• Read more about Francesco Galietti

Francesco Galietti is National Director, Italy. Francesco is a policy expert, an author and a commentator in both the international print and broadcast media. His professional track record before joining CLIA includes three years as “Consigliere” at the Italian Ministry of Finance and advisory assignments with other Italian public institutions (Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, Government task force on sovereign wealth funds).

• Read more about Hans Chen Braas

Hans Chen Braas is regional director for the Nordics and Baltics at Cruise Lines International Association in Europe, where he supports the industry’s policy work in the region on behalf of CLIA-cruise line member interests. Hans joined CLIA in March 2025, bringing with him more than 20 years of experience in shipping, having worked with port agencies and marine logistics since 2003. Prior to CLIA, Hans was manager, port agency, cruise & yachts with Blue Water Shipping, where he worked since 2015. In this role, he led the company’s business strategy development for cruise agency and port logistics services, including staying abreast of relevant legislation and engaging with authorities. Hans is based in Denmark.

• Read more about Maria Deligianni

Maria Deligianni is Regional Director, Eastern Mediterranean based in Athens, Greece. She joined CLIA in March 2018 and is responsible for government and public affairs issues in the region. Maria has been involved in the shipping industry since 2011. Before joining CLIA, she worked for the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) in Brussels as a Senior Advocacy and Policy Advisor on maritime safety, environmental and offshore shipping issues. Previously she spent time at the European Commission’s Director General Mobility and Transport Directorate in Brussels as well as SQE Marine Group and PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC Greece) in Piraeus and Athens. She holds an executive Master in Maritime Science (MSc) degree from the University of Ghent in Belgium as well as an MSc degree in International and European Studies from the University of Piraeus and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Public Administration from the University of Athens.

• Read more about Nikos Mertzanidis

As Executive Director for CLIA in Europe, Nikos Mertzanidis is responsible for providing leadership for the region, including driving advocacy efforts on behalf of CLIA’s member cruise lines operating in the region.

Nikos joined CLIA in 2016 as Manager, European Government Affairs, and was named Director in 2020. Prior to his promotion to Executive Director in July 2025, Nikos had served as Vice President of Ports & Destinations and Taxation since 2023. In this role, he was responsible for developing, presenting, negotiating, and implementing industry positions on legislative, regulatory, and policy matters involving sustainability in ports and destinations, as well as taxation issues. In addition, he led the work of CLIA’s Port & Destination Advisory Committee, Global Tax Committee, and Europe Taxation Working Group—and has provided valuable leadership.

Prior to joining CLIA, Nikos served as a political advisor to the Constitutional Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, and subsequently as EU public affairs lead at Imperial Brands Ltd., focusing on FMCG regulation, taxation, and consumer policy. 

A seasoned government and public affairs professional, with expertise in EU policy making and European business regulation, Nikos is a long-standing member of the International Political Science Association and the Society of European Affairs Professionals.

Born and raised in Greece, he studied political science and international relations at the University of Macedonia in Greece, working in parallel for the UNESCO Chair for Intercultural Policy. He earned his Master’s degree in International Politics at the University of Aberystwyth in Wales in 2009 and, in 2022, his PhD with an emphasis on International Relations and Affairs from the University of Macedonia.

• Read more about Julie Green

As Vice President, Regional Strategy & Communications for Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) in Europe, Julie Green represents the cruise industry in European markets as a vital and responsible part of the travel and tourism sector. With a focus on strategic communications, including active public engagement with key stakeholders, her responsibilities support CLIA’s work program and priorities in the region on behalf of CLIA’s members.

Julie joined CLIA in January 2020 as Vice President of Strategic Communications in Europe. She is an expert communicator with a strong background and combined experience in corporate public relations and public policy. Prior to joining CLIA, Julie headed up global communications for the infrastructure business at the engineering firm Bechtel, where she helped to transform the company’s approach to reputation management. During her time at Bechtel, she introduced and ran strategic communications and thought leadership programs across multiple markets, including central and eastern Europe, and the Middle East.

• Read more about Marco Ferraz

Marco Ferraz serves as Executive Director of CLIA Abremar Brasil. Marco started working with tourism in the 1980s, at Monark Tourism. Before assuming this role at CLIA Abremar Brasil, he acted as president of Braztoa (Brazilian Association of Tour Operators) for four years. Under his leadership, Braztoa began a partnership with World Travel Market Latin America, Abav Expo, and started a close relationship with UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organization) and WTTC (World Travel and Tourism Council) to include Brazil as a priority destination as well as a source for international travelers.

• Read more about Jon Murrie

Jon leads CLIA’s communications efforts across Australia and New Zealand, elevating the industry’s advocacy priorities through media and public relations, stakeholder engagement and trade initiatives. As a former journalist and editor with a background in daily newspapers and the travel trade press, he combines expert skills in media and communications with a close understanding of the cruise and travel sectors.

Prior to joining CLIA’s Sydney-based team in 2019, Jon had a long-standing role as a senior public relations consultant, serving a client-base in cruise, aviation, tourism, hospitality and business events.

• Read more about Joel Katz

Joel Katz has 25 years of international experience in the cruise and hotel industries. In his role as Executive Director of CLIA Australasia, Joel heads the Sydney-based team responsible for the promotion and development of the cruise industry in the region through trade relations, industry training, and advocacy activities on behalf of the cruise line members.

