The Journal of Commerce Editorial Team

The Journal of Commerce’s editors, analysts, and correspondents bring deep connections, a wide range of institutional knowledge, and a talent for data analysis to their daily feet-on-the-ground reporting.

Editorial Staff   •   Correspondents   •   Analysts

Journal of Commerce Editorial Staff

Michael Angell, Senior Editor mail            

Michael Angell is an associate editor for the Journal of Commerce, responsible for coverage of Northeast and Gulf Coast ports. He has covered transportation and logistics since 2015, as a US correspondent for TradeWinds and as an editor for FreightWaves. He broke the story about 18 seafarers being stranded on a ship in Baltimore Harbor, which was later picked up by The Washington Post among other media, the subsequent bankruptcy of the ship’s owner, and the seizure of its fleet by the owner’s lenders. His other reporting experience includes Law360, Oil Price Information Service, FactSet and Investor’s Business Daily. He has an undergraduate degree in American literature and studies from the University of California, Los Angeles, and has completed a graduate-level business studies program at Columbia University.

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor mail             

Ari Ashe has more than a decade of journalism experience working in the busy newsrooms of Washington, DC. He earned two bachelor’s degrees at George Washington University and a master’s in broadcast journalism from Syracuse University. In 2006, he began his career with WTOP-FM in Washington, DC, a 24/7 all-news radio outlet. Beginning as a producer, he was the commuter transportation beat reporter from 2012 through 2015. He won an Edward R. Murrow Award for investigative journalism during the three-year stretch. In 2016, Ashe moved over to covering commercial transportation for Transport Topics, a publication of the American Trucking Associations, covering the business of trucking, railroads, and ocean carriers, including quarterly earnings reports and economic news affecting the industry. He joined the Journal of Commerce in 2018 and reports on the Southeast US ports, intermodal, and trucking.

Chris Brooks, Executive Director mail            

Chris Brooks leads the Journal of Commerce Events programs, including TPM and the Breakbulk & Project Cargo and Inland Distribution conferences, and works closely with the online team focusing on JOC.com and the Journal of Commerce. A 30-year company veteran, his career has spanned every aspect of the editorial operation, from copy and front-line editing to design, reporting, and overseeing numerous websites. From 2008 through 2017, he managed the day-to-day editorial operation, including its team of award-winning journalists. He now leads the programming teams for nine annual Journal of Commerce events, including TPM, TPM Asia, Container Trade Europe, and the Inland Distribution, Gulf Shipping, and Port Performance North America conferences. Brooks also oversees the Journal of Commerce's editorially driven series of webcasts. He holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Lock Haven University in Lock Haven, Pa.

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking mail             

Bill Cassidy is Senior Editor, Trucking at the Journal of Commerce, and his news and analysis of this area are included in the JOC.com, the Journal of Commerce, and Journal of Commerce Events. He joined the publication in 2009, after 13 years at Traffic World magazine where he served as Executive Editor, Managing Editor, and Associate Editor. Based in Washington, DC, Cassidy has been reporting on trucking since 1984, when he joined Fleet Owner magazine in New York. He has also covered logistics management and supply-chain technology, the rail and maritime industries, Congress, and federal agencies. Cassidy regularly speaks at industry events.

Carly Fields, Associate Editor, Project and Heavy-Lift mail

Carly Fields is Associate Editor for Project and Heavy-Lift at the Journal of Commerce and JOC.com, covering breakbulk, project and heavy-lift transport and logistics. Based in the UK, she is a specialist maritime editor, overseeing publications including Shipping Network, The Sea and Marine Professional in addition to her responsibilities at the Journal of Commerce. She was previously an editor at Breakbulk magazine and has been reporting on the breakbulk sector since 2015. She started her maritime journalism career at daily maritime newspaper Lloyd’s List in 2000.
Fields holds a first class Maritime Studies degree and is an assistant examiner for professional shipping exams through the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, of which she is a Fellow. Through the Seahorse Freight Association, she is also a judge for excellence in journalism in the transport industry.

