Greek shipowner Simeon Palios is on the road to recovery in his battle with the coronavirus.
Diana Shipping chief strategy officer Ioannis Zafirakis provided an update on the condition of his longtime boss during an appearance Wednesday at an online forum hosted by Clarksons Platou Securities.
“He’s going to get better soon – everything is looking better and better,” Zafirakis said at the outset of his appearance on a dry bulk panel.
Zafirakis had been introduced by Omar Nokta, head of US securities for Clarksons Platou, who had passed along well wishes for one of the elder statesmen of Greek shipping.
The executive’s comments were the first update on Palios’ condition since Diana announced in a brief statement 24 March that its 79-year-old leader had tested positive for Covid-19.
The board tapped Palios’ daughter, Semiramis Paliou, to step up as acting chief executive officer on a temporary basis. She was appointed deputy CEO last fall as part of a succession plan to replace her father, Diana’s founder.
Palios is one of several key shipping figures to have contracted the virus.
Prominent Greek shipowner and sports-franchise owner Evangelos Marinakis was revealed to have the disease on March 10. The head of Capital Maritime & Trading announced his recovery on the website of his Nottingham Forest Football Club on 25 March.
Well known US shipping analyst Ben Nolan stunned the market on 30 March when he announced during an online conference appearance that he had tested positive for Covid-19. Nolan has worked through the illness, saying pulmonary symptoms were the worst part.
