SSY has hired a team of brokers and a research analyst from rival Braemar, which will boost its office in Athens.
Dimitris Kyrtsos has joined the shipbroking group in the new global role of co-head of sale and purchase, sitting alongside SSY partner and department director Toby English.
SSY has also hired senior brokers Nikos Katsaras and Marios Yiannopoulos, as well as S&P broker Filippos Zannos and S&P research analyst Alexandra Alatari.
The news confirms TradeWinds’ report in August that the brokers had left Braemar to join the rival shop.
Stanko Jekov, SSY’s managing partner, said: “We have seen significant growth in our S&P offering over the past few years under Toby’s expert leadership and today’s announcement is the logical next step for us.
“Dimitris is an exceptional broker and I’m confident that his experience will continue to shape and strengthen SSY’s global S&P proposition, particularly with his strong track record in the Greek shipping markets.”
The whole team will be based at SSY’s Athens office, which was established in January 2022.
English said: “It has been a very exciting period of growth for us over the past three years, having expanded to 50 S&P and newbuilding brokers across 10 countries.
“This in turn has resulted in a significant increase both in terms of the volume of business we are transacting and the areas of S&P and newbuilding business that we are now involved in.
“On a personal note, I’m also excited that Dimitris will be joining me in his new role to jointly guide our department forward.”
Kyrtsos began his career at SSY as a derivatives broker, followed by 13 years in S&P at Braemar, where he rose to become head of Braemar Athens and global co-head of S&P.
SSY’s Athens office has grown from three employees in 2022 to 27 staff, covering dry cargo chartering, S&P, LNG and operations.
In late September, two other brokers formerly with Braemar’s Athens office moved across town to join Diamond Shipbroking, a specialist dry chartering outfit led by Vassilis Diamantidis.
