International Maritime Regulation & IMO Affairs
Turning IMO conventions and amendments into national policy, institutional readiness and an implementation roadmap.
Maritime Advisory
Navigating Maritime Regulation.
Advancing Governance.
Advice for maritime administrations, port authorities and industry leaders, from thirty years in ports and maritime affairs and eight years representing Iran at the IMO: from international obligations to decisions that work.
Challenges we address
What maritime challenge are you facing?
- IMO RegulationsNew IMO obligations, an upcoming audit or unclear implementation responsibilities.
- Port GovernanceOverlapping mandates, weak concession oversight or lagging port performance.
- Maritime ContractsA tender, concession or service contract with risks you need to see clearly.
- STCW & SeafarersSTCW evaluation, certificate recognition or training oversight gaps.
- International NegotiationsA bilateral or regional negotiation that needs a prepared, unified position.
- Executive TrainingSenior teams who must lead regulatory or governance work with confidence.
Advisory Services
Six core advisory practices
Each practice is defined by a clear problem, concrete deliverables and an explicit way to begin.
Port Governance & Institutional Reform
Clarifying roles, decision rights and performance frameworks for port authorities, landlord models and concessions.
Maritime Contracts & Procurement
Strategic review of tenders, concessions and service contracts to reduce risk before commitments are made.
Seafarers, STCW & Human Element
Strengthening STCW compliance, certification systems, training oversight and seafarer administration.
International Negotiation & Cooperation
Preparing delegations and institutions for bilateral, regional and multilateral maritime negotiations.
Executive Training & Capacity Building
Tailored executive workshops on maritime regulation, port governance and international affairs.
Port investment & PPP, decarbonisation, digitalisation and independent dispute advisory: Specialist Advisory
Who we work with
A path designed around your role
Select your role to see the recommended path
Primary need
Reform of management structure, port performance or operating concessions.
Recommended path
Next step
Discuss a Port Governance ReviewPrimary need
Implementing IMO requirements, international regulation and policy development.
Recommended path
Next step
Request a Regulatory Gap AssessmentPrimary need
Contract risk, tenders, procurement and concessions.
Recommended path
Next step
Discuss a Contract AdvisoryPrimary need
STCW compliance, certification and specialised training.
Recommended path
Next step
Request an Executive WorkshopPrimary need
Anticipating new IMO requirements and their impact on fleet, crew and operations.
Recommended path
Next step
Request a Regulatory Briefing
Why Ali Akbar Marzban
Experience from the inside. Results in practice.
He has seen maritime rules from the negotiating table in London and from inside the organisation that has to apply them. That double view is what makes the advice practical.
- 30years in ports and maritime administration
- 8years as Iran's Permanent Representative to the IMO in London
- 210+IMO sessions and international meetings attended
- 40+national and international committees, several as chair
Seen from the inside
Thirty years inside port and maritime administration, from the contracts desk to the executive board.
International perspective
Eight years at the IMO in London: knowing how international rules are negotiated, not only what they say.
Implementation-focused
Advice you can act on: roadmaps, frameworks and clear next steps, not only reports.
Confidential
Discreet handling of sensitive institutional and commercial matters.
How we work
From understanding the problem to implementation
- 01
Discover
A confidential conversation to understand the mandate, the decision-makers and the constraints.
- 02
Assess
Structured review of obligations, institutions, contracts or capabilities against a clear benchmark.
- 03
Advise
Prioritised, decision-ready recommendations with owners, timelines and trade-offs.
- 04
Implement
Roadmaps, KPIs and hands-on support while recommendations become practice.
Selected experience
Three decades, three milestones
Iran's voice at the IMO
Eight years as Permanent Representative to the IMO and the IOPC Funds; Chair of the IMO Assembly Credentials Committee.
Seafarers and international organisations
Led the PMO directorate responsible for seafarer certification, STCW matters and relations with specialised international bodies.
Port contracts and tenders
Head of Legal and Contracts: dozens of tenders and auctions, hundreds of contracts and the port's litigation.
Visual atlas
Maritime governance in pictures
Eleven specialist frameworks for understanding the regulatory system, risk management and the future of the maritime industry
Knowledge and training
From specialist knowledge to executive decisions
Encyclopedia
40 documented articles in 10 areas: IMO regulation, ports, STCW, contracts, digitalisation and decarbonisation.
Open the encyclopediaExecutive education
12 courses, 56 sessions and 112 hours: workshops, board briefings, negotiation simulation and train-the-trainer.
View the coursesMagazine
An analytical narrative of eleven key frameworks of maritime management and regulation, and what they mean for decisions.
Read the magazineConfidential discussion
Discuss your maritime advisory needs
A confidential conversation about your organisation's challenges.