Queiroz, winner of the 2015 Award, receives his prize from FONASBA President Glen Gordon Findlay at the 2015 Annual Meeting in Vitoria

A copy of the press release issued by FONASBA on 17^th August can be found here.