Christopher Wiernicki

American Bureau of Shipping (ABS)

Chairman & Chief Executive Officer

Christopher J. Wiernicki is Chairman and CEO of the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and Chairman of the ABS Group of Companies, Inc. ABS is a leading global maritime technical and standards organization and risk management company. Mr. Wiernicki has over 35 years of extensive commercial, government and international experience in marine and offshore design, operations, infrastructure and safety management, ports and bunkering, digitalization, cybersecurity, and clean energy transition. Mr. Wiernicki is a serving member of the President’s National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC), which advises the White House on how to reduce risks and improve the resilience of the nation’s critical infrastructure sectors. He is also a member of the International Maritime Hall of Fame, was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, and was selected as a member of the Marine Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. Mr. Wiernicki holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Vanderbilt and was inducted to Vanderbilt University School of Engineering Academy of Distinguished Alumni. He holds a master’s degree in structural engineering from George Washington University where he was elected to the George Washington University Engineering Hall of Fame. Wiernicki also holds a master’s degree in ocean engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and completed Harvard University’s Advanced Management Program. Wiernicki also received honorary Doctor of Science degrees from Maine Maritime Academy, Webb Institute and SUNY Maritime College, and an honorary Doctor of Engineering degree from Stevens Institute of Technology.

Sessions With Christopher Wiernicki

Thursday, 21 March

  • 10:30am - 11:00am (CST) / 21/mar/2024 03:30 pm - 21/mar/2024 04:00 pm

    Decarbonizing Shipping: Economics and risk considerations

    Carbon Management/Decarbonization

    IMO Member States adopted the 2023 IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships, with enhanced targets to tackle harmful emission. Europe is leading the way with EU-ETS, and the maritime sector is accelerating its decarbonization efforts with low-carbon, multi-fuel solutions, including ammonia, methanol, hydrogen and its derivatives, bio-LNG, as well as new technologies, digitalization and other measures. What are the economic, risk and regulatory factors driving this transformation? What is the timeframe for these initiatives to impact the operations of different carrier types?