Board & Management | Navios Maritime Partners

Angeliki Frangou has been our Chairwoman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer since our inception. Ms. Frangou has also been Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer of Navios Maritime Holdings Inc. (NYSE: NM) since August 2005. Ms. Frangou has been the Chairwoman and a Member of the Board of Directors of Navios South American Logistics Inc. since its inception in December 2007. Ms. Frangou is also a Member of the Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research. Since 2015, Ms. Frangou has been a Member of the Board of Trustees of Fairleigh Dickinson University. Ms. Frangou also acts as Vice Chairwoman of the China Classification Society Mediterranean Committee, and is a member of the International General Committee and of the Hellenic and Black Sea Committee of Bureau Veritas, and is also a member of the Greek Committee of Nippon Kaiji Kyokai. Ms. Frangou received a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, summa cum laude, from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Columbia University.

George Achniotis was appointed to our Board of Directors in August 2007 and he has been our Executive Vice President-Business Development since February 2008. Mr. Achniotis has been Navios Holdings' Chief Financial Officer since April 12, 2007. Prior to being appointed Chief Financial Officer of Navios Holdings, Mr. Achniotis served as Senior Vice President - Business Development of Navios Holdings from August 2006 to April 2007. Mr. Achniotis has also been Navios South American Logistics Inc. Chief Executive Officer since October 2022 and Director. Prior to joining Navios Holdings, Mr. Achniotis was a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers from 1999 to August 2006. Mr. Achniotis holds a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from the University of Manchester and he is a member of the institute of chartered accountants in England and Wales. Mr. Achniotis is also a member of the institute of certified accountants in Cyprus.

Shunji Sasada became our President in November 2022 and was appointed to our Board of Directors in August 2007. Mr. Sasada has also served as a director of Navios Maritime Holdings Inc. (“Navios Holdings”) and President of Navios Corporation since January 2015. Mr. Sasada started his shipping career in 1981 in Japan with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. ("MOSK"). In 1991, Mr. Sasada joined Trinity Bulk Carriers as its chartering manager as well as subsidiary board member representing MOSK as one of the shareholders. After an assignment in Norway, Mr. Sasada moved to London and started MOSK's own Ultra Handymax operation as its General Manager. Mr. Sasada joined Navios Holdings in May 1997. Mr. Sasada was Senior Vice President - Fleet Development of Navios Holdings from October 1, 2005 to July 2007 and Chief Operating Officer until December 2014. Mr. Sasada has been a member of the North American Committee of Nippon Kaiji Kyokai since inception. Mr. Sasada is a graduate of Keio University, Tokyo, with a B.A. degree in business and he is a member of Board of Trustees of Keio Academy of New York.

Serafeim Kriempardis was appointed to our Board of Directors in December 2009. Mr. Kriempardis previously served as the Head of Shipping of Piraeus Bank from 2007 to 2009 and as the Head of Shipping of Emporiki Bank of Greece from 1999 to 2007. Prior to serving as Head of Shipping at Emporiki Bank, Mr. Kriempardis served in the Project Finance and Corporate and Feasibility departments of the bank. Mr. Kriempardis is an accountant by training and holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the Athens University of Economics and Business and a Diploma in Management from the McGill University of Canada. Mr. Kriempardis also serves as chairman of the Audit Committee, chairman of the Compensation Committee and as a member of our Conflicts Committee, is an independent director.

Kunihide Akizawa has 40 years of experience in shipping and logistics. Mr. Akizawa started his shipping career in 1982 in Japan with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. He worked in the accounting department, the export department focusing on the Red Sea and Mediterranean areas, the bulk department, and a chartering manager of Skaarup Shipping International Corporation, which was a joint-venture company with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. In 1995, Mr. Akizawa joined ITOCHU Corporation in the logistics division. In 2011, he became President of MarineNet, a subsidiary of ITOCHU Corporation as well as five other major Japanese trading houses. In 2016, he was appointed as President of IMECS Co., Ltd, the ship-owning arm of ITOCHU and full subsidiary. In 2021, he joined Fleet Management Limited as Vice President Business Development. Mr. Akizawa is a graduate of Gakushuin University, Tokyo with a B.A. degree in Economics.

