We Are
PortExpertise is an independent business consultancy for maritime and port professionals.
- Partners with more than 20 years of experience in maritime/port issues.
- Network of niche international experts with focus on financing, legal matters, market research/ audits, insurance, claims, ict, customs, training, and market communication.
- Research assignments and project management for more than 300 port and terminal projects worldwide.
- Agents in Europe, Middle-East and Asia.
- Active in Worldbank and EU projects worldwide, advising on EU logistics projects, and assist the big five consultancy firms in port related projects.
Our approach
We combine traditional project methodology with in-depth knowledge of port and terminals related projects.
- We provide tailor-made solutions on very diverse topics, always having maritime ports as an important link.
- We give relevant and no nonsense answers on questions on strategic up to operational matters, from financial issues over commercial to safety and security related concerns.
- We always exceed our clients’ expectations providing full, transparent and realistic reporting and recommendations setting achievable targets, a clear feasibility plan, a detailed business plan and down to earth implementation plan.
- We support you with a single person of contact, offer a customized approach and a aim for a strong, long term partnership.
Some key team members
Peter Bresseleers
Peter Bresseleers, M.Sc., CSCP in business economics and finance and founder of PortExpertise, has a long proven track record of +25 years in maritime trade related projects. The projects included international projects both for public organisations and private companies. Due to the proven track record he held positions in senior management and managing director positions during the last ten years. This expertise is renowned by international organizations such as the European Commission related to transport and maritime projects. He is a frequent lecturer for the Antwerp Port Training Centre for international professionals, and is invited to international congresses and seminars related to port investments. Currently he is on a global scale involved in maritime and port related projects.
Lieve Clijmans
Lieve Clijmans, M.A. Political and Social Sciences, has more than 20 year of experience inmarketing and corporate communication with industrial companies such as Cargill and ExxonMobil. Focus is on experience in internal and external communication, change management, consulting on today’s cross media use of paid, owned and earned media with focus on digital communication.
Edwin Lock
Edwin Lock, M. Sc. Maritime economics, has been involved in maritime projects in many countries worldwide. He has a broad experience in reviewing port and terminal design concepts, assessing technical and operational port issues, surveying the port sector in specific geographies, setting up waterways master plans for specific countries, and evaluating EU proposals in the framework of MarcoPolo and Ten-T. Recent work concerns an investment analysis in Eastern Europe for a of Europe’s largest private terminal operators and a study for dry ports and logistics centers in Jordan.
Gilbert Bentein
Gilbert Bentein, civil engineer, is PortExpertise’s sr. process-IT consultant and transport expert. He has a thorough understanding of the processes currently used in the maritime port environment and industry. He is co-founder of the PCSP, the port of Antwerp’s services platform, and for the single window concept and implementation of port services platform for all Flanders’ seaports, including vessel traffic management monitoring applications. Recent work dealt with the setup of a European single window for some 15 European countries.
Guido Van Meel
Guido Van Meel, master economics and master environmental sciences, is a key expert, consultant and trainer in many international projects on port expansion/privatization projects in countries such as Israel, Saudi-Arabia, Indonisia, Croatia, Montenegro and Nigeria. He also has managed projects on use of alternative fuels in maritime and hinterland shipping, such as LNG. He is secretary-general of Euroshore, association of ship waste management companies and follows actively the international regulation setting on clean maritime shipping. He is a certified evaluator of EU-proposals in the framework of Marco Polo and Ten-T.
Gustav Malmquist
Gustav Malmquist, senior consultant, uses his e-health experience in assessing environmental issues, transport and infrastructure solutions. He has been coordinator and writer of Ten-T proposal topics such as increased cargo capacity for the port of Mälmaren, BioFuel Region, Swiftly Green, GreCOR, BGLC. He is a certified evaluator of European proposals in FP6, FP7, CIP and Marco Polo. He has been reporter on the consequences of the surphur directive (IMO MARPOL Mid Nordic Green Transport Corridor).
Stefaan Hugo
Stefaan Hugo, specialist in rail transport matters, has a more than 25 years career with the Belgian NMBS railway company in several functions as terminal manager of several dry port container terminals in Malines, Antwerp and Charleroi, as audit and certification manager, as claims manager and quality manager. He gathered quite some know-how on ISO-standards, SQAS, ECM, AEO and ISPS.
