Gerhard GUSSMAG Managing Director Rhenus Donauhafen Krems GmbH & Co KG Member Danube Ports Network’s Advisory Group

Gerhard Gussmagg was born August 29, 1975 in St. Pölten, Austria. He studied International Economics at the University of Vienna, and spent half a year in France and several months in UK. From 2001 to 2010, he worked for via donau in Vienna, being head of team transport development and involved in numerous EU-projects in the field of Danube transport and port development. Begin of 2011, he joined the private port operator Mierka Donauhafen Krems GmbH & Co KG as head of Business Development, realising logistics solutions with key accounts in industry and trade.

In November 2016, Gerhard Gussmagg became managing director together with Mr. Hubert Mierka (49% shareholder). When Mr. Mierka left the group in February 2018, the company was renamed into Rhenus Donauhafen Krems GmbH & Co KG. Gerhard Gussmagg is responsible for 50 employees in Krems, handling about 1.5 million tons of cargo per year between ship, truck and rail. The Rhenus Group is a logistics services provider with global business operations and annual turnover of EUR 4.8 billion. Rhenus has business sites at over 610 locations worldwide and employs more than 29,000 people.

Since February 2019, Gerhard Gussmagg serves as a member of the Danube Ports Network’s Advisory Group.

Mathias VON TUCHER General Director Danube Logistics SRL Giurgiulesti International Free Port Member Danube Ports Network’s Advisory Group

Dr. Mathias von Tucher is the General Director of Danube Logistics SRL – the operator of Giurgiulesti International Free Port. Having served in managerial positions with Danube Logistics SRL for more than five years, Mathias von Tucher was promoted to the position of general director in March 2019. Before joining Danube Logistics SRL he has been the managing director of a major German engineering company and served in several managerial positions of BMW Group. Mathias von Tucher’s educational background includes a doctorate in business administration and economic geography, which he earned with distinction from the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich.

Alexandru CRĂCIUN Head of Governmental Affairs DP World Constanța Member Danube Ports Network’s Advisory Group

Alexandru Crăciun is Head of Governmental Affairs for DP World in Romania – a key role dedicated to achieving  strategic country wide objectives, by focusing on mutually beneficial relationships with governmental entities, trade associations and other stakeholders along the global supply chain – relationships built on a foundation of mutual trust and enduring partnership.

Previously, Alexandru Crăciun had almost 15 years of experience in management positions in Port of Constanţa and participating in international projects targeting the development of various transport corridors between different regions of the world. He is currently the Commercial Director of Port of Constanţa Administration. Alex graduated economics, he holds an EMBA degree from ASEBUSS and Kennesaw State University and he also has a Ph.D. in International Economics from the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest.

He is also a member of Intermodal and Logistics Committee of European Sea Ports Organization and a member of the board of Romanian Intermodal Association, an NGO that is integrated in the European Shortsea Network.

Since 2021, Alexandru Crăciun serves as a member of the Danube Ports Network’s Advisory Group.

Captain Béla SZALMA President Hungarian Federation of Danube Ports Director Centroport Ltd. Chairman Danube Ports Network’s Advisory Group

Captain Béla SZALMA is a well reputed member of the shipping and port community in the Danube Region and beyond. A native of Budapest, Bela has dedicated his entire professional life to ports, shipping, and logistics affairs. He has more than 13 years’ experience at sea, where he started in 1980 as a deck boy -- later to become a deck officer and master mariner. He received his Master mariner licence in 1990.

Since 1992, he has been at the helm of major international freight forwarding and logistics companies e.g. Dunaferr Portolan Ltd, Plimsoll Ltd, Centroport Ltd. etc. In this capacity, as of 2004, he has been involved and contributed to many EU-funded projects in the field of inland navigation and ports. Since 2012, Capt. Szalma has been the President of the Hungarian Federation of Danube Ports. Since February 2019, he serves as the Chairman of the Danube Ports Network’s Advisory Group.

Béla graduated in 1980 from the University of Technology in Budapest, Faculty of Transportation, specialising in maritime transport, and later in 1992 from the Budapest Business School College of International Management and Business where he specialised in Forwarding & Logistics. He is a certified expert in port operations and logistics, merchant marine, yachting and transport engineering. He has been serving as President on the Board of State Examination at Business School Budapest (International College of Management), and holds teaching and academic positions at the BME University of Technology/Department of Aircraft and Ships, the BGE Business School and the Shipping Academy in Budapest.