Gianluigi Aponte recognised for outstanding contribution to the cruise industry

MSC Group owner and president Gianluigi Aponte has received the highly prestigious Cruise International Lifetime Achievement Award.

The award, accepted on Mr Aponte’s behalf by Giulio Libutti, Managing Director MSC Cruises UK and Ireland, was presented at the 2nd Cruise International Awards ceremony attended by leading industry figures.

“We are delighted to bestow upon Gianluigi Aponte this well-deserved honour,” said Liz Jarvis, editor of Cruise International. “Under his guidance MSC Cruises has become one of the world’s leading cruise companies; that it has done so in such a relatively short period of time is testament not only to Mr Aponte’s expertise, but to his extraordinary vision.”

Mr Aponte founded MSC Cruises in the late 1980s. In just over two decades he has seen his company grow from modest beginnings to become the world’s fourth-largest cruise operator, boasting an ultra-modern fleet of 12 ships - a thirteenth, MSC Preziosa, will be christened next March - and market-leading positions in the Mediterranean, South Africa and Brazil.

The success of MSC Cruises is only part of a remarkable career that has spanned over 40 years and seen
Mr Aponte build up a global empire that dominates in not just one shipping sector but several.

Born in Sorrento, Italy, he began his career as a captain in
the family company, which operated a fleet of sailing boats on the Mediterranean. In 1970, following a few years in banking, Mr Aponte set up the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) with the purchase of a single ship. Under his leadership, MSC is now the second-largest container ship operator in the world, employing more than 40,000 people and operating a fleet of 441 cargo vessels serving 306 ports across five continents.

Despite its spectacular growth, MSC is still a family-owned business and its founder remains dedicated to the company and to his family.