Emanuele Grimaldi to replace Polusson as new ICS Chairman

Grimaldi Group managing director Emanuele Grimaldi has been named as the Chairman–Designate of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) after serving as a vice president of the association since 2017.

Grimaldi was named as ICS Chairman-Designate at a recent meeting of the ICS Board of Directors held on 22 and 23 June. He is scheduled to take over the position following a formal election in June 2022.

Grimaldi is a former president of Confitarma and ECSA, and will continue to work with the present chairman and secretary general, Guy Platten, on all ICS projects.

The projects include crew change, seafarer vaccinations and the reduction of GHG emissions in shipping.

Grimaldi thanked the Board for the designation, adding: “I am extremely pleased to continue to work with all of them in this new position.”

Esben Poulsson has been ICS chairman since 2016 and is currently serving his third term in the office.

During his term, ICS submitted, along with other industry partners, a proposal to International Maritime Organisation (IMO) for the establishment of a $5 billion global R&D fund to accelerate the research and development of zero-carbon technologies.

He has also been at the forefront of crew change crisis, urging governments to prioritize vaccination of seafarers and recognise the vital role seafarers play in the global supply chain.