Alexander Kalafatides has been a member of our board of directors since 2019. Mr. Kalafatides has nearly 41 years of experience in general management and marketing. Mr. Kalafatides holds the position of global sales and marketing director of IUC International LLC, a designer and importer of consumer products, and he also serves as an adjunct professor in International Business at Drexel University. He has been involved in considerable turnarounds in various sectors including the marine sector, where he served as Partner and Vice President of CCSI, Inc., a company acting as the sales agent of the Chevron/Texaco joint venture. Following its successful turnaround, the company was acquired by the Chevron/Texaco group. Mr. Kalafatides received his M.B.A. in marketing and international business from the New York University, his B.S.E. in computer engineering & science at the University of Pennsylvania and a Certificate of Director Education from Drexel University's Gupta Governance Institute. Mr. Kalafatides serves as chairman of the Conflicts Committee and as a member of the Audit Committee, is an independent director.

Vasilios Mouyis was appointed to our Board of Directors in March 2023. Mr. Mouyis has over 34 years of experience in chartering and ship brokerage. He is the co-founder of the Athens-based ship brokering firm, Doric Shipbrokers S.A., where he currently serves as the joint managing director—a position he has held since the firm’s inception in 1994. Previously, Mr. Mouyis served as a chartering broker at Clarkson’s Plc South African office, formerly known as Afromar Pty Ltd. Mr. Mouyis participates as a panelist for the Handysize index of the Baltic Exchange, London, representing Doric Shipbrokers S.A. Mr. Mouyis holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the American College of Greece and a post-graduate diploma in Port and Shipping Administration from The University of Wales, Institute of Science and Technology. Mr. Mouyis also serves on our Audit, Compensation and Conflicts Committee and is an independent director.

Vasiliki Papaefthymiou was appointed our Secretary in August 2007. Ms. Papaefthymiou has been Executive Vice President - Legal and a member of Navios Holdings' board of directors since August 25, 2005, and prior to that was a member of the board of directors of ISE. Ms. Papaefthymiou has served as general counsel for Maritime Enterprises Management S.A. since October 2001, where she has advised the company on shipping, corporate and finance legal matters. Ms. Papaefthymiou provided similar services as general counsel to Franser Shipping from October 1991 to September 2001. Ms. Papaefthymiou received her undergraduate degree from the Law School of the University of Athens and a Master degree in Maritime Law from Southampton University in the United Kingdom. Ms. Papaefthymiou is admitted to practice law before the Bar in Piraeus, Greece.

Efstratios Desypris has been the Chief Operating Officer of Navios Partners since November 2021. He has also served as Chief Financial Officer of Navios Partners from 2010 through November 2021. In addition, Mr. Desypris is the Chief Financial Controller of Navios Holdings, Navios Partners' sponsor, since May 2006 and the Chief Financial Officer of N Shipmanagement Acquisition since September 2019. Mr. Desypris has also been a Director of Navios Containers since November 2018. He also serves as SVP-Strategic Planning of Navios South American Logistics Inc. Before joining Navios Holdings, Mr. Desypris worked in the accounting profession, most recently as manager of the audit department at Ernst & Young in Greece. Mr. Desypris started his career as an auditor with Arthur Andersen & Co. in 1997. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the University of Piraeus.

