2024 HONOREES

allen clifford

2024 Connie Award

Having started in the industry in 1981 after completing the University at Buffalo, Allen began his career working in the freight forwarding industry as well as the very early years of Nvocc with Deugo GmbH in New York City. From there, Allen transitioned to Containership Agency, located in lower Manhattan which represented a bevy of ocean carriers such as Italian Lines, Neptune Orient Lines and Bottachi Lines of Argentina, Empremar of Chile, Atlantica, and Blue Start Lines.

Mediterranean Shipping Company was a part of Containership, and Allen began managing it within the trade group. As MSC grew, it became it’s own agency (American Container Agency) with offices on Morton Street in Greenwich Village in New York City and finally named MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company with a move to it’s present USA headquarters at 420 Fifth Avenue.

Allen’s career continued as Assistant Vice President of Sales moving to Vice President, Senior Vice President and his present position as Executive Vice President of MSC. He was also appointed the USA Ambassador for the MSC Foundation for the United States, as well as a member of the MSC Board of Directors for the United States in 2014.

Allen is married to Donna 16 years and has three children, Justin, Lauren and Daniel and is the proud grandfather to 2 grandchildren.

Clifford Pyron

2024 Lifetime Achievement Award

Cliff Pyron is currently Advisor to the Georgia Ports Authority. Formerly, until June 2024 Cliff was Chief Commercial Office at the GPA for the past sixteen (16) years responsible for providing strategic leadership and execution of the Georgia Ports commercial business, trade development and economic & industrial development activities. His primary focus was developing with the GPA team all commercial activities to sustain long-term profitable growth and market share leadership. This included sales, marketing, economic & industrial development, customer service and overseas agency partner related activities. This role further enabled global trade and commerce expansion throughout Georgia, the greater Southeast and Midwest regions through the Georgia Ports terminal and intermodal product offerings in tandem with the economic development activities to secure increased manufacturing and warehouse distribution growth.

Prior to his appointment to the Georgia Ports in 2008, he served as Vice President, North America Sales for NYK Line in Secaucus, New Jersey. Prior to NYK Line Cliff was Vice President of Sales – Southern Region at Maersk-Sealand based in Charlotte, North Carolina. At the time of acquisition of Sea-Land by Maersk in 1999 Cliff was General Manager, Southeast Sales at Sea-Land and General Manager, Buyers Consolidators (Sea-Land Logistics) in Charlotte. Cliff worked prior to that in Hong Kong through the early-late ‘90’s at Sea-Land as General Manager, Sales & Marketing for Hong Kong, Macau and South China.

Cliff has over 44 years of experience in liner container shipping, global integrated supply chain logistics, trucking, and port sector industry for container and non-container (Ro-Ro & Breakbulk) activity including economic and industrial development all related to the maritime industry. Cliff is recognized for fusing entrepreneurial drive and vision with extensive senior level contacts and relationships globally.