Meet the Team Driving Our Vision Forward

Our leadership team is composed of experienced professionals dedicated to steering the company toward excellence. Their combined expertise, innovative approach, and commitment to sustainability ensure that we remain at the forefront of the global dry bulk shipping industry.

Imtiaz Shaikh

Chairman
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Numair Shaikh

Chief Executive Officer
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THOMAS STJERNHOLM

Managing Director – Commercial
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CLAUS DAMKJAER

Director of Operations - Commercial
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TEJAS SHAH

Chief Financial Officer
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ADAM SHAIKH

Head of Sale & Purchase
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SHOAIB SEEDAT

General Counsel & Head of Projects
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Olga Tsoy

Group HR & Communications Manager
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MARIUM ULLAH SHAIKH

CSR Committee Chair
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KUNAL MITHANI

IT Manager
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meet our commercial team

Varun Bhaskaran

Senior Operations Manager
operations@tominichartering.com
+971 52 783 9917

Rene Govender

Operations Manager
operations@tominichartering.com
+971 52 868 8914

Alexandros Charavgis

Chartering Manager
chartering@tominichartering.com
+971 52 853 2433

Jacob Mygind

Chartering Manager
chartering@tominichartering.com
+971 52 796 3637

JOHANNA EMMANUELSSON

Assistant Chartering Manager
chartering@tominichartering.com
+971 58 239 0010

Vibha Sharma

Operations Controller
control@tominichartering.com
+971 52 814 3174

Mehak Sohail

Assistant Operations Manager
control@tominichartering.com
+971 52 7089 133

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Imtiaz shaikh

chairman

Imtiaz Shaikh is the founder of Tomini Group. He comes from a family whose roots are deeply embedded in the shipping industry, including his pioneering grandfather who set up the United Oriental Steamship Company in 1950.

Mr. Shaikh has been the driving force behind the success of Tomini Group, which over the last 40 years has owned more than 120 ships.

With his experience of over four decades in the shipping industry, Mr. Shaikh has become well known for his talents of forecasting trends in the shipping business. He believes his success is a result of his strategic thinking and keeping ‘risk to rewards’ as the basis for every decision.

 

During his career in shipping, Mr. Shaikh has built strong and well-established relationships among renowned charterers and traders. He has also provided the vision of diversification, while always upholding the principal values of the company. Under his leadership and vision for future growth, Tomini is entering an era of new build bulk carriers.

Whilst shipping is 90 percent of the family business, Tomini Group has also diversified its business over the years into other industries, including classic cars. With a passion for unique cars, Mr. Shaikh built a private collection of classic cars into a collection of over 100 cars, and established Tomini Classics in 2014. Today Tomini Classics is Dubai’s premier classic car showroom and gallery, the first and finest postwar classic car collection in the Middle East.

Mr. Shaikh is passionate about promoting access to education as well as supporting various humanitarian initiatives. Together with his family he supports a number of local and international charities. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Postgraduate Degree in shipping from the London School of Trade. In 2019, Mr. Shaikh was honored with the Outstanding Achievement Award in the Maritime Industry by The Maritime Standards.

Mr. Shaikh, who was born in Pakistan and has lived in the United Kingdom and Africa, has three children and lives with his family in Dubai.

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NUMAIR SHAIKH

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Numair, a fourth generation member of the Shaikh family, began his maritime career early spending summer apprenticeships with the Group, gaining exposure to commercial and technical ship management.

In 2016, Numair joined the Group as Head of Shipping and spearheaded Tomini’s evolution from a fleet of 7 to a modern and diversified 16 vessel fleet before his appointment as CEO of Tomini Group in 2021.

He is now leading the Group’s transformation from a shipping company to a diverse
multinational and multicultural business group.

Numair, together with his wife Marium, established Tomini’s Corporate Giving Program; reflecting their values that Tomini should be a force of positive action in the community. The Program invests in education supporting its power to address social inequalities and lift generations out of poverty.

Numair holds a BA in Economics. He is passionate about fitness and is a keen golfer. He lives with his wife in Dubai.

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THOMAS STJERNHOLM

MANAGING DIRECTOR – COMMERCIAL

Thomas Stjernholm is the Managing Director of Commercial at Tomini Group, with over 15 years of experience in chartering, business development, and commercial strategy within the maritime industry. He has held various leadership roles, driving business growth, streamlining operations, and fostering lasting client relationships across global markets. His expertise in navigating complex business environments and delivering innovative solutions has been pivotal to his success.

He holds an Executive Master’s Degree in Business Development from Copenhagen Business School. Currently based in Dubai, Thomas is focused on expanding Tomini’s commercial footprint and leading the continued growth of the company in the global market.

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CLAUS DAMKJAER

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS – COMMERCIAL

Claus Damkjaer is a seasoned shipping professional with over 30 years of expertise in dry bulk operations and strategic leadership. Known for his ability to streamline processes and mentor high-performing teams, Claus has a proven track record in the maritime industry.  

Claus has had a remarkable career, including 28 years at J. Lauritzen A/S, where he rose to the role of Vice President – Head of Global Operations. He later served as Team Leader at MUR Shipping for nearly seven years, managing critical operations and leading teams across diverse regions.

He holds an Academy Economist degree in International Business/Trade/Commerce from Copenhagen Business School, supported by a state-controlled examination at the Niels Brock School of International Business. He also earned a Bachelor’s in International Business from Slagelse Business College and completed an internal shipping education at J. Lauritzen A/S.

As Tomini Group’s Director of Operations – Commercial Division, Claus leverages his extensive experience to drive operational excellence and achieve strategic growth.

