John Denholm CBE has been appointed chairman of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), succeeding Emanuele Grimaldi after four years at the head of the global shipowners’ body. 

The decision was taken unanimously by the ICS Board of Directors at the organisation’s Annual General Meeting, held at Palazzo Valentini in Rome on June 22. 

Denholm, a qualified chartered accountant, joined the family-owned shipping business J. & J. Denholm before becoming chief executive in 1993. He currently serves as executive chairman of J. & J. Denholm and Denholm Energy Services. 

His appointment comes at a difficult moment for the shipping industry, with geopolitical tensions, security threats, the energy transition and changing trade patterns continuing to shape global maritime operations. 

Denholm has also held several senior roles across the industry, including president of both the UK Chamber of Shipping and BIMCO. 

“It is a great honour to be appointed chairman of the ICS and to represent an industry that underpins global trade and prosperity,” Denholm said. 

“I take on this responsibility at a moment of considerable upheaval and uncertainty for the world economy and for international shipping,” he added. 

He said the 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,” Denholm said. 

He added that he looked forward to working with the ICS Board of Directors and Secretariat “during this pivotal period for our industry”. 

Denholm succeeds Emanuele Grimaldi, president and managing director of Grimaldi Euromed SpA, who had served as ICS chairman since June 2022. 

Thomas A. Kazakos, secretary general of the ICS, welcomed the appointment, saying Denholm brings decades of experience as a shipowner, business leader and industry representative. 

“I am delighted to welcome John Denholm as Chairman of ICS,” Kazakos said. 

“John brings decades of experience as a shipowner, business leader, and industry representative, together with a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing our sector,” he added. 

At the same time, Kazakos paid tribute to Grimaldi’s tenure, saying his chairmanship coincided with “one of the most demanding periods in recent maritime history”. 

Under Grimaldi’s leadership, ICS helped guide the industry as it responded to attacks on civilian shipping, disruption to major trade routes, shifts in global trade and an unprecedented programme of international regulatory change. 

“His contribution to both ICS and the wider shipping community has been immense,” Kazakos concluded.