Our Team

Our Team

Meet our team of maritime
leadership experts

Meet our team of maritime leadership experts

Michael Weidner

Taking care of team

Michael H. Weidner is a seasoned entrepreneur, author, and keynote speaker with over 25 years of experience as a world-class facilitator. As the founder of successful businesses, he excels at building effective teams and cultures globally.

Michael is particularly experienced in designing experiential processes for engaging leadership training and workshops, adding a dynamic and immersive dimension to his expertise.

He has delivered impactful workshops for major companies on strategic projects for a range of 500 companies globally, covering diverse topics ranging from strategy to M&A processes. Beyond his professional achievements, Michael is an arctic explorer and adventurer, renowned for his expeditions in the Northern Arctic, including a remarkable 2000-mile canoe journey. Featured in a BBC series, “Rice, Beans, and Biting Flies,” his adventures showcase a passion for the wild and the natural world.

Lars Rosenkrands

Taking care of business

Lars Rosenkrands is a leader, entrepreneur and advisor with more than three decades of broad, professional experience within leading global companies, start-ups and investors in the shipping & maritime services industry, across Asia, Middle East and Europe.

Combining C-level leadership experience of maritime service and tech businesses with a track record of developing and executing go-to-market strategy, Lars combines strategic vision with practical leadership experience. This life experience has provided him with a deep understanding of the value of good leadership in building high performing businesses.

Lars has founded and lead shipping agency and tech businesses and has developed buy-out opportunities in the sector. He acts as advisor to maritime and tech companies in Singapore and beyond, sharing his own entrepreneurial experience with other founders.

Lars resides in Singapore with his family. He graduated from the A.P. Moller – Maersk Shipping Academy in Copenhagen and is a graduate of INSEAD’s Advanced Management Programme.

Lene Simonnes

Taking care of services

Lene Simonnes is a skilled learning and development facilitator and an experienced business coach with significant international experience.

At Marine Performer, she designs and facilitates experiential learning journeys for maritime leaders and acts as engagement lead for key accounts to support the development and implementation of business-critical capabilities.

Lene has been guiding leaders, teams, and organisations through change and development processes and programmes for 25 years. As a management consultant and business coach, she has worked with large corporations, SMEs, start-ups, and agile teams, supporting executives, managers and teams through business transformations, operational excellence initiatives and product development processes. Her industry experience includes management consulting, maritime, energy, technology, equipment manufacturing and marine supply management.

Lene has a Master’s degree in Economics and Business Administration with a specialisation in Organisational Management and Leadership. She is a certified SAFe Agilist and Scrum Master and a trained B Leader.

Mary Acena

Taking care of projects

Mary is a seasoned professional with a strong background in banking, finance, and business administration. With experience as an Assistant Manager in an international finance house, she has developed expertise in financial management, operations, and executive support.

Currently pursuing a Master’s in Business Administration, Mary is committed to continuous professional growth and strategic leadership. She has worked as a Financial Analyst, specializing in data-driven insights and financial forecasting, as well as a Bookkeeper, ensuring accurate record-keeping and financial compliance. Additionally, her skills as a Business Coordinator and Executive Assistant allow her to streamline operations and enhance organizational efficiency.

Beyond technical expertise, Mary is highly adaptable and tech-savvy, bringing a strategic mindset to every role. With a passion for financial accuracy, organization, and operational excellence, she thrives in fast-paced environments, delivering results that drive business success.

Siri Tomte

Taking care of money

Siri Tomte is a dynamic marketing professional with a proven track record in sales, marketing, and relationship building.

She excels at identifying opportunities and implementing comprehensive solutions within change processes, demonstrating a sharp focus on budget and results.

In her current role at Marine Performer AS since 2015, Siri oversees administration and finance, establishing new routines, and ensuring meticulous customer and trainer follow-up.

Vicky Ng

Taking care of clients

Vicky Ng, a seasoned global corporate educator, has left an indelible mark on the industry through over 500 workshops and webinars conducted worldwide. Currently serving as Key Account Manager for Marine Performer AS in Norway, Vicky specialises in crafting customised training programmes and consulting on leadership and employee development.

Her journey includes impactful roles at CSMART and Carnival Cruise Lines, showcasing her prowess in managing change and training initiatives.

Vicky’s commitment extends beyond the professional realm. She actively engages in volunteer work, serving as a parent council representative and contributing to various community initiatives.

Alan Brown

Senior Instructor

Alan Brown is a dynamic professional coach and consultant with a wealth of international experience across various industries.

Starting as a trainee accountant in 1980, Alan’s career evolved into roles like internal auditor and divisional quality manager at Standard Life Assurance Company. In 1998, he founded Alan Brown Consulting, offering leadership development programmes to clients like Centrica plc, Motorola, and Barclays Bank.