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TEJAS SHAH

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Tejas is a Chartered Accountant with over 20 years Financial Management experience. Appointed in 2017 as Chief Financial Officer of Tomini Group, he brings strong and extensive experience to the business as well as a new focus on business improvement. Since joining the Group, Tejas has kept our financial affairs in good order throughout the years providing wide ranging support during periods of development and growth. He is responsible for group strategic decision plans, financial accounting, cash and risk management and treasury operations. Tejas also delivers results through strong leadership, team building and change implementation.

Prior to joining the Group, Tejas worked as a Financial Controller with Topaz Energy and Marine in the UAE where he played a key role in corporate bond issues and private equity investments.

Tejas is a keen traveler and enjoys playing cricket, squash and golf. He lives with his family in Dubai.

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ADAM SHAIKH

HEAD OF SALE & PURCHASE

Adam is our strategic lead for the Sale & Purchase division, and is a fourth generation member of the Shaikh family. Over the last 5 years he has been instrumental in expansion of our fleet within best market standards. Always challenging established practice to seek out more effective ways to negotiate the sales and purchase terms through transparency and integrity, Adam’s team has achieved exemplary growth doubling our fleet in record time. His additional responsibility for overseeing Operations in Dubai has brought new perspectives that will shape our approach to further scaling our business in years to come.

Prior to joining the Group, Adam was an Intern at Braemar ACM (London) undertaking time on the Chartering and Sale & Purchase Desks. He holds a BA in Economics from the University of Sharjah and enjoys Weightlifting, Running, Cycling and Film Photography.

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SHOAIB SEEDAT

GENERAL COUNSEL & HEAD OF PROJECTS

A positive and proactive leader with a passion for developing people and teams, Shoaib has established an excellent reputation over his 15 years in the maritime industry.

Having joined Tomini in 2008 in the Projects team and as the in-house Legal Counsel since 2013; Shoaib has been involved in negotiating newbuilding and finance deals of the highest level and managing Tomini’s onsite team at the shipyard. Since 2017, Shoaib has held the role of Head of Legal, New Building & Projects. He brings a fresh perspective to any project and is an expert in producing alternative and cost-efficient solutions for all types of programmes from concept through to completion.

Shoaib is passionate about Technology, Smart Shipping and Sustainability in the maritime sector. He has successfully led the implementation of the technological advancements across Tomini’s fleet and back office support teams, which has had a lasting environmental benefit and a significant impact on cost control and revenue.

As a member of the Executive Leadership Team and the Board, Shoaib brings a practical outlook to strategic decision-making and retains an agile and flexible approach to the full spectrum of maritime services, whilst always ensuring the highest standards of safety and professionalism both on- and off-shore. In 2021, Shoaib was honoured with the Young Person in Shipping Award by The Maritime Standard.

Shoaib holds an LLB and LPC and is a keen golfer. Originally from the UK, he presently resides with his family in Dubai.

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OLGA TSOY

GROUP HR & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

Olga is a senior HR professional with over 13 years of experience managing HR at a strategic and operational level. She has successfully contributed to the success of organizations in the Construction, Professional Services, Hospitality, Manufacturing and Energy sectors. 

As Tomini’s Group HR & Communications Manager, Olga leads the Group’s global approach to human resources, with a focus on cultivating talent, building inclusive culture and driving change.

Olga and her team of dynamic HR professionals are dedicated to optimizing the talents, skills and expertise of the diverse Tomini workforce, supporting the colleagues to embrace the challenges and unlock their full potential.

Olga holds a Bachelor of Economics and is CIPD accredited. She is an avid reader with a keen interest in human and behavioral psychology. She is based in Dubai with her family.

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MARIUM ULLAH SHAIKH

CSR COMMITTEE CHAIR

Marium Ullah was appointed to the role of Executive Chair of the Tomini CSR Committee in 2021. A strong advocate for human rights, education and environment, Marium has been engaging in the various CSR projects and fundraising charity initiatives for over a decade both in the UK and UAE.

Earlier in her career, Marium spent 2 years working for a faith based international development charity focusing on a wide range of social programmes spanning human rights, community development, education and relieving poverty.

It’s been Marium’s long-standing aspiration to build her own CSR-focused platform through which she can address social concerns and make a practical impact. Over the last 2 years, Marium has formed the Group’s first CSR Committee and designed a corporate CSR framework that supports a number of charitable causes as well as Group-wide initiatives with a focus on education, poverty and environment. Under her expert leadership, the Group has formed strong relationships with international charities donating over USD3 MIllion towards various organisations and causes to date, and continues to make a positive impact on the local community through various environment-focused initiatives.

Originally from the United Kingdom, Marium is presently based with her family in Dubai. She holds a BSc in International Management (China) and has undertaken various courses in Global Development and Gender which widened her understanding of the political, economic and socio-cultural transformation in the Global South.

Marium has a keen interest in creativity and designer arts. She runs a small handmade embroidery and sewing business called Needle Town, dedicated to handmade accessories inspired by Pakistani culture.

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KUNAL MITHANI

IT MANAGER

Kunal joined the Group in 2018 bringing along with him 13 years of industry experience working with various Private, Governmental, and Semi-Governmental organizations across the UAE. 

As a Group IT Manager, he is successfully managing the entire IT infrastructure at the shore and onboard Tomini Fleet. Kunal has completed bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the field of Computer Science and Software Engineering and holds various accredited IT certifications including PMP, ISO 27001 Lead Auditor, CISSP, CEH, RHCSA, CCNA, MCITP, Etc.