Over 1, 100 members of the Greek and international shipping community attended the 11th Annual Lloyd’s List Greek Shipping Awards.
Pappas, Pappadakis and Marinakis win major awards as over 1, 100 attend Greek shipping’s ‘Dinner of the Year’
– Empros Lines, Dorian LPG, Hellenic Seaways, Allied Shipbroking and China Eximbank, among others, also honoured –
MAJOR shipping industry names have been recognised at the 11th annual Lloyd’s List Greek Shipping Awards, which were presented in front of a packed audience of 1, 150 guests at the Athenaeum InterContinental Hotel in Athens.
The glittering event, organised by Lloyd’s List, the international maritime information provider established in 1734, heard welcoming speeches by the minister of Shipping and the Aegean, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, and Noboru Ueda, president of ClassNK, the overall lead sponsor of the Awards.
Minister of Shipping and the Aegean, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis greeted the audience with a welcome address.
The event began with a Welcome Speech in Greek by Noboru Ueda, Chairman and President of Event Sponsor, ClassNK.
Guests enjoyed a pre-dinner cocktail reception hosted by the American Bureau of Shipping and a Champagne Toast’ to Greek Shipping sponsored by the China Classification Society.
Special guest for the evening was internationally renowned physicist Professor Dimitri Nanopoulos, who has just been confirmed as the new president of the Academy of Athens. The audience was also addressed by the Chief of the Hellenic Navy, Vice Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis, who previewed plans for 2020 to commemorate 2, 500 years since the Battle of Salamis.
The Awards are held annually to recognise and reward achievement and meritorious activity in the Greek shipping industry as well as to promote Greece’s status as a maritime centre. Winners are chosen by an independent panel of judges representing a broad cross-section of the Greek shipping industry.
THE WINNERS
Petros Pappas receiving the Greek Shipping Personality of the Year Award from Andy Georgiou of sponsor, the Royal Bank of Scotland.
Petros Pappas was named Greek Shipping Personality of the Year for 2014, mainly reflecting the recent expansion of his publicly-listed company Star Bulk Carriers. After merging with Mr Pappas’ Oceanbulk joint ventures with Oaktree Capital Management and acquiring the 34 bulk carrier fleet of Excel Maritime Carriers, Star Bulk controls 103 vessels including newbuildings.
George Xiradakis of sponsor XRTC Business Consultants presenting the Greek Shipping Newsmaker of the Year Award to Evangelos M. Marinakis.
Lloyd’s List’s Greek Shipping Newsmaker of the Year award went to Evangelos Marinakis. The owner made news on a number of fronts in 2014, among them: strengthening Nasdaq-listed Capital Product Partners with containership and product tanker acquisitions, launching a joint project to explore using LNG as fuel for large containerships, and being elected as a councilman for the municipality of Piraeus.
Nicky A. Pappadakis receiving the Lloyd’s List / Propeller Club Lifetime Achievement Award from Antonis Comninos of sponsor the Target Group.
Nicky Pappadakis was awarded the Lloyd’s List / Propeller Club Lifetime Achievement Award for an outstanding career that at every stepdemonstrated his love of shipping and concern for the sea and seafarers. Mr Pappadakis was among the first shipowners to understand the importance of China as a major business partner and important builder of vessels. He has served the industry ceaselessly, in various positions: he has been chairman of Intercargo, chairman of Helmepa and chairman of the Propeller Club, International Port of Piraeus, among other roles.
Alexandros Tourkolias of sponsor, the National Bank of Greece, presenting the International Personality of the Year Award to Lambros Varnavides.
Lambros Varnavides was elected International Personality of the Year, the only award open exclusively to non-Greeks. Mr Varnavides recently retired as global head of shipping for Royal Bank of Scotland, ending a career with RBS that over a 40-year period saw him directly or indirectly responsible for lending about $100 billion to shipping. RBS for many years has been the largest lender to Greek shipping.
Georgios Makrymichalos accepting the Dry Cargo Company of the Year Award for Empros Lines from Panos Moraitis of sponsor Aspida Maritime Security.
The recipient of the Dry Cargo Company of the Year Award for 2014 was Empros Lines. The Award coincided with the centenary of the founding family’s first steamship acquisition, which also saw the first use of the name Empros for one of its vessels. The panel saw Empros as a unique case of a Greek company maintaining a regular breakbulk liner service as well as a large chartering operation. Meanwhile the company has launched a renewal of its own bulker fleet by ordering ultramaxes in Japan.
Alexander Prokopakis of sponsor JetOil Bunkering presenting the Tanker Company of the Year Award to Marina Hadjipateras and Dimitris Orfanos of Dorian LPG.
VLGC carrier owner Dorian LPG won the Tanker Company of the Year Award. The company recently began to take delivery of its series of 17 newbuilding VLGCs, the largest eco-shipbuilding programme in its sector, and forged a number of commercial agreements in Asia.
Antonios Agapitos of Hellenic Seaways accepting the Passenger Line of the Year Award from Evgenios Filippou of sponsor Capital Ship Management Corp.
