Thomas Kazakos to be next ICS secretary general

Kazakos has been director general of the Cyprus Shipping Chamber, the representative ICS national-member association, since 1995. “After a thorough search and interview process my board is delighted to confrm the appointment of Thomas Kazakos to this important position for our industry, said ICS chairman Emanuele Grimaldi. “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.

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,” said Kazakos. “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 organization to ably represent their views. The IMO’s decarbonization 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.” 

Kazakos studied at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom obtaining a bachelor’s degree in law (LL.B) and a master‘s degree in European and international trade law (LL.M). He began his professional career at the Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation prior to joining the Cyprus Shipping Chamber. Internationally Kazakos has represented Cyprus on the board of ICS and the European Community Shipowners’ Association (ECSA) in addition to being an administrative board member of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA).