Amit Mehrotra is a Director and Senior Research Analyst at Deutsche Bank covering U.S. Transportation and Maritime Shipping. He is among the top five sell-side Shipping analysts in the U.S., as ranked in Institutional Investor's 2017 survey of U.S. asset management firms. He placed in the top ten in the same survey for U.S. Transportation companies.
His coverage responsibilities include all maritime shipping verticals, as well as U.S. trucking, logistics, airfreight, and railroads- with total combined market value of $500 billion. He has broad research and investment experience, having spent the last 15 years covering several verticals in the Industrial sector from both sell and buy-side perspectives- specifically within Automotive and Aerospace & Defense industries. He graduated with a degree in Finance and Economics from Babson College.
Polys Hajioannou is the Chief Executive Officer of Safe Bulkers, Inc. and has been Chairman of the company's board of directors since 2008. Mr. Hajioannou also serves with the Manager of Safe Bulkers, Inc. and prior to its inception, the Manager's predecessor Alassia Steamship Co., Ltd., which he joined in 1987. Mr. Hajioannou was elected as a member of the board of directors of the Union of Greek Shipowners in 2006 and served on the board until February 2009. Mr. Hajioannou is also a founding member of the Cyprus Union of Shipowners. Mr. Hajioannou is a member of the Lloyd's Register Hellenic Advisory Committee. In 2011, Mr. Hajioannou was appointed to the board of directors of Hellenic Mutual War Risks Association (Bermuda) Limited and in 2013 he was elected at the board of directors of the UK Mutual Steam Ship Assurance Association (Bermuda) Limited. Mr. Hajioannou holds a Bachelor of Science degree in nautical studies from Sunderland University.
Hamish Norton is president of Star Bulk Carriers Corp. Until Dec. 31, 2012, he was Managing Director and Global Head of the Maritime group at Jefferies & Company Inc. He is known for creating Nordic American Tanker Shipping and Knightsbridge Tankers, the first two high dividend yield shipping companies. He advised Arlington Tankers in the merger with General Maritime and has been an advisor to U.S. Shipping Partners. He also advised New Mountain Capital on its investment in Intermarine. In the 1990s, he advised Frontline on the acquisition of London and Overseas Freighters and arranged the sale of Pacific Basin Bulk Shipping. Prior to joining Jefferies in 2007, Mr. Norton ran the shipping practice at Bear Stearns since 2000.
From 1984-1999 he worked at Lazard Frères & Co., from 1995 onward as general partner and head of shipping. In addition to his role at Star Bulk, he is also an executive of Oceanbulk Maritime S.A. and is Chief Financial Officer and Head of Corporate Development of Oceanbulk's joint ventures with Oaktree Distress Opportunities Funds and with Monarch Alternative Capital. Mr. Norton is a director of Neptune Lines and the Safariland Group. Mr. Norton received an AB in Physics from Harvard and a Ph. D. in Physics from University of Chicago.