John Denholm has been named chairman of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) following unanimous recommendation from the board of ICS, succeeding Emanuele Grimaldi from June 2026.
Denholm, who currently serves as board member for the UK and vice chair of ICS, will begin the role once Grimaldi’s term concludes at the ICS AGM in June 2026. Denholm is also the chairman of shipping, logistics, seafoods, and industrial services firm J. & J. Denholm.
Gaby Bornheim of Germany’s Peter Döhle Schiffahrts, NYK Line’s Carl-Johan Hagman, and Claes Berglund have been appointed as vice chairs, while Thomas Kazakos has succeeded Guy Platten as secretary general, the latter of which is with immediate effect.
Grimaldi said: “With all that is going on in the maritime space at the moment, the industry needs strong governance and strong leadership. John has been involved with ICS for years and I am pleased that 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.
“Finally, I must thank Guy Platten for all he has done over the past seven years. Guy has led ICS and our industry during a period of significant challenge… Guy has increased the impact of ICS and helped our industry to navigate the challenges that we have faced.”
Key subjects at the ICS 2025 AGM included upcoming greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction measures, which are due to be formally adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) later this year. In August 2025, HLPFI reported that the ICS was urging governments to ‘bite the bullet’ and introduce a GHG levy.