After joining Satellite Consultancy Ltd. in 2002 as a consultant, Alan excelled in facilitating programmes for major companies like BlackRock, BP plc, and BT. His expertise extends to coaching on the UK Government’s “Top Manager Programme” and designing bespoke executive management team development.

Alan holds professional qualifications, including ACIS, ASOC CIPD, and AIC, along with a Diploma for Professional Coaches and Mentors. Besides work, his interests include golf, tennis, rugby, yoga, walking, and photography.

Barbara Drastik Deforges

Senior Instructor

Barbara Drastik Deforges is a highly experienced professional coach and training consultant based in Carpentras, France, with a remarkable 30-year career. Passionate about leadership development and executive coaching, Barbara specialises in experiential learning to drive behaviour change.

She has designed and delivered training programmes globally for large organisations, covering diverse areas such as leadership, intercultural communication, diversity and inclusion, change management, sales, and customer experience.

Barbara actively contributes to qualitative data analysis, facilitates team coaching, and supports the career development of students at EDHEC Business School. With a multicultural background, she is bilingual in French and German, fluent in English, speaks Italian and Spanish, and has worked in over 20 countries across three continents.

Certified in coaching, Gestalt therapy, Ericksson hypnosis, and NLP and familiar with various assessment tools, Barbara holds a Master’s in translation and interpretation from the Université des Sciences Humaines in Strasbourg. Prior to her independent coaching career, she served as a sales manager and head of a training team at Deutsch Aktiv in Strasbourg.

Gyongyi Bottas

Senior Instructor

Gyongyi is a very energetic and dynamic international hospitality and cruise industry professional with 25 years of experience who has worked and lived in 8 different countries: England, the USA, Croatia, Bahrain, Dubai, the Maldives, Switzerland, and Hungary.

She has a great understanding of cultural and generational differences; she can easily identify gaps and the root causes of organisational structure and operational strategy and create the most suitable learning programme. During her training sessions, she can equip leaders with new skills and techniques to increase productivity, motivation, and happiness at work by using her direct communication psychology concept.

We are pleased to have her join us at CSmart with Marine Performer.

Ian Wheeler

Senior Instructor

Ian Wheeler is a seasoned executive consultant and coach specialising in supporting leaders during transitions. With a collaborative and client-centric approach, he partners with global organisations to boost leadership capability and drive measurable business performance improvements.

In a career spanning significant milestones, Ian spent eight years as Group Marketing Manager at the Boots Company and ten years in strategy and marketing consulting with Baker Tilly and Smith & Williamson. He brings diverse experience in leadership development, having worked with mid- to senior-level leaders in organisations such as Swiss Re, BP, Deutsche Bank, and Accenture.

Ian holds a degree in economics and law from Birmingham University and is based in London.

Louise Grinsdale

Senior Instructor

Louise Grinsdale is an international coach, facilitator, and consultant with a wealth of experience across diverse sectors, including financial services, manufacturing, luxury retail, and government. With a focus on developing leadership behaviours, Louise works on designing and delivering leadership development solutions, facilitating teams, and providing one-on-one coaching.

Her career spans over 20 years in a global FTSE100 Financial services organisation, holding strategic roles in HR disciplines like talent and performance management. Beyond corporate roles, Louise freelanced with Korn/Ferry International and lectured at the University of East Anglia. She also led international expedition-style leadership coaching programmes in Namibia.

Described as insightful, engaging, supportive, and challenging, Louise holds a Diploma in Professional Coaching & Mentoring from Oxford Brookes University and certifications in various tools like the Myers Briggs Type Indicator and Neuro Linguistic Programming.

Paul Schrijnen

Senior Instructor

Paul Schrijnen, a Dutch-British professional based in London, is a seasoned management consultant specialising in leadership development and change management.

Managing an independent consulting practice since 1992, Paul has an impressive portfolio of projects, including leadership development programmes for global companies such as Amgen, GSK, and J&J.

His expertise extends to facilitating change management initiatives and conducting workshops worldwide.

Simon Cartwright

Senior Instructor

Simon Cartwright, a director with 23 years of experience as an independent facilitator, combines energetic delivery with practical interventions. With a strong focus on senior management, Simon has worked across diverse sectors, including insurance, technology, pharmaceuticals, and more, with clients like B.P., Barclays, and Johnson & Johnson.

As a recognised facilitator, designer, and coach, Simon has developed and delivered leadership programmes, notably the Leadership Pipeline concept for the King Fisher Group, resulting in significant performance gains and promotions. He is an associate trainer with Korn Ferry, Hemsley Fraser, and Human Synergistics, and a member of the British Psychological Society. Simon’s global reach spans Asia, Africa, and the U.S., reflecting his commitment to delivering impactful interventions worldwide.

Connect with Simon for leadership, management, coaching, and interpersonal communication expertise.

Let’s put together a customised training solution for your organisation.