| Shipping has Talent! Exploring the Creative Spirit of Greek Shipping Professionals |
The fifth panel discussion focused on talent and indeed “Shipping has Talent”. Mr George Laios, Vice President of the Association of Banking and Finance Executives of Hellenic Shipping, and Deputy CEO of Intermodal Group moderated the discussion among Capt. Dimitrios Kokkinis, Founder and CEO of Proteus Social Innovation & Development, Co-Founder Regen Retreats, Insurance, Claims and Crews Engagement Manager, United Overseas Management (Hellas) Ltd., Mr Theocharis V. Terzis, Director, Queensway Navigation Co. Ltd, CEO, Vsltec, Mr John Theodorakis, Principal, SwissChemGas and Mrs Eirini Veniamis-Mangos, Director, Golden Union Shipping Co. SA.
Mr Laios introduced the panelists and started by asking Mrs Veniamis-Mangos about cooking! She explained that her cooking course was instrumental in helping her build a career in shipping. Her learning how to cook impressive and delicious meals was the quickest way to marry a shipowner. In all seriousness, she looks back at the course and she sees significant parallels between the high caliber of the cooking course and the shipping industry. However, her most aggressive competitors were fellow Le Cordon Bleu students, which prepared her for competition in shipping, to become creative and overcome difficulties. As for art and real estate, the value of art is both subjective and sentimentally driven – art prices are volatile. The same applies to shipping: one must trust one’s instinct and not blindly follow what the market is saying. In the real estate market, there are a lot of taxes, but still people opt for that because bricks and mortars are tangible. Shipping is a dynamic and fascinating industry that binds the whole world together.
Mr Terzis noted that they invest a lot in technology, and they believe that technology will be the key in the future. He went on saying that a typical Greek traditional shipping company needs to have a competitive edge and for them this is technology, as it gives them the odds to compete with the big players. When working in a traditional shipping company where different generations mingle together, respect is of essence and try to make the best of the combination of the experience of the older generation and the appetite of the new. Basically no one is doing traditional “shipping”: it is a combination of different industries and shipping is the backbone of all that.
Mr Theodorakis presented SwissChemGas and explained that they are trading lpg and the balancing of the market is happening through ships (thereby the most important aspect of the market is shipping). One big challenge that they faced is the domination of big trading houses. It takes time to build a soundtrack record and it is very easy to make a mistake and ruin it. Another big challenge was building a sound trading team, which took time and required investment in people. Finally, trading is not static at all, and this requires a specific mindset.
Capt. Kokkinis explained how he took a deep dive into the rabbit hole of shipping and the professional orientation programme they run in Andros. Various projects have evolved, and they still try to implement innovative projects on the ships, be close to the crews, cut down the distance gap between ship and on shore operations. Shipping companies can balance business goals and a positive social impact as this is combined in the creation of wealth, in its holistic definition and approach. People, the S in ESG, are the infrastructure to continue and maintain the know-how. The value goes beyond making money and we must start seeing the shipping industry in a different view. He stressed that we need to know where we came from and where we want to go. Every generation has to be a creator, and this is an element of success for the future, based on and respecting the past.
Mr Dimitriadis-Eugenides intervened to note that “succession” is not a prerequisite for one to enter the shipping industry and thrive.
| 45 minutes of Insight ERTNews Coverage and Reporting |
Source: ERTNews – NEWS – Entheto Oikonomia
The Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator (HEDNO) is driving the necessary investments to promote shore-side power supply for ships in Greek ports. This initiative is closely linked to decarbonization and the sustainable development of port areas.
Anastasios Manos, CEO of HEDNO, at the Slide2Open Shipping Finance 2025 Conference:
“Shore-side power supply (cold ironing) is an obvious solution, and HEDNO is actively working towards its implementation.”
| At the same conference, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between internationally recognized institutes collaborating with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to develop standards and regulations aimed at promoting sustainability in the maritime sector. REPORT: Konstantina Dimitrouli PRESENTATION: Gogo Katseli |
| Don’t Miss: |
High Impact Networking Conference
• Αn innovative event where keynote presentations, interviews, and panel discussions blend with musical performances by esteemed shipping industry members, culminating in a concert and cocktail reception.
• The premier 2025 gathering of top shipping executives, where exclusive networking opportunities abound.
• A portion of the proceeds will benefit charitable causes, adding purpose to your participation.
Wednesday 22 January 2025
Megaron, the Athens Concert Hall, Banqueting Hall
Keynote Speakers:
Speaker
Chief Electrical Engineer at BMT
