Greek Shipping Hall of Fame announces Induction Ceremony & Dinner 2026
The Greek Shipping Hall of Fame has announced that this year’s Induction Ceremony will take place on the evening of Monday 27 April 2026 at Megaron, The Athens Concert Hall.
Leading personalities of the Greek shipping world and their international partners are expected on the occasion of Greek shipping’s most prestigious annual dinner event.
Celebrating the industry’s leadership, history, and culture, the Greek Shipping Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony & Dinner is expected to attract a capacity audience of close to 600 guests. A truly unique occasion, the event honours many of Greek shipping’s most historic personalities and highlights include the unveiling of the Hall of Fame’s latest Inductees – the Inductees for 2025.”
Caroline Lowry, Director of Phoebe Media & Events Ltd, the exclusive event organiser, comments: “Every year, we are very grateful to the many leading organisations that choose to partner with the Greek Shipping Hall of Fame as event sponsors, and we look forward to greeting our supporters and their guests on this very special occasion”.
A donation from the event proceeds will again be made to Greek children’s charities.
The Greek Shipping Hall of Fame thanks event sponsors confirmed to date:
ABS, IRI/The Marshall Islands Registry and Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co. as Co-Lead Sponsors of the Induction Ceremony & Dinner 2026.
John McDonald, ABS Chairman & CEO comments:
“ABS is honored to support the Greek Shipping Hall of Fame and celebrate the visionary leaders of Greek shipping; trailblazers whose entrepreneurial drive, commercial savvy and resilience have shaped the global maritime industry. Our relationship with Greek shipping spans generations. It’s built on trust, shared values and a deep respect for the legacy and future of this remarkable community.”
Theo K. Xenakoudis, Chief Commercial Officer, Managing Director – Piraeus, Greece, IRI / The Marshall Islands Registry comments:
“The Greek Shipping Hall of Fame honours the long-term spirit of leadership, vision, and advancement within the Greek shipping community. International Registries, Inc. (IRI) and the Marshall Islands Registry are privileged to continue our support for this event and proudly recognise this year’s honorees as pioneers and visionaries in the industry.”
Chen Gang, Chairman of Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, comments:
“SWS is honoured to continue its support for the Greek Shipping Hall of Fame in 2026 as a Lead Sponsor of the Induction Ceremony & Dinner to celebrate visionary leaders of Greek shipping.
“During 2025 SWS delivered its 600th vessel, a milestone in its 26-year history of building ships. We are currently constructing China’s second domestically-built large cruise ship for delivery during 2026.
“Our journey at SWS is powered by our commitment to intelligent shipbuilding, contributing to a modern, digitalised global shipping industry. We continue to be inspired by Greece’s legacy of maritime excellence, and we look forward to further deepening our partnership and together charting a course to a sustainable maritime future.”
We extend our appreciation and thanks to leading shipping companies TMS Group as Welcome Drinks Sponsor, Navios Maritime Partners as Dinner Sponsor, and The Tsakos Group as After-Dinner Digestifs Sponsor.
Premium Sponsors so far confirmed are Ascenz Marorka, Citi Private Bank, Kpler, Moore Greece, OceanScore, Optima Shipping Services and PPG.
Bank Julius Baer is once again enhancing our support to Greek children’s charities.
Standard Sponsors to date are Allied Shipbroking, Anglo-Eastern, Antipollution, Chevron Marine Lubricants, China Classification Society, ClassNK, Columbia Group, CMB Financial Leasing, Hempel, Korean Register, Kyvernitis Travel Group, Marichem Marigases Worldwide, Marine Tours, Monjasa, San Marino Ship Register, UK Defence Club, UK P&I Club and Veson Nautical.
Greek Shipping Hall of Fame announces Induction Ceremony & Dinner 2022
The Greek Shipping Hall of Fame has announced that this year’s annual Induction Ceremony will take place as an outdoor dinner event on the evening of Tuesday 5 July 2022 at Megaron, The Athens Concert Hall.