Prior to joining CLIA in January 2016, Joel was executive vice president of Grand Circle Cruise Line in the United Kingdom from 2014 to 2016. Prior to his leadership role with Grand Circle, he spent 10 years with Orion Expeditions (acquired by Lindblad Expeditions in 2013) where he was chief operating officer. Joel earned his Bachelor’s of Business Science from the University of Cape Town and his post graduate diploma in Hotel & Catering Management from The Manchester Metropolitan University.

• Read more about Loan Nguyen

As the Global Controller at CLIA, Nguyen oversees the financial functions of CLIA across North America, Europe, Australasia and Brazil. In her role, she works to ensure the integrity and accuracy of all accounting operations and financial reporting, as well as compliance with applicable regulations and internal policies. Prior to joining CLIA, Nguyen held various positions providing expertise in risk assessment, financial analysis, systems implementation, and day-to-day accounting operations. With over 20 years of accounting experience, Nguyen has built her career in public accounting supporting non-profit and for-profit clients performing financial audits, outsourced accounting and tax preparation.

• Read more about Rear Admiral Frederick J. Kenney (U.S. Coast Guard, Ret.)

Rear Admiral Kenney serves as Special Adviser for Regulatory and Industry Affairs for Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) on the Maritime Policy Team (MPT). In this role, he advises the CEO and the MPT on diplomatic and regulatory matters arising from CLIA’s interactions with the United Nations and other treaty and regulatory bodies, in particular the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Prior to his work with CLIA, he was the Director of Legal and External Affairs at the IMO, London. During his tenure at the IMO, he was responsible for advising the Secretary-General on all legal issues associated with the functioning of the Organization, with special emphasis on matters of treaty law and the law of the sea; providing legal counsel to the Secretariat staff in their support of the IMO’s committees and subcommittees, as Secretary for the Organization’s Legal Committee, and overseeing the Organization’s role as depositary for the 53 multilateral conventions adopted under the aegis of the IMO. He also oversaw the operation of the IMO’s Public Information Service, its Maritime Knowledge Centre and External Relations Office.

In July 2022, Rear Admiral Kenney was seconded to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs where he served as the initial UN Coordinator for the Black Sea Grain Initiative. In this role, he was responsible for the development and implementation of policies and procedures to ensure the safe delivery of grain and other foodstuffs from Odessa-area Ukrainian ports.

Prior to joining the IMO, he served as Judge Advocate General and Chief Counsel of the United States Coast Guard (USCG), attaining the rank of Rear Admiral. He was commissioned by the USCG in 1981 after graduating from Officer Candidate School. During his 33-year career with the USCG, he spent nearly five years at sea, including serving on a polar icebreaker as a deck watch officer and conducting law enforcement and security operations.

His legal assignments over the span of 22 years included leadership, as Judge Advocate General, of nearly 300 attorneys and 100 legal support personnel, responsible for the delivery of all legal services to the USCG around the globe; executive assistant and Chief of the Coast Guard's Office of Legal Policy and Program Development; Staff Judge Advocate, First Coast Guard District, Boston, Mass.; Coast Guard Liaison Officer to the Office of Oceans Affairs, U.S. Department of State; Chief of the Marine Safety and Environmental Protection Law Branch and subsequently head of the Office of Maritime and International Law, Washington, DC, where he was the head of the United States’ delegation to the IMO’s Legal Committee. Notably, he was a Member of the U.S. delegation to 12 different IMO committees and subcommittees.

Rear Admiral Kenney has extensive experience as a prosecutor, defense counsel and appellate counsel in criminal cases. From 1999 to 2011, he served on several legal capacity-building missions in developing countries on behalf of the United States, and from 2009 to 2010, he served as an appellate judge on the Coast Guard Court of Criminal Appeals. He also served as lead agency counsel in cases before the United States Supreme Court, and in the litigation arising from the Macondo 252/Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

His operational assignments included service as Commanding Officer of Coast Guard Pacific Area Tactical Law Enforcement Team, San Diego, Calif.; Officer in Charge, Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment, Alameda, Calif.; and First Lieutenant and Operations Officer aboard Coast Guard Cutter Westwind, a polar icebreaker. Extended temporary operations assignments include duty as Senior Coast Guard Officer, Allied Forces Southern Europe, during the blockade of the Former Republic of Yugoslavia, and in the Office of Law Enforcement, Seventh Coast Guard District, Miami, Fla.

His military decorations include the Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit (three awards), the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Coast Guard Meritorious Service Medal with Operational Distinguishing Device (three awards), the Coast Guard Commendation Medal with Operational Distinguishing Device (two awards), the Coast Guard Achievement Medal and the NATO Medal. Non-military awards include the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Gold Medal, the Department of State Superior Honor Award, and the Department of Justice Certificate of Commendation.

Over the course of his career, he has published several law review articles, has lectured widely, an adjunct professor of maritime law at Georgetown University Law Center and the U.S. Defense Institute for International Legal Studies, as well as a visiting lecturer at the World Maritime University in Malmo Sweden and the International Maritime Law Institute in Malta. He is also a Visiting Fellow at the Swansea University Institute of International Maritime Law. Rear Admiral Kenney is a member of the bars of the State of California, the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, and the U.S. Supreme Court. He earned his juris doctor from the University of San Francisco School of Law and B.A. in Economics from Michigan State University.