Emanuele Grimaldi which is at the helm of Naples-based Grimaldi Group, a company specialised in roll-on/roll-off, car carriers and ferries, with a fleet portfolio of more than 140 vessels, was honoured as International Personality of the Year at the Lloyd’s List Greek Shipping Awards 2023, during a ceremony that took place on 1 December at the Athenaeum InterContinental Hotel in Athens.
The Italian shipowner is the first to receive this recognition twice at the Lloyd’s List Greek Shipping Awards.
This year the Lloyd’s List Greek Shipping Awards have celebrated their 20th anniversary.
Since its launch in 2004, the event has been putting the spotlight on the Greek shipping industry’s remarkable dynamism and professionalism, as well as the constantly evolving skills and service provided within the Greek maritime cluster.
It has also maintained a reputation for credibility and fairness, founded on the high calibre of the industry judging panels over the years.
Adding prestige to Emanuele Grimaldi’s recognition is the fact that he is the first person to have received it twice: he had already been awarded as the International Personality of the Year during the 2011 edition of the Lloyd’s List Greek Shipping Awards.
As explained by Lloyd’s List’s journalist Nigel Lowry during the award presentation, “the judging panel took into consideration several different factors. First, Mr Grimaldi’s successful chairmanship of the International Chamber of Shipping. He has been tireless in promoting the industry and frequently aligns with Greek positions on many of the most important issues.”
“Secondly, his family business, Grimaldi Group, has been a leader in green shipping and a major exponent of Europe’s Motorways of the Seas programmes. This year has been a landmark for the group. Altogether it has 24 ships under construction at a cost of over $1.5 billion, including numerous large ammonia-ready car carriers. Last but not least, he continues to invest in Greece. Mr Grimaldi’s best-known investment is Minoan Lines. However, this year he has won two tenders to invest in Greek ports – Igoumenitsa and Heraklion – important initiatives that help strengthen international confidence in the Greek economy as a whole”.
Emanuele Grimaldi, upon receiving the award commented: “Winning this recognition is a source of big pride for me, and receiving it tonight in front of such a distinguished audience, which represents the gotha of Greek shipping, makes me even more flattered.”
“I wish to thank the jury of the Lloyd’s List Greek Shipping Awards for this achievement – he added – which comes at a point in my long career where I am putting all possible effort in the development and promotion of international shipping not only on a business level, being at the helm of the Grimaldi Group, but also on an institutional level, in my capacity as Chairman of the International Chamber of Shipping.”
“Lastly – concluded Grimaldi – I wish to believe that this award is also a recognition for my lifelong commitment, even stronger in the last decade, to further develop maritime transport and logistics in Greece, a country where I feel really at home.”