Caroline Lowry, Director of Phoebe Media & Events Ltd, the exclusive event organiser comments: “We are very pleased to return to the Megaron’s outdoor event space, the Atrium of the Muses, for the 2022 Induction Ceremony & Dinner. As well as providing a unique setting to honour the Hall of Fame’s Inductees it ensures a safe and relaxed occasion for our sponsors and their guests.”
The Greek Shipping Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony & Dinner 2022 will celebrate the industry’s leadership, history, and culture during a unique evening which is recognised as Greek shipping’s most prestigious annual dinner event.
Celebrating the Greek Shipping Hall of Fame’s 15th anniversary, the Induction Ceremony 2022 will feature an exciting programme of content celebrating the 34 shipping ‘greats’ already inducted as well as unveiling the latest Inductees – the 2021 Inductees.
Greek children’s charity Hellenic Hope will again receive a donation from the event proceeds to support its work with Greek NGOs across a range of children’s projects.
The Greek Shipping Hall of Fame is delighted to acknowledge the prestigious event sponsors supporting the event:
ABS, IRI/The Marshall Islands Registry and Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co. have agreed to be Co-Lead Sponsors of the Induction Ceremony & Dinner 2022.
Christopher J. Wiernicki, ABS Chairman, President and CEO comments:“The Hall of Fame is a great opportunity to reflect on the huge contribution made by Greek shipping to global trade and ABS is proud to be able to honor the visionaries and personalities who made that possible. Today, as everything in our industry appears to be in a state of dynamic change, one thing remains constant: the global success story that is Greek shipping and its enduring relationship with ABS.”
Theo Xenakoudis, Director – Worldwide Business Operations & Managing Director Greece, International Registries Inc. comments:“International Registries, Inc. (IRI) and the Marshall Islands Registry celebrate another year of outstanding leadership and innovation from the Greek shipping community. We applaud this year’s Greek Shipping Hall of Fame honourees for inspiring us all to continually look for opportunities to improve, enhance, and support a sustainable future for global trade.”
Wang Qi, Chairman of Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, comments:“SWS is extremely proud to continue its support for the Greek Shipping Hall of Fame as a Lead Sponsor. Through our sponsorship of the Induction Ceremony & Dinner we gain a better understanding of Greek shipping’s history and culture and the individuals and companies who have made a significant contribution to the development of this great shipping community. My colleagues and I pay our greatest respects to the important personalities of the Greek shipping industry and SWS salutes all the inductees.”
The Greek Shipping Hall of Fame thanks Navios Group for its kind support as Dinner Sponsor.Premium Sponsors so far confirmed are Bureau Veritas, Citi Private Bank, Isle of Man Ship Registry and Moore Greece.Bank Julius Baer will again enhance the Greek Shipping Hall of Fame’s support for Hellenic Hope.
Standard sponsors so far include ClassNK, The Ecali Club, Franman, KPMG, Marichem Marigases Worldwide and UBS.
The Greek Shipping Hall of Fame thanks all sponsors for their kind support.
Sponsorship enquiries: caroline@phoebe-events.comTable booking & press enquiries: administration@phoebe-events.comThe Greek Shipping Hall of Fame resides at www.greekshippinghalloffame.org
Gourdomichalis and Pappadakis inducted into the Greek Shipping Hall of Fame
With the addition of the Inductees for 2020, the Hall of Fame’s pantheon of great personalities from the history of Greek merchant shipping now includes 34 legendary names.
Shipping legends Stathis G. Gourdomichalis and George A. Pappadakis have been inducted into the Greek Shipping Hall of Fame after an Induction Ceremony & Dinner that took place in Athens on 13 September 2021. They bring the Hall of Fame’s pantheon of great personalities from the history of Greek merchant shipping since the steam age to 34.
Voting for Inductees takes place annually and is open to members of the Greek Shipping Hall of Fame Academy, currently numbering about 300 prominent individuals in today’s Greek shipping community. The integrity of the on-line voting and the final results are overseen by the international audit firm, Deloitte.