Laura Robb, Associate Editor, Americas Container Markets mail  

Laura Robb is an editor at S&P’s Journal of Commerce, covering container freight market fundamentals and related topics, such as supply chain diversification, vessel supply and consumer demand. Before joining the JOC, Laura covered container markets as a senior price reporter for two years at S&P Global Commodity Insights. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, but now resides in Houston. Prior to her work at S&P, Laura worked in print journalism and radio for several years, but also gained experience in imports and sourcing. She has had her work published in several business journals and has spoken at numerous industry events and webinars.

Eric Johnson, Senior Editor, Technology mail            

Eric Johnson is the Journal of Commerce's Senior Editor, Technology, where he leads coverage and analysis of technology’s impact on global logistics and trade. Johnson regularly reports on how shippers, carriers across all modes, and logistics companies use software, as well as new concepts impacting core freight transportation processes like procurement, execution, visibility, and payment. Johnson is a regular presenter and moderator at industry events and webinars. Prior to joining the Journal of Commerce in May 2018, Johnson spent 13 years with American Shipper in a variety of roles, most recently covering logistics technology and leading the production of a series of benchmark studies on the logistics industry. Johnson has a bachelor’s in journalism from the University of Wisconsin and a master’s in international business from the University of Leeds, UK. He has lived and worked in Southern California, the UK, and India, and now resides in the Washington, DC, area.

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor, Europe mail            

Greg Knowler is Senior Europe Editor at the Journal of Commerce, based in the London. His coverage spans transportation and logistics issues in Europe and the Asia-Pacific for JOC.com and the Journal of Commerce's biweekly magazine, chairs the annual Container Trade Europe Conference in Hamburg, and co-chairs TPM Asia in Shenzhen, China, both organized by Journal of Commerce Events. After 11 years as a reporter and editor for several daily newspapers in Durban, South Africa, he moved to Hong Kong in 2000 to join the South China Morning Post sports department before becoming editor of Cargonews Asia, a regional logistics magazine. He joined the Journal of Commerce in 2014. A South African native, he moderates at industry conferences and shipper round tables while bringing context to the news coverage and analysis crucial for shippers in Europe and the Asia-Pacific.

Marcin Lejk, Data Hub Manager mail       

Marcin Lejk, Data Analyst at the Journal of Commerce, maintains a large and diverse data set that allows him to draw on his extensive data visualization skills. He is a former Derivatives Data Analyst at Refinitiv, a joint venture of Blackstone Group and the Thomson Reuters company. Marcin’s role is to collect, create, and analyze multiple charts for inclusion in Journal of Commerce stories. Marcin’s data can either drive the story, or provide extra critical context to readers. He is responsible for day-to-day data sourcing, analysis, and special reports for the Journal of Commerce editorial staff, and he works constantly to expand the Journal of Commerce's collection of data to enhance Journal of Commerce dashboards and find new opportunities for original, data-driven content.

Benjamin S. Meyer, Managing Editor mail             

Ben Meyer is managing editor at the Journal of Commerce, responsible for the editing and production of all news, analysis, commentaries, and related content appearing in the Journal of Commerce's biweekly magazine, on JOC.com, and in the publication’s daily newsletter. Prior to joining the Journal of Commerce, Meyer spent nine years with American Shipper, most recently serving as head editor. An expert in the container shipping industry, Meyer has written and edited pieces ranging from short news items to long-form magazine stories, custom research reports, and white papers, and has participated in several industry conferences, webinars, and podcasts, both as a moderator and a subject matter expert. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy, with a focus on language and modern ethics, from The American University in Washington, DC.

