Danae Bezantakou, CEO – NAVIGATOR SHIPPING CONSULTANTS & Concept Founder of YES FORUM, participated for one more year, in the 8th Delphi Economic Forum held in Delphi April 26-29 under the auspices of the President of the Hellenic Republic, Mrs. Katerina Sakellaropoulou.
Danae Bezantakou participated both as a coordinator in shipping panels, but also by contributing to the conceptualization of two more discussion panels through the Young Executives Shipping (YES) Forum and the iforU Greek Mentoring Network, in which prominent members of the global shipping community, as well as representatives of organizations participated.
“NAVIGATING CALLENGES IN THE WOLRD OF SHIPPING”
The panel moderated by Danae Bezantakou was attended by heads of shipping companies who analyzed the positive effects of the “green” transition, but also the obstacles they have to overcome in order to consolidate it.
The contribution of Greek shipping to global trade is decisive due to its leading position as 90% of its trade is done by sea and ultimately affects everyone, said Danae Bezantakou, CEO of Navigator Shipping Consultants, in her introduction.
Jerry Kalogiratos, CEO of Capital Product Partners L.P., Greece, noted in his presentation that modern technologies require the use of a completely diverse set of tools. “There may be a short-term loss of jobs for skills that are becoming obsolete, but in the long term it is an opportunity to train the workforce in new skills. The new age of technology can be an opportunity for more inclusion, as long as protection and safety measures are always taken”, he said.
Stamatis Tsantanis, CEO of Seanergy Maritime Holdings, Greece, said that our country is now entering a new era in the shipping industry, where it is no longer necessary for someone to come from a traditional shipping family. He also stressed that: “We are now seeing companies with modern corporate practices enjoying comparative advantage. What is needed is to have more cooperation in the industry, to find better ways to become competitive, following a practice that is not based on ‘hiding secrets’ from one’s competitors, as was done in the past.”
George Karaouzas, Managing Director of SeaSpire Maritime, Greece is an example of what Mr. Tsantanis discussed. He is the head of a start-up shipping company with a history of only 9 years. “The fact that we are from Greece has helped us a lot. Our country has an incredibly good reputation and tradition internationally,” he said. Reviewing the company’s progress since 2014, when his company started its operations, he said that the first key step was to find the courage and the ideal time to venture into shipping and then to have patience to build a good record and gain the trust of the market and financial institutions.
Kalli Livanos, Chief Commercial Officer of Kyla Shipping, Greece, spoke about the importance of human resources in her company. She specifically mentioned that technology helps in communication, remote working in the office part of the work done in the office and in increasing productivity, but the important decisions in case of piracy or problems are made by the human resources and especially by the people on board the ships. “Shipping handles 90% of goods and its presence is very important for the economy and society. Fortunately, pandemic and wars have not hampered its activities”, she said.
Alex Hadjipateras, Managing Director of Dorian LPG, Greece, added that the interconnection of ships needs to be further improved so that they can respond more properly in case of cyber-attacks. He even stated that “Digitalization and technology in general is an opportunity to better address risks”.
Finally, Konstantinos Nanopoulos, Deputy Chief Financial Officer of Star Bulk, noted that the catalyst in the transition to the new “green” era with the use of less polluting fuels is to have a mechanism for stability in the carbon price.
“Charting a Course to a Sustainable & Efficient Industry”
Despina Panagiotou Theodosiou, co-CEO of Tototheo Maritime and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Electricity Authority of Cyprus, was invited by YES FORUM to moderate the panel “Charting a Course to a Sustainable & Efficient Industry”, in the Shipping section.
The panel included Philippos Philis, President of the European Shipowners’ Association, Founder and CEO of the Cyprus-based Lemissoler Group, Dimitrios Fafalios, President of Intercargo, Secretary General of the Union of Greek Shipowners and President and CEO of Fafalios Shipping, based in Greece, and Jan Dieleman, President of Cargill Ocean Transportation and President of the Global Maritime Forum, based in Switzerland.
The panel discussion focused on environmental sustainability, digitalization and automation and partnerships, in the shipping industry. Speakers addressed, among other things, the challenges in carbon reduction in shipping and efficiency as well as the availability of fuel and alternative energy sources. The potential of emerging technologies to improve efficiency and safety in shipping was also discussed, while the need for cooperation between industry players, governments and civil society was highlighted, with the ultimate aim of promoting innovation, boosting sustainable development, and promoting responsible business practices.
Following the invitation of the iforU Greek Mentoring Network, the panel entitled
“Challenges & Opportunities of International Organization Leadership in Greek Shipping” was created.
As stated by Faye Fragedi, Director of Trafigura Maritime Ventures Limited, Greece is a gateway, has a talented workforce and provides ideal conditions for business, resulting in many international companies opening offices in our country. “We work with Greek universities, we have successful apprenticeship and scholarship programs, a case that also reduces the brain drain,” Ms Fragedi noted. She argued that the shipping industry needs to trust the younger generation, summing up the ingredients for success in hard work, dynamism, flexibility, and an open mind.
For her part, Alexia Hadjimichali, Partner, and Head of Watson Farley & Williams’ Athens office, stressed that the firm’s office acts as a hub for other countries, highlighting the advantages of doing business in a shipping country. He described it as important to pay attention to details and stressed that arduous work is required to reach the top.
Dorothea Ioannou, CEO of the American P&I Club, said that Greece is a center of shipping and is located in a geographical zone where you can do everything. She spoke of unparalleled Greek talent in shipping, stressed that more women are active in shipping in Greece than in any other country, and pointed out that the company’s growth model was created in Greece.
In her own statement, Paillette Palaiologou, Vice President of Shipping & Offshore Division, Southeast Europe, Black Sea, and Adriatic Zone of Bureau Veritas, argued that there are many advantages for a foreign company to have offices in Greece, given that Greeks control 1/5 of the world fleet. He noted that the company has a special program to support the country’s talents and create the human resources of the next decade. Ms. Palaiologou also pointed to the high participation of Greek women in shipping, adding that there is a need to improve maritime programs in schools.
The discussion was moderated by Kelly Gerakoudi, Faculty Member at the American College of Greece.
