APL executive named to SF Marine Exchange board

APL executive named to SF Marine Exchange board California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has appointed Julio Soares, APL's director of marine operations in the Americas, to the San Francisco Bay Region Marine Exchange board of directors.
   It is the second major maritime appointment in the past two years for Soares, a former containership captain in the Asian trades.
   The 20-member Marine Exchange oversees the nonprofit organization, which collects, analyzes and distributes shipping information in the Bay Area region. The Marine Exchange, the oldest U.S. maritime service, also works with the U.S. Coast Guard to operate the region's Vessel Traffic Service. The VTS operates as the 'air traffic controllers' for maritime traffic moving in and out of the San Francisco Bay and adjacent waters.
   A 23-year APL veteran, Soares has served in his current position since 1995, with operational responsibility for APL's container fleet calling at ports in North, Central and South America. He previously was APL's manager of fleet and logistics in Hong Kong from 1990 to 1995, country manager of India Operations from 1988 to 1990, country manager of Sri Lanka Operations from 1986 to 1988, and manager of West Asia Operations from 1983 to 1986.
   With its North American headquarters in Oakland, Calif., APL is a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore-based Neptune Orient Lines.
   In 2006, Schwarzenegger appointed Soares to the Board of Pilot Commissioners for San Francisco, San Pablo and Suisun Bays. The board is responsible for oversight of the locally-based harbor pilots that assist vessels moving in and out of the Bay Area waters.