conference

Captain Christopher Hearn

Director, Centre for Marine Simulation, Marine Institute of Memorial University

Member of the Nautical Institute (MNI) and current President of the Master Mariners of Canada, Captain Christopher Hearn began his career after graduating from the Marine Institute’s Nautical Science Program. He quickly moved his way through the marine ranks and certification to Master Mariner and obtained command of several types of vessels in the deep sea and subsea sectors as well as operations in the Arctic.

First coming ashore as a Marine Superintendent of operations with companies engaged in subsea cable laying and repair, seismic work, and general cargo operations, he was involved with resolving issues dealing with Flag state and Class and identifying training methods for improving competency among crews.

Captain Hearn returned to the Marine Institute in 2008 as the Director of the Centre for Marine Simulation. The Centre is the largest and most comprehensive marine simulation facility in North America and covers an entire range of training, industrial assistance, and research and development capabilities through the use of simulation technology. CMS’s particular areas of expertise include the modeling and simulation of harsh maritime environments including navigation in ice, simulation of offshore oil and gas operations, and port design evaluation and operational risk analysis.

Captain David (Duke) Snider FNI, AFNI

Captain David (Duke) Snider is the CEO and Principal Consultant of Martech Polar Consulting Ltd, a privately-owned company providing global ice navigation services and support for polar shipping, ice navigation, polar research, expedition logistics support and ice related consulting services. Martech Polar provides Ice Navigators on cargo, research, cruise and expedition ships and private yachts in ice covered waters worldwide. Martech Polar is heavily involved in assisting owners and operators to meet Polar Code requirements through completion of Operational Assessments and Polar Waters Operations Manuals. Martech Polar has been recently recognized by International Transport News Maritime and Shipping Awards 2018 as “Best Ice Pilotage & Navigation Specialists – North America” and by CV Magazine’s Canadian Business Awards 2019 as “Best Polar Ice Navigation & Pilotage Specialists 2019”.

Captain Snider is a Master Mariner with over 40 years at sea, operating many vessels in a broad variety of ice regimes in Arctic and Antarctic Polar Regions, the Baltic, Great Lakes and Eastern North American waters.  He has served onboard Naval, Commercial and Coast Guard Vessels. He retired from Canadian Coast Guard service as Regional Director Fleet Western Region in 2013 to run his own company. He remains active at sea, holding both Polar Waters Advanced Certificate of Proficiency and The Nautical Institute Ice Navigator Level 2 Certification. As a marine consultant he has extensive experience in authoring and contributing to numerous shipping feasibility studies, as expert witness in marine insurance arbitrations and cases as well as marine industry safety and risk reviews.

As an Ice Navigator Captain Snider has been the author of and contributed to many ice regime shipping feasibility studies as well as numerous papers on ice navigation. The second edition of Captain Snider’s authoritative book Polar Ship Operations was published by the Nautical Institute in 2018 is soon to be released in a Spanish edition.  He holds a Bachelor of Maritime Studies degree granted by Memorial University of Newfoundland in 2006 and is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. He was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal in 2011 for his many years as a member of The Nautical Institute dedicated to improving safety at sea, with particular focus on improving standards of ice navigation. His honours also include the Canadian Coast Guard Exemplary Service Medal and the United States Coast Guard Antarctic Service Medal. He was recently awarded the Maritime Museum of British Columbia Beaver Medal for outstanding achievements in polar navigation including roles in promoting internationally recognized ice navigation qualifications.

Captain Snider is the Past President of The Nautical Institute and now sits on the Institutes Executive Board. He is Chair of the Ice Navigator Working Group which is tasked with administering The Nautical Institute’s global standard for Ice Navigator Training and Certification Standard. He is a member of The Nautical Institute’s NGO delegation to IMO on matters of ice and polar navigation.

Captain Patrick Marchesseau

Captain Patrick MARCHESSEAU is an experienced shipmaster of 19 years as master, including 12 years in polar region (Arctic & Antarctica). He was born in France, he graduated from the French Merchant Marine Academy of Marseille and he studied as well at the United States Merchant Marine Academy of Kings Point, New York. In 1998, he got the Master certificate of Ocean Seagoing Vessel.

He started his career as officer onboard passenger’s vessel in 1993 and he got promoted as master in 2003.
He is working for PONANT, a French expedition cruise company since 2003.

In 2008, Captain MARCHESSEAU was master of the sailing vessel “LE PONANT”, when she was hijacked by Somali pirates, during one week.
Between 2010 & 2011, he was the captain of the MS “Turanor Planetsolar”, the 1st solar- powered boat ever to circumnavigate the globe.
Sailing as master in Antarctica Peninsula and Svalbard, East & West Greenland, Baffin & Ellesmere Island, North West & North East Passage, he got the Polar Advanced certificate & Qualified Ice Navigator (Transport Canada).

Captain MARCHESSEAU followed the construction in Norway of the PC2 Icebreaker “Le Commandant Charcot” and he is presently master of this vessel.

Captain MARCHESSEAU’s personal awards include the Medal of “Chevalier of the Légion of Honour” & Medal of “Chevalier of the Mérite Maritime ».

