Perspectives for a robust port-city relationship

Inés REY GARCIA

Alcaldesa

AYUNTAMIENTO DE A CORUNA

With a degree in Law and a Master's in Advocacy from the University of A Coruña (UDC), Inés Rey García (A Coruña, 1982) has been mayor of her hometown since 2019 and was re-elected in 2023. She is the first woman to hold this position in A Coruña since the transition to democracy.

Her political career began in her youth, with active participation in the university student movement, where she obtained the highest electoral support as a student representative. In 2003, at the age of just 21, she ran for municipal elections for the first time. Later, in 2011, she was a candidate for the Senate as number two on her party's list.

After practicing law for more than a decade, in 2018 she ran in the primaries for mayor of A Coruña. Since then, she has led the municipal government with a firm commitment to social progress, equality, and urban sustainability.

Since September 2023, she has also held the position of First Vice President of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP), forming part of the entity's first leadership team headed entirely by female mayors. She also chairs the European network ‘Atlantic Cities’, which brings together Atlantic cities committed to territorial development and international cooperation.

 

Inés Rey is currently tackling the city's main strategic challenge: the second major modernization of A Coruña, focused on opening up the port and transforming its seafront. This process represents a historic opportunity to redefine the urban model of A Coruña, integrating sustainability, innovation, and social cohesion.

Olga FARMAN

Présidente Directrice Générale

ADMINISTRATION PORTUAIRE DE QUEBEC

Olga Farman was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the Port of Québec in February 2025. A lawyer specialized in corporate law, she previously served as Managing Partner, Québec Office at Norton Rose Fulbright, an international law firm that she joined in 2013, where she sat on the firm’s pan-Canadian Executive Committee.

Ms. Farman holds an LL.B and an MBA in Business Administration from Université Laval. She is a member of the Barreau du Québec, which awarded her the Advocatus Emeritus distinction in 2021.

Ms. Farman sits on the Board of Directors of LA Caisse, of the Beneva Group and its insurance subsidiaries, and chairs the Board of the Fondation du Musée de la civilisation. In addition to her expertise in legal and legislative affairs, she also specializes in ethics, intellectual property and corporate governance.

Her career has been recognized with numerous awards and honors, including the Hermès de carrière in 2024, the most prestigious distinction awarded by the Faculty of Business Administration at Université Laval, and the award from the 42nd edition of the AMBAQ MBA Gala. In 2023, she received the Grands Diplômés Award from Université Laval. In 2019, she was named one of the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada by the Women’s Executive Network (WXN). She is actively involved in the community being the co-initiator of the citizen movement Rêvons Québec 2050, honorary co-chair of the major fundraising campaign for the Brian-Mulroney Institute of International Affairs at Université Laval, launched in 2022, and has served as Co-chair of the Centraide (United Way) campaign for Québec and Chaudière-Appalaches in 2021. 

Johan KLAPS

President of the board Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Vice Mayor for Port and Economy City of Antwerp

PORT OF ANTWERP-BRUGES

Johan Klaps (1970) was born in Maaseik. He graduated as a translator English-Italian in Antwerp and completed his academic career with additional studies in International Politics. After his studies and a year working as a tour guide in the United States, he entered the banking and insurance sector, where he became the managing director of his own branches. In 2019, he began working as a consultant. He became Head of Direct Network at Ethias and launched a digital platform for circular building in Flanders.

His political career started in 2012, when he was elected city councilor for N-VA in Antwerp. From 2014 to 2018, he was active in federal politics as a member of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives. In October 2024, he was appointed Vice Mayor for the Port, Urban Development, Spatial Planning and Patrimony. Since January 2025, he has been serving as Vice Mayor for the Port and Economy, combining his policy vision with years of business experience.

Jean-Frédéric LAURENT

Délégué Général

UNION DES PORTS DE FRANCE

Moderator

Bruno DELSALLE

Directeur Général Coordination Gouvernance et Réseau adhérents

AIVP

Bruno Delsalle has devoted his professional life to the development of port cities and the recognition of their specific features and assets. In 1989, he played an active part in the launch of AIVP, which over the years has become the world's leading network for port cities on the theme of city-port issues and relations. Today, this network represents over a hundred port cities around the world, including Antwerp, Durban, Vancouver, Buenos Aires and Ningbo.
A maritime geographer and graduate of the Institut Portuaire d'Enseignement et de Recherche (IPER) in Le Havre with a specialisation in logistics and international trade, he is contributing to the gradual integration of the economic dimension into all AIVP international events.
Bruno Delsalle has taken part in numerous international conferences and events as a speaker, rapporteur and moderator. In 2014, he co-edited the book ‘Port City Governance’ published by the Sefacil Foundation.
In recent years, he has been actively involved with AIVP members in three innovative areas of work for port cities: marine renewable energies, industrial ecology and urban logistics. 
In December 2021, he was appointed Managing Director of AIVP by the AIVP Executive Board, chaired by Edouard Philippe.