Team

An industry-known leader, Gene Seroka brings more than 28 years of experience in shipping, global logistics and executive management to the Port of Los Angeles. As executive director of the busiest container port in North America, he is responsible for managing more than a $1 billion budget, leading a team of more than 900 employees, advancing major capital projects, growing cargo volumes, and promoting innovative, sustainable practices that improve Southern California’s economy and quality of life. His duties involve interacting with a wide range of stakeholders, including Port customers worldwide, supply chain partners, labor, community members, and elected and appointed officials at all levels. He is a member of the U.S. Department of Commerce Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness, U.S. Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Port Performance Freight Statistics Working Group, U.S. Maritime Administration Marine Transportation System National Advisory Committee, and Federal Maritime Commission Supply Chain Innovation Team. He is an alumnus of the University of New Orleans, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration.

Jeffrey Strafford is the Director of Financial Planning and Analysis and Interim Chief Financial Officer for the Port of Los Angeles, the No. 1 container port in the nation and — with its AA bond rating and “stable” outlook — the highest rated U.S. seaport operating without tax support.

With an annual adopted budget that exceeds $2 billion, the Port of Los Angeles is fiscally sound and aims to access capital in the most cost-effective manner possible. Appointed in September 2017, Strafford leads the division that administers the annual budget process for the department, including the formulation of the overall salaries and benefits and revenue budgets, analyzes the financial viability of investment projects, and performs long-term financial planning at the Port.

Within the overall finance function, Strafford is also responsible for developing and optimizing the Port’s Enterprise Resource Planning system, including serving as a core team member on the department’s current cloud migration project. He previously managed the Port’s Budget Section, successfully maintaining a balanced budget for the Port since 2012.

Prior to joining the Port in 2011, Strafford worked in private-industry and for the City’s Office of Finance and Department of Recreation and Parks in fields including data management, systems analysis, revenue collection, and purchasing, all of which prepared him for a career in finance.

A native Angeleno, Strafford has a degree in business management economics from University of California, Santa Cruz. When not working, he likes to explore Yosemite with his family.

Matthew Marchese is the Director of Debt and Treasury Management for the Port of Los Angeles, the No. 1 container port in the nation. With its AA+, AA and Aa2 bond ratings — the highest assigned to any U.S. seaport operating without tax support — the Port has maintained its stellar credit rating since 2003. In this role, Marchese is responsible for the management and oversight of the Port’s debt portfolio, various reserve funds, and cash management section.

Marchese was appointed to lead the Debt and Treasury Management Division in April 2024. Prior to that, he served as a financial manager for the Port’s Financial Planning & Analysis Division where he prepared financial models to evaluate investment opportunities throughout the Port, advised negotiating teams in their pursuit of market rental rates on existing entitlements, maintained the Port’s 10-year cash flow model, and communicated the financial impacts of proposed actions undertaken by the Los Angeles Harbor Commission.

Marchese previously served as a financial manager for the Debt and Treasury Management Division from 2015 through 2018 where he managed two debt issuances (including the Port’s first ever issuance of “Green Bonds”), oversaw continuing disclosure requirements and prepared the annual budget for city services, various utility expenses and non-operating expenses. Prior to 2015, he spent over a year as a financial analyst in the Budget section of the Financial Planning & Analysis Division preparing divisional budgets and communicating monthly financial performance results to the Audit Committee of the Harbor Commission.

Prior to joining the Port in 2014, Marchese spent eight years with PwC, based in New York and Los Angeles, where he advised clients on commercial mortgage-backed security issuance, performed audits of hedge funds and prepared valuations of business interests, equity interests and intangible assets for companies ranging in size from small, closely held businesses to reporting units and legal entities of Fortune 500 companies.

Marchese holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business and has been a Chartered Financial Analyst® since 2011.

Phillip Sanfield is the Communications Director for the Port of Los Angeles, leading the Media Relations and Strategic Communications Division. In this role, he strives for accuracy in media coverage and manages messaging for the busiest port in North America.

Sanfield serves as the primary media spokesperson for the Port and maintains relationships with local, national, and international media. In addition to responding to media inquiries, he coordinates interviews, editorial submissions, tours, press conferences, and hosts monthly cargo news briefings. He has also arranged media availability for the Port beyond greater Los Angeles, and has coordinated in-studio interviews in New York, Washington, D.C., and Asia.

Prior to joining the Port in 2009, Sanfield had a journalism career spanning more than two decades in Southern California. He has previously served as editor of The Daily Breeze (Los Angeles South Bay) and managing editor of The News-Pilot (San Pedro).

Sanfield earned a journalism degree from the University of Illinois. He received a master’s degree in public affairs reporting from Sangamon State University. During his master’s program, he served as a reporter with the Chicago Sun-Times’ Springfield Bureau covering state government and legislative affairs.

Carol Wang is the Financial Manager for the Debt & Treasury Management Division at the Port of Los Angeles.  Carol manages the Port’s long-term bond portfolio and short-term liquidity facilities.  In this role, she develops and maintains Port’s 12-month rolling strategic cash forecast; calculates Port's weighted average cost of capital, and prepares financials in compliance with continuing disclosure requirements.  As new capital is needed or refunding opportunities arise, she handles the drafting, circulating, revising and submitting of the Official Statement as well as rating agency and investor presentations.

Carol joined the Port of Los Angeles in 2006 as a Financial Analyst in Financial Planning and Analysis Division where she developed complex financial models for rate of return analysis and lease negotiations as well as customer compensation analysis.  She joined Debt & Treasury Division in 2019 and was promoted to Financial Manager in 2022. Prior to the Port of Los Angeles, Carol was Assistant Vice President for Japanese Corporate Banking division at Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group responsible for planning and pricing strategies.

Carol earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Southern California and bachelor's degree in international business from Waseda University in Tokyo.  She is Certified Treasury Professional and registered CPA in State of Illinois since 2009.