Sergio Burke

Sergio has joined our firm as of April 2025 in our Panama office as a Senior Surveyor and area manager.

Having earned a BSc degree in Naval Architecture at University of Vera Cruz, he began his career as a Project Manager at Astilleros Balboa, responsible for all kinds of ship repairs and drydocking projects for 10 years.

Then, Sergio assumed the position of Naval Architect at Panama Canal Commission, Cristobal, where he served for eleven (11) years. During this time, Sergio was responsible for developing and writing specifications for the purchase of new marine equipment, including service boats, tugs, and barges. He also designed and modified floating equipment as required and managed several as a project manager.

Subsequently, he was employed as a Ship Production Manager at a Astilleros Braswell Intl. for the next 5 years, undertaking the task of coordinating and overseeing a variety of ship repairs and fabrication projects, managing the engineering and technical teams of the yard, ensuring quality control measures are implemented at all times.

He was then employed as Marine Superintendent at Aegean Bunkering in Panama for the next 4 years. In this capacity, he was responsible for overseeing bunkering operations, ensuring compliance with both local and international maritime regulations and safety standards, managing personnel to optimize operational efficiency.

Since 2014 until today – 11 years – he served as a Shipyard Production Manager at Talleres Industriales, the largest and most prominent repair facility in Panama, specializing in all kinds of ship repairs, having developed training procedures and repair cost estimation and invoicing, attaining a key managerial role in overseeing production, ensuring high-quality standards, and optimizing workflows and processes across multiple departments.

As such, Sergio brings a high level of seniority to our Panama office, with his vast knowledge and understanding of the Panama Canal procedural and regulatory aspects, as well as expertise with all local ship repair costs and tariffs, with previous experience and direct access to all major ship repair facilities in the major region.

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERTISE:

• Talleres Industriales S.A. (TISA), Panama – Operations Manager – 11 years
• Aegean Bunkering Panama S.A. – Marine Superintendent – 3 years
• Astilleros Braswell International – Shipyard Production Manager – 4 years
• Panama Canal Commission – Naval Architect – 11 years
• Astilleros Balboa, Panama – Ship Production Manager – 10years

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• BSc in Naval Architecture, University of Veracruz, Mexico (1986)
• Diploma in Marine Salvage from the Navy Training Center, Panama City, Florida (1998)
• Diploma in Marine Surveying from the International Institute of Marine Surveyors (2001)
• MSc in Business Management, INCAE (2003)

Languages: English- fluent, Spanish – native