Captain K. Subramaniam began his maritime career in the Merchant Marine in 1981 and obtained his Captaincy in 1992. He joined the Port Klang Authority (PKA) in 1994 as a Harbour Pilot and subsequently held several key positions before being appointed General Manager in 2016—becoming the first PKA-sponsored scholar to lead the organization.

A certified Harbour Pilot since 1997, Captain Subramaniam has also chaired the Port Klang Pilotage Committee since 2011.

As the Senior Regional Maritime Specialist at ADB, Dr. Robert Duncan McIntosh designs regional strategies for ports connectivity, maritime trade efficiency, and green ports and shipping in the Asia-Pacific region. Prior to joining ADB, he served as the Oceanography Officer at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, where he directed the Pacific Islands Global Ocean Observing System and coordinated the Pacific regional hub of the Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network. Dr.