Speaker line-up

---

Ville Haapasaari has been the CEO of Port of Helsinki since April 2018. Prior to this appointment he has worked at Finavia as the SVP, and the Helsinki Airport Director 2012-2018. Previously he worked in various responsibilities at Finnlines. His main emphasis being on the head of business positions and sales management.  

 Jarkko Arrajoki is a grain miller at heart, a builder in spirit, and an engineer by nature. He is motivated by creating new things and improving the old. Jarkko is happy when he sees people and things develop with his help. Jarkko has over 20 years of experience in various roles within the food industry. 

Currently, he serves as the CEO of Suomen Viljava Oy, focusing on the efficient operation of the Finnish grain chain and ensuring food security. Suomen Viljava Oy is the largest company in Finland specializing in the handling and storage of grain and agri-bulk raw materials. They operate across Finland with a total of 19 locations, five of which are in ports.  

Johannes Tervo is a young, award-winning performer and entrepreneur specializing in startup entrepreneurship and new technologies. Johannes is especially keen in helping young people pursue impactful careers and starting their own businesses.

By background, Johannes is an M.Sc. of engineering, and has impacted broadly in the Finnish startup scene, organizing the startup and technology event Slush, working in venture capital, and currently electrifying Europe's factories with the growth company Intergrid.

 Ulla Keino is an experienced international business leader with a strong track record in driving global expansion, international turn key projects  and the leading development of innovative business concepts. She demonstrates deep expertise in procurement, sourcing, supply chain management, logistics  and value creation across diverse industries. Known for strategic thinking, cross-cultural collaboration, team leadership and an exceptional ability to perform under immense pressure while delivering results in complex, fast-paced environments.  

Joni Satta is a nearly graduated MSc. Student at Turku School of Economics with a passion in supply chain management, sustainability and business data analytics. Through his academic and professional journey, Joni aims to leverage data-driven insights to create efficient and sustainable solutions. 

Duong Mai is a young analytics and consulting professional with a passionate mission for sustainability and innovation. She bridges the gap between business insights and data analysis, providing creative storytelling and solutions to make decisions more data-driven and actionable.

Duong is a final year MSc student in Business Analytics at Aalto University, specializing in Supply Chain Analytics with a minor in Data Science, Machine Learning, and Artificial Intelligence. She is motivated to make an impact through sustainable development solutions at work, university, and volunteering while integrating the application of machine learning and data processing.”

Roxanne Nguyen is a Junior Consultant Trainee at Seafocus and a Master's student in Business Analytics at Aalto University, currently completing her thesis. After winning the Intelligent Hunt Challenge in Spring 2025, she joined Seafocus and contributed to our 2 major projects: one focused on CO2 emission calculations, and another with the International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF) on global maritime search and rescue research.

Roxanne’s key strengths include data visualization and storytelling (Power BI, Tableau, Excel), programming (Python, SQL), and business-focused analysis in forecasting, KPI tracking, and operational reporting. She is particularly interested in opportunities in analytics, operations, and supply chain within manufacturing, logistics, and B2B product-based sectors.

  Reko-Antti Suojanen serves as Senior Ministerial Advisor at the Ministry  of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland. He oversees and leads the  trilateral Icebreaker Collaboration Effort, ICE Pact, on the behalf of the  Finnish government as a designated National Coordinator for Finland. ICE  Pact aims to enhance collaboration between Finland, Canada and the US,  as well as with allies and partners. The initiative focuses on collective capacity to design, produce, and maintain arctic and polar icebreakers, as  well as other capabilities, by increasing information exchange, industrial  collaboration, and operational know-how.  

Mr. Suojanen’s extensive previous experience provides him with a deep un derstanding of Arctic needs, technological development, and industrial ca pabilities within the global shipbuilding market.  Prior to his work at the Ministry, he was the CEO of Aker Arctic Technology  Inc. for ten years. Earlier in his career, he was involved in arctic issues,  shipbuilding, and the development and design of icebreakers. 

  Jaakko Heikkilä leads international programmes at the International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF), the global organisation for maritime search and rescue collaboration. In addition, he serves as Head of Training at the Finnish Lifeboat Institution and as a volunteer lifeboat crew member at the FLBI Helsinki station. He has over ten years of experience in interdisciplinary research roles and holds a Licentiate of Science degree in environmental economics. 

