Thomas Kazakos appointed ICS secretary general

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has appointed Thomas Kazakos as its next secretary general.

The director general of the Cyprus Shipping Chamber since 1995 will replace Guy Platten, who will be stepping down at shipping’s top lobby group in June next year after holding the position for nearly seven years.

Kazakos started his career at the Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation before joining the Cyprus Shipping Chamber. He has represented Cyprus on the board of ICS and the European Community Shipowners’ Association (ECSA) in addition to being an administrative board member of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA).

“The coming years will be ones of significant change for our industry and members, and it is vital that we have a strong and resilient organisation to ably represent their views,” Kazakos said, adding, “The IMO’s decarbonisation agenda is obviously front and centre for our industry and I know ICS is working closely with the IMO, governments, and other stakeholders to develop a credible system to support the transition. But there is so much more to do, and I am excited to be given this opportunity to lead the amazing team at ICS and to work with our members as we address the many challenges that our industry encounters.”

Emanuele Grimaldi, chairman of the ICS, added: “The coming decade will be pivotal for our industry, and it was important that we got the right person to lead ICS. Thomas brings a wealth of experience of the ICS community and the entire shipping industry. He is the ideal candidate to build on the great work that Guy has delivered over the past six plus years.”