Gunnar Louisa

2nd Secretary – CMAR Board of Directors 

After his studies Bachelor in Marketing in the Netherlands, Gunnar Louisa returned to his island of Curaçao to start his professional career. His first experience with the maritime sector was during the period that he was employed at the Department of Economic Affairs of the island Territory of Curaçao. In his role as Policy Advisor, he was responsible to support the initiatives of the government to develop a harbor policy for the island territory of Curaçao.

After getting the necessary experience in the government and also becoming Master in Accounting in the field of Public Controller, he started working for Curoil, the local distributor of fuel products. First, as assistant to the Managing Director responsible also for innovation, as Manager ad Interim for Curgas and Curoil Bonaire and finally as Service and Market Developer for Curoil Group. A position he holds till this day.

However, during his work at Curoil, he was asked in November 2015 to advise the Minister of Economic Development for a period of 10 months. During this period, he was responsible for the conclusion of a new concession agreement between CPA and CPS which resulted in the investments of among others the two container cranes. Furthermore, he was involved in resolving the obstacles for the construction of the second Mega Pier. Finally, he was also responsible during this period in supporting, on behalf of the Minister of Economic Development, the committee with the task to negotiate with Damen Shipyard the acquisition of the local Shipyard.

After the election of 2017, he was asked again by the then the Prime Minister of Curaçao to join his team as his “Chef de Cabinet”. During this period, from 2017 till 2021, he was responsible among other things for the formulation of a growth strategy for the island of Curaçao, (Groeistrategie) where attention was given to the development of the maritime sector, primarily focused on the development of areas around the ports of Schottegat and Bullenbaai. Finally, he was involved in the coordination of the government entities Curaçao Ports Authority, CDM Holding and Refineria di Kòrsou for the formulation of a Port Master Plan under the guidance of the Port of Rotterdam.

In June 2021 after five and a half years, he is back at Curoil primarily involved in the formulation of a strategy for Curoil to become more “Clean and Green”. A ‘gamechanger’ that he is working on at the moment with different stakeholders in the harbor, is the possibility to develop green carriers for the export and the development of a multi industrial complex in the harbor of Emmastad and Bullenbaai.

A professional that knows government and government entities, but more importantly can think out of the box and get things done, sometimes in an unorthodox way. He is therefore pleased to join the Board of CMAR.