Sabrina Chao will follow Sadan Kaptanoglu as Bimco president as the organisation embraced change at its annual meeting.
The world's largest shipping association elected the managing director of HI Kaptanoglu Shipping as its first female president last night in Athens.
“It is a great privilege for me to chair the Bimco board of directors in this crucial time of change for shipping," Kaptanoglu said.
"The environment and climate change are key public concerns and getting the shipping industry to embrace this reality — and delivering the solutions to meet the world’s environmental expectations — will be my priority."
Kaptanoglu took over from Greek shipowner Anastasios Papagiannopoulos, principal of Common Progress, who completed his two-year term.
Bimco's first female president will be succeeded by its second in 2021, when Wah Kwong's Chao will take over. She was elected president designate and joins the board of directors.
Kaptanoglu said: "Bimco has always been ahead of its time, and today I am standing here not alone, but with our president designate Sabrina Chao as the biggest proof of how Bimco embraces change.
Organisation moves forward
"One woman president could have been seen as a show or project — but two, one after the other, is indisputable evidence of that change. I have the immediate past president, the board of directors and our members to thank for making this a reality.”
Kaptanoglu must steer Bimco through the industry’s transition to low-sulphur fuel and set the direction for its approach to short and longer-term measures to bring down the world fleet’s greenhouse gas emissions.
She added: “Bimco's strength and depth of expertise on the technical front, along with the support of its members, are essential to delivering its regulatory work, but are also crucial for Bimco to maintain its leadership and expertise in contracts and clauses.
"Our goal is to make sure that new regulation is practical and enforceable, while ensuring that the Bimco contracts are the best option to deal with new rules.”
