Michael Mulford

STROM is a Panama-based company focused on technical, operational and commercial solutions for ports, terminals and industrial operations with critical assets. Founded STROM to bring world-class operational and commercial expertise to ports, terminals, and industrial operators across Latin America, a market where most asset owners are forced to choose between expensive global consultancies that don't understand local context and local advisors who lack operating depth. What we do differently: We've operated the assets we now advise on. Every engagement is led by someone who has personally carried a P&L, sat in front of a board, and turned around an underperforming terminal. Current focus: • Building regional alliances across Colombia, Panama, and the broader LatAm corridor • Advising terminal operators on margin recovery, CAPEX prioritization, and commercial growth • Representing technical service providers seeking entry into Latin American industrial markets

Took over a 177,000 MT private bulk terminal (grains, coal, coke) and rebuilt it into a higher-margin, certified, digitally-enabled operation in under 24 months. Transformation delivered: • +20% revenue and +40% operating margin (2023 vs 2022) by renegotiating commercial contracts and expanding the customer base • 4 international certifications achieved in parallel during 2025: Ecoports, ISO 9001, 14001, and 45001, establishing the terminal among the most credentialed in the region • 30+ automation initiatives deployed via Smartsheet, eliminating manual workflows across operations, HSE, and finance • Executed the full CAPEX pipeline on time and on budget while running daily operations across Finance, Commercial, HSE, and Operations

Inherited a 3-terminal cluster (Barranquilla, Cartagena, Puerto Cabello) operating in two of the most volatile economies in the region and held it together, operationally, commercially, and financially, for 7+ years. Results: • Managed $30M in consolidated annual sales and a 200,000 m³ capacity liquid/dry bulk footprint across 3 countries • Led ~250 staff through hyperinflation in Venezuela, currency controls, and a global pandemic without operational disruption or loss of certification • Designed and launched the divisional data literacy strategy for Vopak Americas (2021), the regional basis for digital transformation • Maintained global HSE, Quality, and Compliance standards across three terminals with two different regulatory regimes

Represented Vopak in a high-stakes European joint venture during a period when the petrochemical industry was repositioning around new Middle Eastern supply. Results: • Carried full commercial accountability for €25M in annual sales • Closed long-term storage contracts with Dow and Repsol for LPG feedstock, securing baseload revenue for the JV • Opened the Sadara (Saudi Arabia) petrochemical flow into Europe through Tarragona, a strategic win that reshaped the terminal's commercial profile • Took commercial expansion projects from concept through Final Investment Decision (FID), bridging commercial strategy and capital deployment

Held the commercial line in Venezuela through one of the most economically hostile environments any Vopak business has faced. Results: • Defended a $25M USD sales book and 40+ key accounts through currency controls, price freezes, and supply disruptions, without losing a single anchor customer • Selected as Divisional CRM Trainer for LATAM (Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Peru), standardizing commercial processes across five countries

Built the commercial engine for Vopak Colombia from scratch. Results: • Delivered $4M USD in annual revenue across a portfolio of 30 industrial accounts (vegetable oils, chemicals) • Implemented the company's first pricing structure and contract management system.

Internship in Operations, Maintenance, Finance, Commercial and SHE Departments with focus on Commercial Development, both in Sales and Market Research. Commercial Assessment of a Joint Venture or Acquisition of main local competitor: Market study of product flows, current state and future state of business and potential advantages of the joint venture.