Chris Aversano

Partnership Lead at Wood Mackenzie

Speaker

Christopher Aversano has over 30 years of experience in the maritime industry, spanning commercial operations, product development, and strategic partnerships. He currently serves as Partnership Lead at Wood Mackenzie, a global research and consultancy firm covering energy, chemicals, renewables, metals, and mining. In this role, he focuses on strengthening the connection between Wood Mackenzie’s maritime data capabilities and the real-world needs of shipowners, charterers, brokers, ports, and technology providers. His work centers on building commercially relevant partnerships that improve transparency, expand insight, and support better decision-making across the shipping ecosystem.

Before joining Wood Mackenzie, Christopher was a Principal Product Manager at Veson Nautical, where he worked on SaaS solutions used by operators and traders around the world. His focus was on improving workflow efficiency and supporting stronger commercial outcomes through practical, user-centered tools. That experience reinforced a simple principle: technology delivers value only when it aligns with how the industry actually works. Adoption depends less on innovation alone and more on whether solutions address real operational challenges and fit within existing incentive structures.

In addition to his professional role, Christopher is the host and creator of “The Last Dinosaur,” an award-winning podcast that explores maritime shipping in the digital age. Through conversations with industry leaders, founders, regulators, and operators, the podcast examines topics such as decarbonization, digital risk, market structure, AI adoption, and workforce development. The platform has become a space for thoughtful discussion about how shipping is responding to regulatory pressure, evolving commercial dynamics, and rapid technological change.

Across his work, a consistent theme has emerged. The maritime industry does not lack tools or ideas. The greater challenge is alignment between incentives, accountability, and execution. Whether the issue is emissions compliance, cybersecurity, or data transparency, progress tends to accelerate when responsibilities are clear and measurable outcomes are defined. Christopher’s career reflects a focus on practical collaboration and informed dialogue to help the industry navigate change with realism and discipline.