Spyros Polemis, one of the biggest names in Greek shipping, has passed away. He was 86 years old.
From 2006 to 2012 he was Chairman of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and could look back on a long life in the shipping industry.
Polemis studied shipping and marine engineering in Athens, London and the United States. He was head of Seacrest Shipping, chairman of Intercargo and represented the Greek Shipowners’ Association on the ICS board. He was also President of the International Shipping Federation, whose merger with the ICS he oversaw in 2011.
Obituary for Spyros Polemis
“Mr. Polemis was a tireless advocate for shipping,” said ICS Secretary General Guy Platten in an obituary. He steered the industry through the enormous challenges of the 2008 financial crisis, as well as the Somali piracy crisis when over 4,000 seafarers were taken hostage. The welfare of crews and maritime safety were also important issues for him.
He will also be remembered as one of the first in the industry to call for a global levy on greenhouse gas emissions in shipping – an idea he championed during his tenure as ICS Chairman.
“Spyros Polemis was characterised by his morality, seriousness, kindness and integrity. He was a cooperative, articulate and energetic man who did not let the storms of life get him down and fought to the end,” Polemis’ yacht club, the Nautical Club of Andros, wrote in a memorial notice. “Our thoughts and condolences go out to Spyros’ family and loved ones, to whom we extend our deepest sympathies.”