Hollie Black is a PhD student at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland, working within the Naval Architecture, Ocean, and Marine Energy department. Her research focuses on human factors and maritime safety, utilising AI techniques to automatically analyse incident reports and classify the human and causal factors involved. 

Before starting her PhD, she completed a Master’s degree in Mathematics and Statistics. The knowledge she gained during her master’s studies form the foundation of her current research, where she applies these techniques to address challenges in maritime safety. Hollie is also the Head of R&D at SeaFocus.

Arni Peltola is a 21-year-old junior consultant at Seafocus International, with a strong interest in maritime technology and desire for improving it on a global scale.

Arni is currently pursuing a double bachelor’s degree in computer science and mechanical engineering. Also he has worked as a craftsmen teacher, freelance web developer, and software engineering project instructor. Since July 2025, he has been part of Seafocus International.

 Sumedha Jha is an IB Diploma Student at Helsingin Suomalainen Yhteiskoulu with a strong interest in engineering, physics, and technology. She had conducted a research project on radiation detection as part of her Extended Essay in collaboration with professor from the University of Helsinki and is currently working with SeaFocus International on maritime safety and SAR systems in Africa as a Junior Consultant Trainee . 

Beyond academics, she co-founded a STEM and Humanities podcast that bring together student and global experts including NASA researchers to explore interdisciplinary issues. She is also a former nation champion in Taekwondo. 

Across her pursuits, Sumedha is passionate about applying science and engineering to solve real-world global challenges.

  Markku Mylly has been working on maritime and shipping sector for 50 years in Finland and abroad. He has a vast and comprehensive experience of the shipping and maritime sector on both, public and commercial sides. He has been involved in developing national and international VTS-systems, icebreaking fleet and operations, maritime safety, maritime security, and environmental protection related topics and international collaboration. He also has gained experience in maritime and shipping regulatory framework in relation to safety, security, environmental protection and maritime emissions. Markku's special interest is also on the off-shore windpower solutions.  

Shrishti Choudhary, with double Master’s degree,  in Actuarial Science and in Data Science, integrates advanced statistical modelling and machine learning to solve complex problems. Educated in Australia and Germany, she gained global perspectives in analytics and innovation. At Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, she focused on digitalising tax systems, sharpening her analytical and problem-solving skills.

Currently in her third year at Sea Focus, Shrishti specialises in optimisation, predictive modelling, and forecasting in the maritime and logistics sectors. She leverages data-driven strategies to transform multifaceted datasets into actionable insights, empowering businesses to navigate challenges and embrace new opportunities.Currently Shrishti works as the Head of data Science Excellence Centre at SeaFocus

Sandra Slotte is a Senior Policy Advisor in Internationalisation. She is an expert on ecosystems around international talent attraction and retention. She is regularly asked to speak on the topic of Employer-ability, which is also the focus of her PhD, which she is studying at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan 

Ulla Tapaninen is Full Professor (maritime transport) at Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia. She is also Adjunct Professor (maritime economics and logistics) at University of Turku, Finland. Tapaninen has over 30 years’ experience in logistics and maritime transport in academia, public and private sector. She has worked in key positions in two Finnish shipping companies (bulk and RoRo sector) and worked as a senior expert at City of Helsinki in charge of maritime cluster development. 

She has published dozens of peer-reviewed journal articles, conference papers, and reports as well as other publications in scientific and non-scientific journals. She is a frequent speaker in seminars and has worked as a board member in several companies and other organizations. She has published a textbook Maritime Transport by Kogan Page presenting the fundamentals of maritime business.

Ella Parviainen is the Global Team Lead for Legal Logistics & Supply at Neste Plc, managing a multinational team across three continents. She specializes in maritime and transportation law, corporate law, and sustainability requirements, with a focus on feedstock supply and logistics.Ella holds an LL.M., advanced maritime law credentials from the University of Oslo. Her academic foundation is complemented by a BBA and leadership training at the International Institute for Management Development (IMD). 

With extensive experience in legal strategy, contract negotiation, and dispute resolution, she has held key roles at Neste Plc, Finnlines Plc, and HPP Attorneys Ltd.Ella chairs YoungShip Helsinki, serves on the boards of the Finnish Maritime Law Association and Finnish Ports Association. She is also the Godmother of the crude oil tanker M/T Jaarli, recognizing her contributions to the maritime industry.