Management Team

Dereck Wate is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in Delaware, USA, and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). With more than 20 years of experience across the shipping, oil and gas, lubricants, aviation, and business planning sectors, he brings extensive financial and leadership expertise to the organization.

Dereck began his career in the lubricants industry with Caltex (now ChevronTexaco) before joining Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC), where he worked in aviation and business planning roles. These early experiences provided him with a strong foundation in financial management, strategic planning, and operational excellence.

In 2004, Dereck joined GEM as Finance Manager and quickly established himself as a key contributor to the company's growth and development. In August 2007, he was appointed Head of Finance by the Board of Directors. Over the following two decades, he worked closely with the Board to develop and implement the company's strategic vision, helping to achieve the financial objectives of its shareholders and supporting the long-term growth of the business. Following the acquisition of the company by new shareholders in January 2024, Dereck was appointed Interim Chief Executive Officer, assuming responsibility for leading the business through a period of transition and transformation. In March 2025, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer on a full-time basis.

As CEO, Dereck continues to focus on driving sustainable growth, operational excellence, and value creation for shareholders while positioning the company for long-term success.

Md Lutful Bari is a BEng Marine Engineer by profession and holds a First-Class Engineer's Certificate of Competency.

He began his seagoing career in 1989 on general cargo and tanker vessels and became chief engineer in 1996. He moved ashore in 2001, worked as a technical superintendent with ship owners and management companies gaining experience in technical operations, dockings, new building projects, modifications, takeovers, and deliveries.

He joined GEM in 2016, progressing from Technical Superintendent to Technical Director, and in January 2026 was appointed as Chief Technical Officer (CTO).

Captain Rajesh Fernandes commenced his seagoing career in October 1993 as a Deck Cadet and rose through all the ranks to Master, gaining onboard experience on oil, product, and chemical tankers. He joined GEM in 2006, sailing as Chief Officer and Master on the company's vessels, before coming ashore in 2013 as Marine Superintendent, where he managed marine operations, safety and compliance for the fleet until 2018.

Captain Fernandes then spent over seven years with a leading Chemical tanker company in the Netherlands as Risk Manager and Company Security Officer, leading global incident investigation, security governance, and safety leadership development. He holds a NEBOSH International Diploma qualification, a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, and is a certified Lead Auditor (ISM, ISPS, ISO 14001/50001).

In July 2026, he returned to GEM upon his appointment as Chief QMSE officer, DPA, and CSO

Capt. David Reynolds started his career at sea in the early 1990s, serving on various types of vessels. He has extensive industry experience, with shore-based roles since the late 1998. He brings significant chartering expertise gained since 2002, including roles with the Mexican ship-owning company TMM and the FR8 Shipbrokers Group.

David joined GEM in March 2012 as Chartering Manager, was appointed Head of Chartering in 2018, and was promoted to Chief Commercial Officer in 2025.

Razin Shah is a Chartered Accountant with over 16 years of experience in corporate accounting and finance.

He joined GEM in 2025 as the Finance Director. Prior to joining GEM, he held various senior positions in government-linked agencies, multinational companies, and public listed companies such as Orkim, Ekuinas, Bourbon Offshore, Securities Commission Malaysia, and Sime Darby Berhad (Motors Division). His last position at Orkim was as the Chief Financial Officer.

He is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants United Kingdom (FCCA UK) and has held various positions within the organization, including serving on the Malaysian Members Advisory Committee, Chairman of the Young Members Network, and Member of the ESG Committee.