Shipping lobby ICS appoints new chair 'at a moment of considerable upheaval and uncertainty'

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has appointed J&J Denholm CEO, ICS vice chair and UK board member John Denholm as its new board chair at the organisation’s annual general meeting (AGM).

Mr Denholm has previously served as president of both the UK Chamber of Shipping and BIMCO’s UK office.

ICS said its board unanimously elected Mr Denholm and thanked outgoing chair Emanuele Grimaldi for "leading the organisation through a period of unprecedented challenge and change". 

Mr Denholm acknowledged the fraught geopolitical landscape and its effects on the shipping industry along with the impacts created by a global energy transition and continued advances in technology. 

“I take on this responsibility at a moment of considerable upheaval and uncertainty for the world economy and for international shipping. Our industry continues to navigate geopolitical tensions, security threats, rapid technological change, the energy transition, and evolving trading patterns. Yet throughout every challenge, shipping continues to perform its essential role: keeping global trade moving and delivering the goods, energy, and resources upon which societies depend," he said.

Speaking about Mr Denholm’s appointment in 2025, Mr Grimaldi, who is also managing director of Euromed, referenced maritime sector challenges, noting the industry needs both strong governance and strong leadership. 

"John has been involved with ICS for years and I am pleased I will be able to pass the reins to such a knowledgeable leader who, with the support of the vice chairs and board will ensure shipowners’ interests are understood as we seek to be an organisation that provides solutions," Mr Grimaldi said at the time.

A qualified chartered accountant, John Denholm joined the family-owned shipping business J&J Denholm, becoming Chief Executive in 1993. He currently serves as Executive Chairman of J&J Denholm and Denholm Energy Services.

The appointment of a new chairman completes an ICS leadership changeover that began in 2025 with a transition to a new secretary general and the announcement of Mr Denholm’s nomination to take over the role at the conclusion of outgoing ICS chairman Emanuele Grimaldi’s four-year term at the ICS AGM in June 2026.

ICS Secretary General and director general of the Cyprus Shipping Chamber Thomas Kazakos formally succeeded outgoing secretary general Guy Platten at the same ICS AGM, as part of the organisation’s routine leadership transition cycle. 

While welcoming Mr Denholm as newly appointed ICS chair, Mr Kazakos pointed to Emanuele Grimaldi’s ’immense’ contribution to the industry.

“I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to Emanuele Grimaldi for his outstanding leadership over the past four years. His chairmanship coincided with one of the most demanding periods in recent maritime history. Under his stewardship, ICS helped guide the industry as it responded to attacks on civilian shipping and the disruption of major trade routes, adapted to significant shifts in global trading patterns, and engaged with an unprecedented programme of international regulatory change. His contribution to both ICS and the wider shipping community has been immense,” Mr Kazakos said.