Gianluigi Aponte Transfers World's Largest Container Line to His Children
Gianluigi Aponte, the founder and chairman of number-one container line MSC, has transferred the ownership of his company over to his daughter Alexa and his son Diego.
MSC confirmed Monday that Gianluigi Aponte passed ownership of the company to his children at the end of last year. They both have extensive experience in the industry: Alexa is now the MSC Group's CFO, and Diego serves as the company's president.
“With Diego and Alexa, I am confident the group will continue to thrive and honour our family’s legacy of innovation, resilience and unwavering commitment to the sea," Gianluigi Aponte said in a statement. "Passing ownership to my children is not only a reflection of their dedication and achievements, but also a continuation of our family’s centuries-long maritime heritage."
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Gianluigi Aponte founded MSC in 1970 and built it into a shipping powerhouse, ascending the ranks of the world's containerlines. In 2020, MSC hired the then-COO of Maersk, Soren Toft, to take over as CEO and fulfill a mandate to grow MSC's fleet. Under Toft, MSC pursued growth by all available means, splashing on newbuilds and buying or chartering-in older tonnage throughout the pandemic era.
In early 2022, MSC overtook Maersk to become the number-one carrier by fleet size, and it now dwarfs its longtime rival. With 1,000 ships and 7.3 million TEU of capacity on the water, MSC accounts for one-fifth of the world boxship fleet - and it has over 120 more newbuilds totaling two million TEU on order.