Global shipbroking network Simpson Spence Young (SSY) has confirmed the names of six staff members in Europe and Asia who have been promoted to partners.
New managing partner Stanko Jekov told TradeWinds in an interview published last week that the partnership was expanding, but did not name names.
SSY confirmed on Monday that the partnership in London has been expanded to include Toby English from the sale-and-purchase team, Phillip Tripodakis in LNG and Robert Boles from tanker chartering.
The new partners in Singapore are Eugene Quek in dry projects, Ahmed El Masry in dry cargo chartering and Jordi Maymi in chemical chartering.
The promotions mean SSY now has 27 partners with an average age of 38 years, down from the previous 42.
Jekov said the promotions come “in recognition of the substantial contribution they have made to our business”.
“It’s no secret that shipping and shipbroking are changing — it’s entering a very interesting and dynamic phase,” he commented.
“I strongly believe that the ambition, drive and talent of our new partners will enable us to positively contribute to that change even further and have a very real and positive impact as we drive our business forward.”
Meanwhile, SSY head of research Derek Langston and another analyst have resigned. Langston is heading to rival shipbroker Braemar.
Jekov, who began his new role on 1 January, told TradeWinds in the interview that he aims to expand SSY’s business and change the company culture.
It will look to strengthen key offices with “growth potential” in areas such as Geneva, North America and Dubai, which has “become a hub, especially in the last 24 months”.
Jekov said partners and staff have an appetite for growth that is “bigger than before”.
“I want us to be a company which attracts talent and promotes or allows people to develop and to grow in this company, and for people to see that they have a future,” he said.
“I think when you start putting a ceiling on brokers especially, that’s when you can lose brokers. We have to give them an environment for growth — and I think that’s what we have today.”
SSY is the world’s largest independent shipbroker. It employs 400 staff in Athens, Copenhagen, Dubai, Geneva, Genoa, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Madrid, Mumbai, New York, Oslo, Sao Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, Stamford, Sydney, Tokyo, Vancouver, Varna and Zug.