Stefan Clinck
Stefan Clinck, master in law, gathered a more than 25 years expertise in logistic chain, liabilities and risk management as claims marine manager and manager cargo insurance and marine liabilities at Belgian law firms and insurance brokers. He advised a variety of clients on liability and insurance issues.
Cas Willems
Cas Willems is an expert on vessel traffic and transport management in inland navigation and maritime transport. He worked in Europe as one of the founding fathers on the development of River Information Services. During the last 20 years he successfully managed complex projects on national and international level. He knows how to translate a vision into realistic implementation. Cas is chairman of a worldwide PIANC working group on River Information Services and contributes to PIANC working group on e-Navigation.
Ralf Bauer
Ralf’s expertise concerns the financial markets. Started in the nineties as trader, he soon took the position of Director Financial Markets at a global bank company. The last five years Mr. Bauer specialized in the financing of large infrastructure projects for alternative energy industry. Ralf advises PortExpertise on bridging the gap between the financial markets and ports and maritime projects, regarding alternative financing. This lead, among others to a thorough study of the CEF and European Investment bank policy on Financial Instruments for transport infrastructure, and the ‘INTERIM REPORT ON THE PILOT PHASE OF THE EUROPE 2020 PROJECT BOND INITIATIVE’.
Michael van Giel
PortExpertise’s customs specialist. Former regional director of customs and excise authorities in Europe’s second largest port, he perfectly understands the alignment of international customs rules and port activities, assuring that safety and security rules are met and trade barriers are kept to a minimum. As renowned specialist he actively trains custom authorities officials from all over the world, whether at home base of the Antwerp Port Training Facility (APEC), or abroad within the offices of the client. A main focus on ‘developing’ port areas is given, namely the African region and Eastern Europe.
Mircea Chirita
Our Romanian partner has 22 years in the management and operational area of consultancy, acting within industrial, shipping and offshore environment (‘Oil & Gas’), searching for a result oriented management approach, for providing specific consultancy uniquely blended with management tools (software).
Coen Walder
Our hands on terminal experience, has over 25 years of experience in pre-planning and execution of maritime and terminal operations directly related to safe handling, stowing and securing of break-bulk and dry bulk commodities worldwide. Starting as a deck-officer on board break bulk and dry bulk vessels for a period of 4 years, he worked afterwards for Antwerp based stevedoring and agency companies. After supervising a bagging operation in North Korea, he joine the technical/commercial management of a German multi-national in shipping, terminals and logistics. Through the years his experience became more fine-tuned in working in the world’s most challenging places, related to the start-up of new terminals and port projects (India, Iraq, Dubai, Kuwait), and supervising the international supply chain to these regions for W-European clients. Recently he assisted African terminals in ITC projects and process optimization.
Andrej Eliseev
PortExpertise’s mechanical engineer specialized in liquid bulk and gas maritime port terminals, enriched his technical studies at the Murmansk Stat Technical University, with 7 years in-the-field experience for the world’s largest survey and audit company. He joined the team of PortExpertise in 2013, to successfully lead our CAPEX/OPEX study on Murmansk liquid oil export terminal. Andrey lead the team of department of oil and petrochemicals at SGS Vostok.
Toon van de Sande
Toon van de Sande, M.A.Theology, is an UMBC licensed expert on Individual - and Group crisis intervention, Piracy and Armed Robbery, and Security in the Field (BSITF II). He is a certified trainer at the Wellness at Sea Programme and co-founder of the Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Programme.
Having a valid sailing certificate and from regularly working on deck, he perfectly understands the humanitarian and organizational aspects of maritime well-being. It is all about preparing your organization for disruptive events, potentially causing major effects on overall operational efficiency.
He assisted shipping companies in more than 70 countries, dealt with 40 cases related to emergencies, accidents with casualties and piracy.
Joris Claeys
Joris Claeys, financial economics with a career path in international logistics, collaborative SCM, PM LifeCycle, Port & Marine infrastructure and SC organizational development. He has contributed added value for stakeholders across the extended enterprise, through supply chain design, leading innovative, yet practical solutions for many industries across EMEA, Americas & APAC. Joris is our designated representative for Spain + West-Mediterranean, based in Valencia, Spain. Contact details: +34 635 195 327, J.Claeys@PortExpertise.com
