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General News
Meropi Kyriacou Honored as TNH Educator of the Year
NEW YORK – Meropi Kyriacou, the new Principal of The Cathedral School in Manhattan, was honored as The National Herald’s Educator of the Year.
ATHENS – Greek shipping mogul and sports team owner Evangelos Marinakis was given an Honorary Doctorate at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy’s graduation ceremony where he said the sea and shipping were driving forces for him – and them.
“Have you realized the significance of maritime education to prepare all these graduates to earn their degrees and embark on amazing journeys as seafarers? Many people do not appreciate the importance of the carriage of goods by sea. both through merchant shipping and the navy. When we talk about the navy, we talk about peace, which is crucial for our world.”
He said Greece is a small country with the world’s largest merchant marine fleet and that, “The sea, shipping and the maritime Industry have never been just a job or a business opportunity, it has been a passion. And there is nothing like being able to follow your passion all the way. Nothing in life is gained without struggle, be it in business, be it in sports, be it in art, be it in our daily life,” reported To Vima.
He told the graduates to be aware of the crucial role they play in helping deliver goods around the world, without which commerce could slow or stop and economies affected, as happened during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We save the world every day. Saving means keeping someone alive, and through merchant shipping, we transport energy, food, and raw materials, which keeps the world alive,” he said of the sector’s importance.
“The contribution of shipping to saving our planet in our daily lives is significant, yet often underappreciated. Ensuring the safety of goods, timely arrivals, crew safety, and maintaining a clean environment are all vital. So once again thank you for your contribution,” he said.
Marinakis is the founder and CEO of Capital Maritime and Trading and one of the most influential business figures in Greece and a major player in the worldwide shipping sector and also owner of soccer teams Olympiakos in Greece, Nottingham Forest in England and Rio Ave in Portugal as well.
He was on the podium with global shipping executives, US Ambassador to Greece George Tsunis, U.S. Navy Admiral William ‘Bud’ Flanagan, Michael Tusiani, Chairman Emeritus of energy consulting and the brokerage firm Poten & Partners, shipping executive Gerhard Kurz and Mass. legislator Steven Xiarhos.
Marinakis was one of four honored at the commencement, the other being Mass. State Sen. Michael J. Rodrigues, Leon J. Topalian, CEO of Nucor, the largest steel manufacturer in North America, and Brigadier General Enoch “Woody” Woodhouse, the last surviving member of the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of distinguished all-Black military aviators who served in World War II.
As the only Greek among the honorees, the Academy band played the Greek national anthem in his honor and the school’s President, Francis McDonald said that Marinakis “has a successful track record of more than 30 years in shipping and capital markets, having completed two IPOs and two major merger and acquisition transactions in the US markets, and having grown the Capital companies throughout the shipping cycles.”
Capital Maritime and Trading controls a fleet of 130 vessels, with an overall tonnage of 12.5 million tons across the tanker, container, LPG, ammonia, LCO2, offshore, and dry bulk sectors and includes vessels of Nasdaq-listed Capital Product Partners.
The academy sent a delegation to the Posidonia maritime conference in Athens in June – the world’s biggest gathering of shipping executives and related businesses – as part of efforts to expand its footprint and collaborations outside the US.
“We all know that the shipping industry is a global industry, and I think sometimes we forget that at its center is Greece. It is our honor to have met and ultimately honored Mr. Marinakis for all he represents for the nation of Greece and truly for the entire global maritime community,” McDonald said.
Some 27 Greek-owned shipping companies are currently listed in New York. “We honor the significant role the Greek shipping community plays in Greek-American relations,” said Tsunis at the event.
