Captain Gianluigi Aponte is the Founder and Group Chairman of MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company SA.

Born in Sorrento, Italy, Mr Aponte started his career as a captain operating passenger ferries in the Mediterranean for his family’s business after graduating from the Italian Maritime Academy.

In 1970, following a break from the world of maritime transport to work as a banker for a number of years, Captain Aponte returned to the industry to start his own business, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company. Inspired by his vision that “where the customer goes, MSC goes”, Captain Aponte has since grown MSC from a single vessel operation to become one of the largest container shipping lines in the world, while remaining true to his core family values of caring for employees and customers.