Nigel S. Greenwood

RAdm Nigel Greenwood, RCN (Ret’d), is a 37-year veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces. He holds a BSc in Physics and Oceanography from RRMC and an MA in International Studies (with Distinction) from King’s College London. 

In the course of his military career, RAdm Greenwood served as a surface warfare officer, specializing in Navigation, Air-Control and Anti-Submarine Warfare. He held commands at ship, base, fleet and formation levels. During the 2010 centenary he was the Deputy Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy. In his final appointment as Commander Maritime Forces Pacific, he was responsible for Canada’s western maritime defences and coordination of joint military response to domestic contingency operations in BC. 

Since retiring from the RCN, RAdm Greenwood has established a successful consultancy in maritime risk assessment, security, operations research and emergency response planning. He holds a current license as a Master Mariner and exercises this qualification seasonally as an Ice Navigator in the Canadian Arctic. He is also a licensed Security Consultant, bringing the strength of Harmonized Threat and Risk Assessment and other risk assessment methodologies to bear on his varied work. Clients to date include the Pacific Pilotage Authority, Transport Canada, the Canadian Hydrographic Service, the ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert, and the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. Recently he has also conducted analytical studies for the Centre for Operations Research and Analysis/Defence Research and Development Canada (CORA/DRDC).

Captain Maciej Krok

Captain Maciej Krok is an experienced shipmaster of 26 years as Master. Immigrated to Canada from Poland, where he graduated from Merchant Navy Academy in Gdynia. He holds engineering degree in Sea Transportation and master’s degree in Nautical Studies from the aforementioned institution. His sea going experience includes work on general cargo/semi-container vessels trading between Europe, Middle and Far East. Also work on factory fishing vessels on the west coast of the United States and Bering Sea. Majority of his 39-sea going career Captain Krok was employed by BC Ferries on numerous routes and vessels.

Currently he holds the position of Chief Instructor of Simulated Electronic Navigation at the Western Maritime Institute in Ladysmith, British Columbia. 

Captain Krok is also a certified ISM, ISPS and MLC Lead Auditor.

Alexis Dorais

Ice Services, Fednav 

Alexis Dorais is manager of Ice Services at Fednav Limited. A beholder of a Master of Research in geography from Université de Montréal, he has been part of the Ice Service team for eleven years. Alexis’ team supports maritime operations in ice infested waters, including Fednav’s fleet of icebreaking bulk carriers that navigate year-round in Canadian polar waters. He is actively involved in the development of IceNav, an ice navigation system used by many types of vessels operating in icy waters worldwide.

Youssef Mani

Youssef Mani joined Canadian Coast Guard, Arctic Region as Assistant Commissioner in January 2023.

Prior to joining the Canadian Coast Guard, Assistant Commissioner Mani held a number of senior management positions in the Canadian Public Service both in the regions and in the National Capital where he demonstrated strong leadership. He has built a reputation for developing programs and designing new business models in a variety of work environments.

Between 2010 and 2017, he held the position of Regional Director for the Quebec Region as well as the position of Senior National Director of Operations for CORCAN – Correctional Service of Canada Special Operating Agency. In 2017, he relocated to Charlottetown, PEI to join the Department of Veterans Affairs as Senior Director Human Resource Strategies and Program Design.

In 2020, Assistant Commissioner Mani was appointed to the position of Director General in charge of HR Operations within the Public Services and Procurement Canada.

Assistant Commissioner Mani is a graduate of the National Security Program at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto. He also holds a Post-MBA in Financial Services from the University of Quebec in Montreal, and an MBA from Sherbrook University and a Lean Leadership Certificate from the University of Ottawa.

Desmond Raymond

Regional Director Marine Safety and Security, Prairie and Northern Region, Transport Canada

Des Raymond grew up in Newfoundland and has been involved in the marine field since obtaining his Bos’n ticket at 17 in 1988 while a member of the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve. After obtaining his diploma in Naval Architecture from the Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador in 1996 and starting his career as a naval architect with Zodiac SA du France in Vancouver the day after his final exam, he has worked in both the private and public sectors in the marine, civil engineering, management and executive leadership fields.

Since joining Transport Canada as an executive in 2009 he has served as the Regional Director of Marine Safety and Security for the Prairie and Northern Region (2009-17 and present ), Pacific Region (2016) and Atlantic Region (2021-22) as well as serving as the Senior Advisor and Arctic Liaison for the Oceans Protection Plan (2017-2020) where he was responsible for mobilizing partnerships for 30+ projects throughout Inuit Nunangat and was also a member of the Government of Canada’s negotiation team that partnered with the Qikiqtani Inuit Association in negotiating and creating Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area in 2019 – the largest national marine conservation area in the world. At present in his role as RD for PNR region he leads a team of 40+ professionals in ensuring oversight for marine safety and security throughout the Canadian Arctic in partnership with all of Transport Canada’s clients, partners and stakeholders.

Outside of work he is a lucky husband and proud father and artist – both on canvass, on the ice and golf course ☺