Latest additions bring additional expertise in container shipping, ports, finance and legal sectors to further enhance essDOCS mission to transform shipping documentation.

VALETTA, MALTA, June 16, 2011. essDOCS, the leading provider of critical electronic shipping documents, is pleased to announce four senior appointments to its main Board.

The additions bring a wealth of experience from the shipping, ports, legal and finance sectors to essDOCS and underpin its expansion into the container shipping market, following the successful roll-out of the essDOCS CargoDocs solution for electronic bills of lading in the bulk liquid markets.

Well-known names from the ports and  liner shipping sector André Toet and Nigel Pusey join legal expert Noel Buttigieg-Scicluna on the board. Finance specialist Robert Mai succeeds James Fields who is stepping down.

Alex Goulandris, CEO of essDOCS said:

“I am delighted to welcome Andre, Nigel, Noel and Robert to the essDOCS Board and I would like to thank James for his time and commitment to us. I am confident that together, our new members will bring us an additional level of expertise that will help essDOCS progress from its initial success into new markets and globally. The last 12 months have seen the trend towards eDocs pick up speed and I think we are at an inflection point where we start to see shipping and trade embrace new, more efficient ways of handling key trade and compliance documents.”

André Toet brings 25 years of maritime experience at P&O Nedlloyd, Maersk and Port of Rotterdam to the essDOCS board. By the end of 2011 he will be appointed as the new CEO for SIPC (Sohar Industrial Port Company) in Oman. He has held several supervisory board positions, of which PortInfolink, subsequently Portbase, directly supports his role as non-executive board member for essDOCS.

Nigel Pusey was until recently CEO of Container Inland Services, a division of the AP Moller–Maersk Group, probably the most highly regarded company active in the shipping, energy and offshore markets. Previously he has held senior management roles in Maersk Shipping, P&O Nedlloyd and was non-executive Chairman of INTTRA.

Robert Mai is Vice President of Klingenstein, Fields & Co, a leading investment advisory firm, where his role includes managing the firm’s Alternative Investments portfolio and fixed income trading platform.

Dr Noel Buttigieg-Scicluna is a consultant with EMD, a multidisciplinary firm bringing together legal and financial services and related disciplines and a long serving Board Secretary on a number of Malta-based companies and interests. His previous experience includes being a Minister in the Malta government and an Ambassador to numerous European countries.

Barry Williams, Chairman of essDOCS said:

“Following its initial successes in the oil and energy sectors essDOCS now intends to roll-out its solutions into new global markets, most particularly in the liner shipping sector. These appointments, together with the strength of the existing Management Team led by Alexander Goulandris, are testament to our commitment to implementing more efficient methods of trade document and data production and handling throughout the industry.”

For more details on the essDOCS board, please visit http://www.essdocs.com/our_company/board.

essDOCS CargoDocs enable forwarders, shippers, carriers, surveyors and agents to replace all paper shipping documents such as the Bill of Lading, Certificates of Quality, Certificates of Quantity, Timesheet, Ullage Report etc with original electronic documents.  These eDocs are originated, reviewed, signed, endorsed and produced back to the carrier online through the essDOCS eDocs Exchange.

CargoDocs have been live since the start of 2010 with oil majors and trading companies including Shell, BP, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, INEOS, Mabanaft, Morgan Stanley and owners including Brostrom Tankers, Teekay Tankers and Hellespont using the solution on shipments from terminals and refineries in the UK and US. essDOCS has broadened its CargoDocs offering to include a version for the ARA tank barge market as well as releasing JetDocs, a dedicated solution to meet new regulatory requirements for traceability  of Jet Fuel cargoes.

-Ends-