Emanuele Grimaldi Takes Up the Mantle as ICS Chairman

The board of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the world's largest shipowners' association, has appointed Emanuele Grimaldi as its new chairman of the board. He takes over from chairman Esben Poulsson, who has helped guide ICS since 2016.

Grimaldi is a former president of Confitarma and the European Community Shipowners Associations (ECSA), as well as president of Grimaldi Euromed. Working alongside ICS Secretary General Guy Platten, he will work with ICS' membership on the key issues of the day, including digitalization and decarbonization.

“I am honored to represent the shipping industry at this crucial juncture in our history," said Grimaldi. "The world is changing, and shipping must change with it. Fundamental transformation to our fuel supplies, our technology, and the skillsets of our workforce will define the direction shipping takes this decade."

Outgoing chairman Poulsson is the executive chairmen of Enesel Pte Ltd., a Singaporean container ship owner, among other corporate board positions. Over the course of his three terms as chairman of ICS, he sought to ensure that shipping's GHG emissions remain regulated by IMO under a set of global rules, and he worked to build unity among shipowners for a net-zero by 2050 emissions target. He was also a prominent advocate for the association's plan for a low-carbon research levy on bunker fuel, among other major initiatives.

"I cannot thank outgoing chair, Esben Poulsson, enough for his six years of leadership and companionship. Expertly navigating ICS through several major events, including the COVID-19 crew change crisis, a rise in piracy, and the Suez Canal blockage," said ICS Secretary General Guy Platten.