SMI Team

Tom Chant MBE

Chief Executive Officer

Tom Chant has been long associated with the marine industry, ever since his youth as an active sailor and student of boatbuilding in Southampton. His career has encompassed a wide range of market sectors over the last 4 decades, gathering wide experience of business development, marketing and distribution in an international business environment.

Nine-years at the trade body for the leisure and superyacht sector solidified his commitment and interest in developing members’ export business. A short stint in the private sector as a distributor manager for a marine equipment company managing territories from New Zealand to Croatia, confirmed the value of trade organisations for him, and so he jumped at the chance to join the Society of Maritime Industries (SMI) in February 2017.

Tom started at the SMI as the Director to the Commercial Marine Group and Marine Science & Technology Group which encompassed international and UK Pavilion management and the running of missions. In August 2020 he was appointed Chief Executive of SMI, and working closely with the membership and his team, he has overseen the re-branding of SMI, driving strong growth in the organisation's membership. He remains committed to ensuring the needs of the members are championed across the many government departments that the maritime industry supports.  Tom is Chair of the Maritime UK Technology & Innovation Group and sits on the MarRI-UK Strategy Board.  Tom’s dedication to the maritime sector, including 6 years as an on-call crew member at the RNLI Teddington station, was rewarded with an MBE in the King’s 2023 New Year Honours.

Captain Mark Albon BSc (Hons) Royal Navy

Director of Maritime Defence & Security Group (MDSG)

Mark served for 34 years in the Royal Navy as a Warfare Officer specialising in Hydrography, Meteorology and Oceanography. He served at sea in Her Majesty’s Ships ILLUSTRIOUS and CHATHAM, gaining operational experience from the Balkans conflict and Sierra Leone respectively.

He has had a variety of shore appointments including Navy Command in the UK and abroad with NATO in Joint Command Headquarters Lisbon, Portugal and in the Intelligence division of Supreme Allied Command Transformation Norfolk, Virginia in the United States. He also commanded the Fleet Hydrographic Meteorological and Oceanographic Unit, a deployable team of environmental specialists.

Director of Marine Science & Technology Group (MSTG), Maritime Autonomous Systems Group (MASG) and SMIFutures

Emma has a BSc in Marine Biology and an MSc in Marine and Aquatic Biology from the University of Portsmouth. For the 3 years following university she worked for Chelsea Technologies Ltd. During this time, she worked closely with international agents and customers as well as representing the company at conferences, exhibitions and in presentations and panel debates. Emma joined SMI in September 2020 as Director of the Marine Science & Technology Group (MSTG) and Maritime Autonomous Systems Group (MASG). She is committed to ensuring our members in these groups are represented to government and across the wider industry. In 2022 Emma launched a new SMIFutures initiative to support and develop future leaders in the maritime sector. She is also supports the Maritime UK Diversity in Maritime Program, and as such, is involved with the Women in Maritime, Pride in Maritime, Ethnicity in Maritime and Mental Health in Maritime networks. 

Helen Stephen

Director of Commercial Marine Group (CMG) and Workboat Working Group (WWG)

As a business development specialist within maritime publishing and events, Helen has a 15-year background in the international tug, towage, salvage and OSV sector.  In her previous role, Helen held board level responsibilities at a globally renowned event organiser and publisher focused on bringing the major tug and salvage players together via industry leading conventions and technical conferences.  Helen has represented her company at industry association level and attended more than 110 industry events at major maritime hubs and some of the busiest container shipping port locations around the world. Helen has developed an extensive network across the international supply chain and specialises in cultivating long term relationships, creating opportunities to collaborate and build valuable partnerships that fuel growth and trade.  Helen was appointed to Society of Maritime Industries in June 2021 as Business Development Director and Secretary to the Commercial Marine Group (CMG) Council.

Giorgio Buttironi

Policy and Research Manager

Giorgio first came to the UK in 2007 and graduated with a BA in Medieval History from the University of Winchester three years later. After his undergrad he received an MA in International Relations from Durham University in 2011 and an MSc in European Politics at the London School of Economics. Giorgio has been working as a policy and public affairs specialist for trade federations across a number of industries, ranging from construction through to further education and financial services, since 2015. During this time, he has worked closely with government departments, parliamentarians, and members of various sector bodies to influence decision-making and policy in an effective manner.

Samantha

Office Manager and Finance Administrator

Samantha is a part-qualified accountant having completed her AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) studies over 8 years ago. 

Having successfully worked in a set of barrister chambers as an Operations Executive for over 3 years.

Currently responsible for the financial planning & reporting, maintaining financial records, cash management, managing the accounting functions, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, and general ledger ensuring all financial transactions are accurately recorded and comply with accounting standards, analysing financial data to identify trends, managing financial systems, payroll, and supports the audits.

Samantha is also a reiki practitioner, active member of The College of Psychic Studies and Institute of Directors. 

Sheldon Ryan

Innovation Lead

Sheldon has fifteen years experience working in innovation, at the interface between business, research and government. He holds a degree in business and psychology and following an early career in motorsport engineering and scientific publishing he joined the South West Regional Development Agency Innovation team where he used EU and UK funding to establish and promote technology and innovation programmes across the SW. In 2012 he joined Plymouth City Council where he worked on the development of the Oceansgate Enterprise Zone at Devonport Dockyard, The Marine Business Technology Centre and the Smart Sound testing environment. In 2016 Sheldon set up Maritime UK South West, an innovation focussed maritime cluster focussed on autonomy, offshore floating wind and clean maritime. Sheldon joined the Society of Maritime Industries, as Innovation Lead in 2022 in order to enable improved coordination across the UK Maritime Innovation ecosystem and the network of UK regional maritime clusters. His work also focusses on the dissemination of maritime innovation opportunities via the SMI chaired Technology and Innovation Group and the Hydrogen Fuels Sub Group. Sheldon also organises a programme of innovation and consortia building events across the UK.

Chen Li Ming

China Manager (Based in Shanghai)

Chen Li Ming is a naval architect and for 13 years worked for Shanghai Merchant Ship Design & Research Institute (SDARI) before moving to Shanghai Edward Shipbuilding Co Ltd.  In 1995 Chen (as he is known to his friends) became an independent consultant and has been associated with the Society of Maritime Industries (SMI) and its predecessor organisation since that time.  He has an excellent track record in introducing companies to the Chinese market and the credentials to be able to “open doors” with Chinese companies and government organisations in the maritime sector.