Max Williams has worked for over a decade in the commercial maritime security sector, working with the maritime industry to help secure ships and protect crews in the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, the Gulf of Guinea and in Brazil. With experience in security operations, project management, commercial development and intelligence, he was part of the industry working group for the development of the shipping industry standard for security Global Counter Piracy Guidelines for Companies, Masters and Seafarers, and has advised both the private and public sector on issues such as piracy, illegal fishing, drug smuggling and threats to ships by hostile governments. He has also carried out in-country security investigations for the marine insurance sector, and has provided analysis on maritime security for the BBC, Associated Press, DW, Reuters, and The Economist.

Max holds a BA Modern Languages from Birmingham University and a MA with distinction in Maritime Security from Coventry University, during which his research focused on the human security of seafarers, West Africa as a transit point in the illegal drug trade and how the move to greener energy and reduced investment in the oil industry in Nigeria may affect security in the Gulf of Guinea. He is particularly interested in the role that coastal communities play in the creation of a secure maritime environment and the “bottom-up”, holistic approach to security, as well as the role the wider maritime industry can play in the creation of a secure maritime environment.”