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor, Trans-Pacific mail             

Bill Mongelluzzo is Senior Editor, Trans-Pacific at the Journal of Commerce, based in Long Beach, Calif. He is responsible for coverage of the trans-Pacific trades, West Coast labor issues, harbor trucking, West Coast ports, and marine terminal productivity for JOC.com, the Journal of Commerce magazine, and Journal of Commerce Events, and chairs the annual Port Performance North America Conference. Mongelluzzo joined the Journal of Commerce in 1980 as New Orleans correspondent. He moved to Long Beach in 1985 and opened the Los Angeles-Long Beach bureau. He served as maritime editor in New York in 1992-93 and returned to Southern California in August 1993. Mongelluzzo began his journalism career in 1972 as a reporter with The Times-Picayune in New Orleans. He is a native of Chicago and holds a bachelor's in journalism from the University of Missouri and a master's in history from the University of New Orleans.

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, Breakbulk and Heavy Lift mail             

Janet Nodar is Senior Editor for Project and Heavy-Lift at the Journal of Commerce, covering breakbulk, project and heavy-lift transport. She is based on the U.S. Gulf Coast. She was a reporter and editor for the Journal of Commerce's Gulf Shipper and Breakbulk publications from 2006–13. From 2013–18 she was Content Director with Breakbulk Events & Media. She holds degrees in finance and English.

Susan Oatway FICS, Senior Research Analyst, Breakbulk and Project Cargo mail     

Susan Oatway joined the Journal of Commerce by S&P Global Inc in January 2023 as senior research analyst for multipurpose and project shipping. Her focus is on the multipurpose, breakbulk, project cargo, and related shipping markets, including roll-on, roll-off and refrigerated shipping.

Oatway began her career with P&O Bulk Shipping in 1989 and progressed through a variety of senior planning and commercial roles before joining Drewry Shipping Consultants' dry bulk shipping team in 1997. In addition to serving as Drewry's principal breakbulk and multipurpose analyst since 2004, she co-authored Drewry’s regular reefer shipping report and also worked as a maritime consultant, providing analysis for shipping companies, financial institutions, and other institutional clients during her career in the maritime industry. She holds a BSc in Combined Sciences and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers.

Ariane Herrera, Senior Associate Editor of Special Projects mail       

Ariane Pepsin is the Senior Associate Editor of Special Projects for the Journal of Commerce. She is responsible for supporting sales efforts for editorial product and providing editorial and project management support for sales marketing collateral and Journal of Commerce custom content products. Prior to this role, Ariane served as a content management specialist for JOC.com. Before joining the Journal of Commerce, she held an editorial and product development role at a management consulting company. Ariane holds a bachelor’s in journalism from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pa., and currently resides in Houston.

Cathy Morrow Roberson, Analyst, Air Cargo and Parcel mail             

Cathy Roberson joined the Journal of Commerce in July 2020 and covers parcel, air cargo, and last-mile and reverse logistics. Based in Atlanta, she is also founder and head analyst for Logistics Trends & Insights, which provides customized logistics research and consulting services utilizing a global network of trusted and experienced analysts. Services include white papers, reports, surveys, case studies, and more. Roberson has more than 15 years of experience in the logistics market, including 10 years with UPS supply chain and several years with specialized consulting firms. In addition to being quoted in numerous publications, Roberson has published numerous articles in various business and logistics publications and speaks regularly at industry events.

Kevin Saville, Managing Editor mail            

Kevin Saville is Managing Editor at the Journal of Commerce, responsible for editing and production of news, analysis, commentaries, and related content appearing on JOC.com and in the publication’s daily newsletter. Prior to joining the Journal of Commerce, Saville spent almost 22 years with S&P Global Platts, most recently serving as Director of Global Content Editing and Quality. He spent 13 of those years covering OPEC, reporting from the cartel’s meetings in Europe, South America, Africa, and the Middle East. Saville’s analysis on OPEC and oil markets has been quoted in mainstream media such as New York’s Newsday, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Associated Press, while he’s appeared on CNBC, PBS’s Nightly Business Report, and Reuters TV. A New York native, Saville holds a bachelor of arts degree in Communication and Political Science from Canisius College in Buffalo, NY.