Passenger Line of the Year was Hellenic Seaways. The company, which deploys the largest fleet in Greece’s domestic ferry trades, has begun to turn around its results impressively in 2014.
Dr. Anil Sharma of sponsor GMS Inc., presenting the Shipbroker of the Year Award to Costis Tsalpatouros of Allied Shipbroking Inc.
Allied Shipbroking won the Shipbroker of the Year Award for a second time, the first being in the inaugural Awards year of 2004.
Zhou Haisheng of CCS accepting the Shipping Financier of the Year Award, on behalf of the winner The Export-Import Bank of China, from Milena Pappas of sponsor Star Bulk Carriers Corp.
The Import-Export Bank of China was chosen as winner of the Shipping Financier of the Year Award, the first time the Award has gone to an Asian finance institution.
Torsten Schramm of sponsor DNV GL (middle right) with representatives of the Poseidon Med project: Theodore Theodoropoulos of QEnergy, Jose Laranjeira Anselmo of the EU and Theodosis Stamatellos of Lloyd’s Register.
Poseidon Med, an ambitious project to promote LNG as a marine fuel for the eastern Mediterranean , won the Technical Achievement Award for its ballast water treatment system. The EU-financed project is led by QEnergy and includes numerous participants.
Vasilis Papageorgiou, of sponsor The Tsakos Group, presenting the Piraeus International Centre Award to Stavros Hatzigrigoris and Dean Tseretopoulos of MARTECMA.
The Hellenic Marine Technical Managers’ Association, Martecma received the prestigious Piraeus International Centre Award.
Vice Admiral Athanasios Athanasopoulos Commandant of the Hellenic Coast Guard accepting the Award for Achievement in Safety or Environmental Protection from Richard Sadler of sponsor Lloyd’s Register.
The panel chose The Hellenic Coast Guard as the 2014 recipient of the Award for Safety or Environmental Protection for its action in search and rescue, prevention of pollution, immigration and other duties.
Dimitris Iliou and John Cotzias of the Hellenic Shipbrokers Association receiving the Award for Achievement in Education or Training from Lambros Chahalis of sponsor Bureau Veritas.
The Hellenic Shipbrokers Association was declared winner of the Award for Achievement in Education or Training for its expanding education programme.
Capt. Nikolaos Douskos, Master of m/v “Patris” receiving the Seafarer of the Year Award from Alexandra Andreadis Tsavliris of sponsor Tsavliris Salvage Group.
The Seafarer of the Year Award was presented to Capt Nikolaos Douskos for his action, while Master of the Chandris VLCC ‘Patris’, in responding to an emergency in January 2014 and rescuing nine seamen from a sinking vessel off the coast of Madagascar.
Capt. Iakinthi Tzanakaki accepting the Special Award Woman of the Sea from Chief of the Hellenic Navy, Vice Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis.
Another ship’s Master honoured was Capt Iakinthi Tzanakaki who won a special ‘Woman of the Sea’ Award for her action in protecting her tanker, Amphitrite, and its crew, during an incident when strong winds threatened cargo discharge at the Total terminal in Beirut.
Ocean Rig’s 7th generation ultra-deepwater drillship Ocean Rig Athena, won the Ship of the Year Award for its overall sophistication and state-of-the-art technology.
The Awards are officially supported by prominent bodies in Greek shipping, including the Union of Greek Shipowners, the Hellenic Chamber of Shipping and the Greek Shipping Co-operation Committee. Supporting organizations also include the Hellenic Shortsea Shipowners Association, Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Association – Helmepa, the Hellenic Shipbrokers’ Association, the Association of Greek Passenger Shipping Companies. the Propeller Club, International Port of Piraeus, WISTA Hellas, the Association of Banking & Financial Executives of Hellenic Shipping, and the Piraeus Association for Maritime Arbitration.
Lloyd’s List Greek Shipping Awards 2014
WINNERS AT-A-GLANCE
Dry Cargo Company of the Year – Empros Lines
Tanker Company of the Year – Dorian LPG Management LLC
Passenger Line of the Year – Hellenic Seaways
Shipbroker of the Year – Allied Shipbroking Inc.
Shipping Financier of the Year – The Export-Import Bank of China
Technical Achievement Award – Poseidon Med
Piraeus International Centre Award – Martecma
Award for Achievement in Safety or Environmental Protection – Hellenic Coast Guard
International Personality of the Year – Lambros Varnavides
Seafarer of the Year – Capt. Nikolaos Douskos
Award for Achievement in Education or Training – Hellenic Shipbrokers Association
Ship of the Year – “Ocean Rig Athena”
Special Award – Woman of the Sea – Capt. Iakinthi Tzanakaki
Lloyd’s List/Propeller Club Lifetime Achievement Award – Nicky A. Pappadakis
Greek Shipping Newsmaker of the Year – Evangelos M. Marinakis
Greek Shipping Personality of the Year – Petros Pappas
