Meet the Team Behind Shipfinex: The People Making Maritime Ownership Possible

From the Shipfinex Team

You've heard us talk a lot about blockchain, ship tokenization, and Maritime Asset Tokens. But behind every innovation, there's something far more important: the people.

Today, we want you to meet the team that's been working tirelessly to make your journey into maritime ownership a reality. Because Shipfinex isn't just a platform. It's a movement built by individuals who believed that ship ownership shouldn't be reserved for the ultra-wealthy anymore.

How it all started

Let's rewind to 2018. The blockchain revolution was just beginning to show its true potential, and a group of entrepreneurs saw something most people missed. They saw an opportunity to take one of the world's oldest and most exclusive industries and make it accessible to everyone.

They asked a simple question: Why should only the wealthy few benefit from an industry that moves 80% of the world's trade? The answer to that question became Shipfinex.

The Journey That Shaped Us

When we first conceptualized fractional ship ownership in 2018, the industry wasn't ready. The maritime world had operated the same way for decades. But our team didn't give up. Maritime experts, blockchain developers, financial strategists, and legal advisors came together, building secure SPV structures and developing the technology you're using today.

In 2019, a meeting with a visionary ship broker posed a fundamental question: Should we focus on helping ship owners raise capital, or empower the community to become owners themselves? Our team chose you. We chose democratization over exclusivity.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, the world went digital overnight. Our team saw opportunity. By July 2022, Shipfinex emerged stronger and ready. Our Dubai seminar confirmed what we knew: the future of maritime ownership is digital, decentralized, and accessible.

The Founding Team: Visionaries Who Made It Possible

At the heart of Shipfinex are six founders who turned an ambitious idea into reality.

Vikas Pandey, Founder and CEO, leads our vision with deep maritime knowledge and entrepreneurial leadership. His experience across maritime and healthtech gives him a unique perspective on transforming traditional asset ownership. Vikas ensures every ship on our platform meets the highest standards of quality and earning potential.

Suraz Kottakki, Co-Founder and COO, brings operational excellence while driving Shipfinex's marketing and positioning efforts. His strategic approach ensures that as we scale, we maintain the quality and service you deserve while reaching aspiring ship owners worldwide.

Ravi Shankar, Co-Founder and CCO, serves as our Chief Commercial Officer, bringing business development expertise and commercial strategy. He ensures Shipfinex grows sustainably while maintaining strong relationships with ship owners and our community.

Kawal Arora, Co-Founder and CTO, leverages his extensive background in digitalization to make our platform revolutionary. His focus on tokenizing maritime assets has made fractional ship ownership technically possible. When you create your wallet or purchase Maritime Asset Tokens, you're experiencing Kawal's vision of secure, transparent blockchain technology.

Tony Dagher, Co-Founder and Chairman, provides strategic oversight that keeps Shipfinex aligned with industry best practices and long-term growth objectives. His chairmanship ensures every major decision balances innovation with sustainability.

Manish Kumar, CISO and DPO, serves as our Chief Information Security Officer and Data Protection Officer. Manish ensures your data, your assets, and your transactions are protected with the highest standards of cybersecurity. When you complete your KYC or manage your wallet, his security protocols are working to keep you safe.

Strategic Leadership Guiding Our Course

Our Non-Executive Directors bring experience you can't replicate. 

Zain Umer ensures we're ahead of regulatory developments with his digital assets expertise from Cambridge. 

Vivek Seth, former Senior Vice President at ADNOC Logistics and Services, brings decades of maritime operational knowledge that ensures every listed ship is thoroughly evaluated.

Shailesh Bhala, RK Sethi, and Dipak Karki provide operational excellence and business strategy that keeps Shipfinex running smoothly as we scale.

Advisory Board: Experts Keeping Us Ahead

Dr. Krishna Prasad, former Chairman of ICS Middle East, brings unparalleled maritime industry insight from decades in international shipping.

Dr. Bernhard Kronfellner, Partner and Associate Director at Boston Consulting Group, co-leads BCG's digital asset and blockchain group. He's worked with banking clients and financial regulators worldwide on tokenization, blockchain, and digital assets. When regulatory complexity meets innovation, Bernhard ensures we navigate it correctly.

José Pereira, Partner at Caerus Ventures, brings investment discipline rooted in data and market psychology. His understanding of crypto market behavior helps Shipfinex stay focused on real value over hype.

What This Team Means for You

Every feature you use has been designed, vetted, and secured by this team.

When you complete your KYC, it's our compliance team protecting your information. When you create your wallet, it's Kawal and our technology team ensuring it's secure. When you browse ships, it's Suraz and our maritime experts who've vetted those vessels. When you receive earnings, it's Dipak and our financial team ensuring accurate distributions. When you discover Shipfinex through our marketing, it's Suraz making sure our message reaches you authentically.

This team isn't just building a platform. We're building trust, community, and the future of maritime ownership.

Our Promise to You

We will never list a ship that hasn't been thoroughly vetted. We will never compromise on transparency. We will never prioritize our growth over your security. And we will always remember that behind every Maritime Asset Token is a person who believed in our vision enough to join this journey.

You're not just a user on our platform. You're part of a community that's rewriting the rules of an industry that's existed for centuries.

A Team United by One Mission

Every person on the Shipfinex team is driven by one shared belief: ship ownership should be accessible to everyone.

For too long, ships worth hundreds of millions of dollars, generating consistent earnings from global trade, have been available only to those with massive capital and insider connections. Our team is changing that. Not because it's easy, but because it's right.

You've registered. Thousands of you have completed your KYC. Every step you take validates the years of work our team has put into making this possible.

So the next time you log into Shipfinex, remember: you're connecting with a team of maritime experts, blockchain innovators, financial strategists, and compliance professionals who wake up every day thinking about how to make your ownership experience better, safer, and more valuable.

Thank you for trusting us with your maritime ownership journey. We don't take that responsibility lightly.

Want to learn more about our team? Visit our About Us page

Questions for the team? Email us at [email protected]

Follow our journey: LinkedIn | Twitter | Telegram

Shipfinex Team Real. Transparent. Secure.