Erifili Tsironi has been our Chief Financial Officer since November 4th, 2021. Ms. Tsironi is also Senior Vice President – Credit Management of Navios Holdings since October 2014. Ms. Tsironi served as Chief Financial Officer of Navios Maritime Containers L.P. since 2019 until completion of the merger with Navios Maritime Partners L.P. in 2021, and as Chief Financial Officer of Navios Maritime Midstream Partners L.P since its inception in 2014 until completion of the merger with Navios Maritime Acquisition Corporation in 2018. Ms. Tsironi has 26 years experience in shipping. Before joining us, she was Global Dry Bulk Sector Coordinator and Senior Vice President at DVB Bank SE focusing on ship finance. Ms. Tsironi joined DVB Bank in 2000 serving as Assistant Local Manager and Senior Relationship Manager. Previously, she served as account manager/shipping department in ANZ Investment Bank/ANZ Grindlays Bank Ltd from May 1997 until December 1999. Ms. Tsironi holds a BSc. in Economics, awarded with Honours, from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a MSc in Shipping, Trade and Finance, awarded with Distinction, from Bayes (ex Cass) Business School of City University in London.

Ted C. Petrone was appointed our Vice Chairman in November 2022. Mr. Petrone also serves as Vice Chairman of Navios Corporation since January 2015 having previously served as a director of Navios Maritime Holdings Inc. (“Navios Holdings”) from May 2007 to January 2015 and President of Navios Corporation from September 2006 to January 2015. Mr. Petrone has also been Navios South American Logistics Inc. President since July 2020. Mr. Petrone also serves as Vice Chairman of Navios Maritime Partners L.P. since November 2022. Mr. Petrone has served in the maritime industry for 45 years, 42 of which he has spent with Navios Holdings. After joining Navios Holdings as an assistant vessel operator, Mr. Petrone worked in various operational and commercial positions. Mr. Petrone was previously responsible for all aspects of the daily commercial activity, encompassing the trading of tonnage, derivative hedge positions and cargoes. Mr. Petrone graduated from New York Maritime College at Fort Schuyler with a Bachelor of Science degree in maritime transportation. He has served aboard U.S. Navy (Military Sealift Command) tankers.

Anna Kalathakis was appointed our Executive Vice President – Risk Management in November 2022. Ms. Kalathakis has been Chief Legal Risk Officer of Navios Maritime Holdings Inc. (“Navios Holdings”) since November 2012, and previously Senior Vice President — Legal Risk Management of Navios Holdings from December 2005 until October 2012. Ms. Kalathakis has also been Navios South American Logistics Inc. Secretary since inception and Executive Vice President – Group Risk Management and Director since October 2022. Before joining Navios Holdings, Ms. Kalathakis was the General Manager of the Greek office of A. Bilbrough & Co. Ltd. and an Associate Director of the Company (Managers of the London Steam-Ship Owners’ Mutual Insurance Association Limited). She has previously worked for a U.S. maritime law firm in New Orleans, was admitted to practice law in the state of Louisiana in 1995, and has also worked in a similar capacity at a London maritime law firm. She qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales in 1999 and was admitted to practice law before the Bar in Piraeus, Greece in 2003. She has studied International Relations at Georgetown University, Washington D.C. (1991). She holds an MBA from European University at Brussels (1992) and a J.D. from Tulane Law School (1995).

Vincent Vandewalle was appointed as our Chief Trading Officer in November 2022. Since 2010, Mr. Vandewalle also serves as Managing Director in Kleimar NV and has served in the Navios Group as Chief Commercial Officer in Dry bulk since 2012. Mr. Vandewalle has 21 years of experience in the shipping industry with focus in the dry bulk sector. He has served in several commercial positions in Kleimar N.V. in the past 21 years. Mr. Vandewalle has a degree followed by a Master in Applied Economics from University of Leuven and he also holds a Master in Taxation from the University of Leuven.

Joergen Rosleff was appointed our Chief Commercial Officer in November 2022. Previously Mr. Rosleff served as Chief Commercial Officer – Container Division since 2013. Mr. Rosleff has served as a Director and Head of Maersk Broker Exclusive Tonnage Team / Commercial Management Department before joining Navios as well as in various other senior positions in Maersk Broker for about 11 years. Mr. Rosleff has 28 years of experience in the shipping industry as he has served in various commercial positions - tankers, bulkers and containers. Mr. Rosleff has a degree in Business Administration, International Management and Economics, from Copenhagen Business School.