International Chamber of Shipping selects next Secretary-General

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), an international trade association representing over 80% of the world’s merchant fleet, has appointed Thomas A. Kazakos as its next Secretary-General.

Kazakos will replace Guy Platten who will be stepping down in June 2025. Kazakos has been the Director General of the Cyprus Shipping Chamber, the representative National-Member Association of Cyprus at ICS, since 1995.

“After a thorough search and interview process my board is delighted to confirm the appointment of Thomas Kazakos to this important position for our industry. The coming decade will be pivotal for our industry, and it was important that we got the right person to lead ICS. Thomas brings a wealth of experience of the ICS community and the entire shipping industry. He is the ideal candidate to build on the great work that Guy has delivered over the past six plus years,” Emanuele Grimaldi, Chairman of the International Chamber of Shipping, said.

“Through Guy’s leadership ICS has been at the forefront of developments in our industry, be that decarbonisation, energy transition, safety or seafarer welfare. I am grateful to him for his professionalism both in leading ICS and for the continuity plan that he has put in place to ensure that ICS continues to lead our industry in the decades to come. Guy will leave ICS in a robust state, both in the way it leads the agenda on so many issues, and in having sound finances.”

As informed, the recruitment process was undertaken by the international search firm Odgers Berndtson with members of the ICS board from across the world involved in the interview process.

“I am very proud to have been selected to become the next Secretary General of ICS taking over from Guy next June. In my role with the Cyprus Shipping Chamber, I have seen first-hand and have contributed to the vital work that ICS undertakes. The coming years will be ones of significant change for our Industry and members, and it is vital that we have a strong and resilient organisation to ably represent their views,” Kazakos commented.

“The IMO’s decarbonisation agenda is obviously front and centre for our industry and I know ICS is working closely with the IMO, governments and other stakeholders, to develop a credible system to support the transition. But there is so much more to do and I am excited to be given this opportunity to lead the amazing team at ICS and to work with our members as we address the many challenges that our industry encounters.”

“The last six plus years have undoubtably been the most rewarding of my career and it has been a privilege to have been Secretary General. I am so proud in the way that the ICS team has stepped up to the many challenges thrown at us and the way that our industry has changed from one that too often just responded, to an industry that seeks to shape its future,” Platten noted.

Specifically, the ICS has been voicing its concerns regarding the negative impact of protectionism which is seen as one of the biggest emerging threats to global shipping and free trade.

What is more, earlier this year, ICS presented a proposal centered around an annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emission fee needed to steer the shipping industry in the direction of a zero-emission future.

The primary objective of the proposed IMO “mechanism” is to accelerate the production and uptake of new green marine fuels by reducing their cost disadvantage, with feebates (rewards) being disbursed to ships for the CO2e emissions prevented by not using conventional fuel oil.

While the principal purpose of the proposed maritime GHG pricing mechanism is to narrow the significant cost gap with conventional marine fuels, around $2.5 billion per year would also be allocated to an “IMO Net Zero Shipping Fund” to support maritime GHG reduction efforts in developing countries.