For many in the shipping world, Greece is the spiritual home of modern shipping.
The Greeks have played a prominent role in international shipping since time immemorial, and over the years have developed a strong reputation as leaders in the maritime industry.
ClassNK is a world-leading classification society that has been serving the Greek maritime community for many years. The Society dramatically strengthened its services with the opening of the Piraeus office in 1975 and its operations in Greece have steadily expanded to serve all major ports throughout the Aegean archipelago. In 2014, ClassNK increased its commitment to the Greek maritime industry even further through the establishment of the Greek-registered corporation, Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (Greece) S.A.
The office now oversees a total of more than 1,000 Greek-owned vessels. This achievement is a testament to ClassNK Piraeus’ outstanding service and the trust it shares with Greek shipping clients.
In April 2018, Mr. Seiichi Gyobu, who is one of the 14 corporate officers of ClassNK, was appointed to serve Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (Greece) S.A and took up the role of Regional Manager of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea & Northern Black Sea.
Mr. Gyobu joined ClassNK in 1983 and has since taken on various tasks in the Head Office including plan approval, rule development, and control of ClassNK survey activities. Having spent more than 15 years at ClassNK survey stations in Japan, Australia and the US, his long experience and excellent insight makes him one of the most admired surveyors in the Society. Furthermore, he has demonstrated his extensive organization management skills through his previous position as Regional Manager of North, Central and South America, responsible for all ClassNK activities across two continents.
Upon assuming the new role, Mr. Gyobu commented “It is a distinct honor for me to come to Greece and work together with our Greek customers. Needless to say, Greece has historically been and will continue to be one of the most important regions to our Society. The ClassNK staff and I will do our best to maintain strong relationships with all of our Greek clients and make our services as convenient as possible.”
Mr. Gyobu’s mission is to further improve ClassNK’s service level and customer satisfaction together with Mr. Aristidis Dalakas who has kept his vital role in client relations as Executive Advisor. Mr. Dalakas has served ClassNK for 30 years and has been the leading figure in expanding ClassNK’s presence in Greece. He continues representing ClassNK’s swift, client-oriented, and reliable attitude.
Another ClassNK veteran, Mr. Konstantinos Th. Markou has been promoted to General Manager of Surveys. Mr. Markou is in charge of handling surveys and audits in Greece and the surrounding area, and also provides necessary assistance to Greek clients, applying ClassNK service all over the world. His team is also supported by newly-appointed managers Mr. Ioannis Vrontorinakis and Mr. Dimitrios Kakouris.
Furthermore, Mr. Naruchika Kozuma, a manager dispatched from Japan, adds his function as Representative of the Survey Department, holding the authority to make technical decisions on behalf of the Head Office. This enables him to take quicker and more definitive actions in response to customer needs.
These organizational reinforcements demonstrate ClassNK’s strong commitment to better serve the Greek Maritime industry’s growth through its highest technical services.
ClassNK’s contribution to the Greek shipping industry stretches far beyond traditional classification services. In addition to providing the best in class surveys, audits, and inspections, Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (Greece) S.A. works to reflect ClassNK’s cutting-edge approaches to digitalization, emissions, and all of its other initiatives for tackling the challenges of the industry alongside its ever-expanding Greek fleet.