Simpson Spence Young (SSY) confirmed that it has scooped three senior tanker brokers from rival shipbroker Charles R Weber in the US and made a new hire for its financial unit, SSY Finance.
The global shipbroking group said it has hired Christos Papanicolaou and Christos Alexandrou, confirming earlier reports by TradeWinds.
The two tanker brokers, who were co-managing directors of Weber, will join SSY’s tanker teams in New York and Houston this year.
Daniel Pletsch and David Herman are also joining SSY from Weber.
Pletsch is a senior oil tanker broker with more than 15 years’ experience with Weber and previously MJLF.
Herman will join SSY Finance as its senior finance and capital markets broker.
Previously head of capital markets at Weber, he is experienced in finance and capital markets, having worked with firms including Credit Suisse, where he was head of maritime investment banking.
SSY global head of tankers Rupert Lawson said: “As we seek to grow our presence in North America further, it is vital that we have the right teams in place, so I’m delighted to welcome our new hires to the SSY team, who are all experts in their field.”
TradeWinds first reported the rumoured departure of Papanicolaou and Alexandrou last week, but at that time their destination remained unknown.
The move comes just 15 months after the duo took the helm at the 82-year-old Greenwich firm, following the retirement of long-time managing director James Ford.
Alexandrou has been in shipbroking for 30 years and has been based in the US since 1996.
Papanicolaou, active in tankers for 20 years, also has experience in finance, sale and purchase, and projects.
SSY expanded its global network with the acquisition of Anchor Shipbroking in Athens this year and is understood to be on the hunt to hire other brokers. Anchor has been merged into the new office that SSY opened in Athens last year.
