Maria is the Head of Hull & Machinery Underwriting and has more than 20 years of experience in the marine insurance sector. She started her career as the Deputy Underwriter with the Hellenic Hull Mutual Association (HMA), later as Marine Insurance Broker and Head of the H&M Underwriting Department of Trinity Marine Services Ltd.

She holds a MSc in Education Graduate from the University of Edinburgh.

Despina is a Marine Insurance executive specializing in H&M, IV, War Risks, Kidnap & Ransom and ancillary (LOH, MII, CII etc.) covers. She is the head of the H&M department of Aries Marine Insurance Brokers and was part of the executive team who started with the company in 2009.
She was fortunate to combine her academic studies with work experience and has now been in the marine insurance business for almost 20 years working with well-established insurance companies and brokers internationally.
She has gained first-class experience in all aspects of Marine insurance working as Documentation Technician, Underwriting Assistant and Account Executive.
She was also one of the first professionals in the industry to gain insight into maritime security in conjunction with associated Marine Insurance, and an expert in the management of contract, insurance and legal related compliance issues.

Mrs Topaloglou is the founder and CEO of Orion International Brokers and Consultants. Ioanna Topaloglou is Greek but was born in Ankara, Turkey in 1951, and grew up in Iran.  She returned to Greece at the age of 12 where she completed her education.

She started her career in the Marine sector in 1970 and viewed shipping from the insurance side, the ship-owning side, and the broking side.  She has served as a General Manager of Allied Insurance Brokers in Piraeus for almost 20 years and in 2009 she established the Orion International Brokers and Consultants.  Orion deals with Marine Insurance and collaborates with all major international insurance markets worldwide.

Mrs Topaloglou is a member of the Chartered Insurance Institute in London, holding the title of Chartered Insurance Practitioner, a member of the Marine Insurance Brokers Association in Greece, a Member of the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce, and a Member of the Board of WISTA Hellas.