Mark Szakonyi, Executive Editor mail            

Mark Szakonyi leads the Journal of Commerce’s editorial team of more than a dozen editors and correspondents in providing business-critical and data-heavy business intelligence and analysis. Szakonyi oversees the Journal of Commerce magazine’s 100-plus special reports a year, including the Annual Review and Outlook and Top 100 Importers and Exporters issues. He supports all Journal of Commerce events, including TPM and the Inland Distribution Conference. His analysis and work have been quoted in general business news media including the BBC, Bloomberg, The Economist, NPR, and USA Today.

Peter Tirschwell, Vice President mail             

Peter Tirschwell is Vice President, Maritime, Trade & Supply Chain, which provides a range of data and analytics and intelligence capabilities. He is responsible for all content appearing in Journal of Commerce publications, websites, events, and other products. A career shipping and transportation journalist, Peter has been a reporter, West Coast bureau chief, editor-in-chief, and publisher of the Journal of Commerce in his 30-plus-year career with the company beginning in 1992. He is the founder and chair of the annual TPM conference in Long Beach, Calif., the world’s largest container shipping conference. He writes a regular column in the Journal of Commerce print magazine and website covering a range of international logistics topics. He speaks regularly at industry events and has been quoted in mainstream business media including the BBC, The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, and The New York Times. He lives in Brooklyn with his family.

Journal of Commerce Correspondents

Bency Mathew (India)     

Peter Shaw (Middle East)     

Keith Wallis (Asia)

Autumn Cafiero Giusti (Project, Breakbulk and Heavy-lift)   

Journal of Commerce Analysts AND COMMENTATORS 

Larry Gross         

Larry Gross, a 42-year veteran of the freight transportation sector, is president and founder of Gross Transportation Consulting of Durango, Col., an independent consulting practice specializing in freight transportation matters. As an acknowledged expert on the intermodal sector, Larry is quoted often in the press and makes frequent appearances before the transportation community, including the “Intermodal Analyzed” webinar series for the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA). He produces Intermodal in Depth, a monthly analytical report on the intermodal sector, and authors a monthly column for the Journal of Commerce. He has played a key role in the creation of educational content for students studying supply chain management as the author of numerous business case studies, many of which have been used over the years in the “IANA Academic Challenge” competition.

Lars Jensen     

Lars Jensen is CEO of Vespucci Maritime and is an analyst and thought leader providing expert assistance in strategic decision-making and analysis in the wider container shipping industry. Lars has 21 years of experience from inside the container shipping industry, spending the last 11 years as an independent analyst and consultant for carriers, shippers, ports, maritime technology firms, and financial institutions. Lars is the author of the 2017 book Liner Shipping 2025, which to a significant degree predicted many of the changes currently gathering pace in the industry and how carriers, terminals, ports, shippers and forwards should navigate these changes to emerge successfully. He is also cofounder of LinerGame, providing innovative training and team-building in the liner shipping industry, with more than 100 sessions held in the past seven years across 20 countries on three continents.

Jason Miller     

Jason Miller is an associate professor of supply chain management at Michigan State University's Eli Broad College of Business. He specializes in synthesizing economic data to inform freight industry practitioners about future market conditions. He teaches graduate-level courses on distribution fulfillment and integrated logistics systems. In addition to his industry-focused writing, he has published over 40 peer-reviewed academic articles on various topics including transportation, retailing, research methodology, and statistics.

JEREMY MASTERS   

Jeremy Masters is managing director of Shipping Masters Hong Kong, a consultancy for ports, beneficial cargo owners and non-vessel operating common carriers. He spent a large part of his more than four decades in the container shipping industry working in senior trade and regional positions for ocean carriers, as well as general management and procurement for NVOs. He is intimately familiar with the evolution of containerized shipping and offers perspective on how some of today’s issues have developed. Active daily with ocean carriers both as a front-line client and supplier he has a ring side view of the tussle between carriers, their clients and their suppliers and the ways those interactions can be most productive.