Stathis G. Gourdomichalis (1923-2006)
Stathis G. Gourdomichalis headed the Union of Greek Shipowners (UGS) during one of the most turbulent chapters of Greece’s modern shipping industry.
Gourdomichalis was liked for his personal charm and admired for a stubborn integrity that he deployed in his personal business dealings but also in the service of his country and his industry.
After being active in the Greek Resistance during the Second World War, Gourdomichalis moved to London where his early career in shipping was spent in the offices of Angelo Lusi and John C. Carras. His own shipowning career began in 1959 in partnership with the Vlassopoulos family. In 1969 he set out on his own, establishing Gourdomichalis Maritime in Piraeus and Gourdomichalis & Co. (Chartering) in London in order to run a fleet of bulk carriers and tankers.
He moved permanently to Greece in 1974 and the next year was elected to the board of the UGS under Anthony Chandris. Gourdomichalis Maritime gained a good reputation for the quality of its vessels and operation, as well as for its business ethics. But its founder’s legacy stems more from his public role in shipping fora.
His vision was to maximise shipping’s contribution to Greece and its economy, creating a competitive Greek flag and turning Piraeus into an international financial and maritime centre that he believed had the potential to rival London’s maritime cluster.
As president of the UGS from 1984 to 1991 he modernised the internal working of the Union, but he inherited a lengthy list of troubles that ranged from the shipping market crisis to bouts of government antagonism towards shipping. During his presidency, he had to deal with four different governments and nine different shipping ministers. Yet he fought successfully to protect Greece’s tonnage tax system and pushed to provide Piraeus with modern telecommunications, although this was not achieved until after his term in office was over.
George A. Pappadakis (1938-1992)
George A. Pappadakis was born into a family that has contributed enormously to the Greek and international shipping industry, although his own career was sadly cut short at the age of 54.
Father Antonis G. Pappadakis (1900-1981) was born on the island of Kassos, but the family moved to Egypt when he was young. He initially worked in shipping agencies but soon went on to purchase his first ships, continuing a family shipowning tradition. In 1938 his wife Virginia had twin sons, George and Nicky.
George in particular seemed destined for a maritime career, having shown a fascination for ships as a young boy. He would go on to fulfill his early dreams of becoming a ship’s captain, earning his Greek master’s licence.
During the war, the family fleet was put at the disposal of the Military Sealift Command to aid the Allied war effort. George inherited a profound sense of shipping’s duty in times of need and later became a key figure in merchant shipping’s interaction with NATO. He was also an idealist who as a young man in the 1950s supported the Cuban revolution against the dictator Batista.
In 1961 the two brothers joined A. G. Pappadakis in London. While Nicky concentrated on chartering, George focused on the technical and operational side of the business. The group emerged as a leading shipowner, ordering tankers, bulk carriers, and ore-bulk-oil carriers.Although it built ships in several countries, he developed particularly strong relations with Japan. Meanwhile, he strove to repair ships whenever practical in Greece.
George followed his father in building vessels that offered crew accommodation far superior to the norm in shipping at that time. In addition to making numerous improvements to navigational equipment and crew welfare, he was ahead of his time in sending company officers for training on scale models of vessels at a new tank-testing facility in Switzerland.
After the death of Antonis Pappadakis in 1981, the brothers transferred their head office to Greece, renaming the company Kassian Navigation. George contributed to developing the port of Kassos but also contributed to national resources, for example donating a search and rescue boat to the Hellenic Coast Guard.
He was closely involved with various industry bodies and committees during his career, including classification society Lloyd’s Register. He was twice elected to the board of the Union of Greek Shipowners.
With the addition of Stathis G. Gourdomichalis and George A. Pappadakis, the Hall of Fame now includes 34 outstanding personalities who helped to write modern Greek shipping history. The Greek Shipping Hall of Fame has been paying tribute to historic Greek shipping personalities since 2007.
Source: Greek Shipping Hall of Fame