Dorothea Ioannou becomes first ever female CEO of Managers of American P&I Club

After 27 years’ service as Chief Executive Officer of Shipowners Claims Bureau, Inc (SCB), the Managers of the American P&I Club, Joe Hughes will stand down from that role on August 1, 2022 and Dorothea Ioannou, currently Deputy Chief Operating Officer of SCB, will succeed Mr. Hughes as CEO from that date.  This will make history as the first woman to ascend to the top executive position of an International Group P&I club in the 167-year history of the marine mutuals.

At the same time, Vince Solarino will step down as Chief Operating Officer of SCB, Inc. after a similar length of service to that of Mr. Hughes, with Dan Tadros, presently Chief Legal and Compliance Officer of SCB, taking over the role of COO from Mr. Solarino. Arpad Kadi will continue to discharge his duties as Chief Financial Officer and Tom Hamilton will continue in his role as Chief Underwriting Officer.

Speaking in New York on the announcement of this news, Joe Hughes said: “The last 27 years have been the most consequential of my professional life. The outlook of the American Club was, by common consent, not entirely promising in 1995, but it has enjoyed extraordinary growth and development since then. My colleagues and I take pride in the collective efforts which, over the years, have brought us to where we are today – marine insurers commanding universal respect within the industry. Most importantly, I have every confidence that Dorothea, as the first female CEO of a Group club management company, and Dan, together with Arpad and Tom, with the support of everyone in our service teams across the world, will take the Club and EOM to yet greater success over the years ahead.”

Vince Solarino said: “I entirely endorse Joe’s remarks. We have confronted many challenges over the last 25 years or so but, with the support of our professional colleagues, our Members, their brokers, the Club’s Board and our many other friends across the globe, we have been able to expand and diversify our operations to achieve the highly regarded position we enjoy within the maritime community today. We extend our congratulations to Dorothea and Dan, who we are confident will continue the Club’s mission with the same enthusiasm and success. Joe and I remain committed to supporting our excellent global teams who have become both our family and our legacy. We are stepping aside, not stepping out!”

Dorothea Ioannou, the incoming CEO, said: “I am thrilled and excited with this new appointment, which as a woman carries with it not only responsibility and significance for our organization, but also, as a first in the P&I sector, for the marine insurance industry in general. I have from the start been proud of working with SCB, the American Club and EOM and the team of talented professionals across the world with whom I have spent the last 17 years. I have been particularly privileged by the mentorship of Joe and Vince and I look forward to building on the achievements of the past to generate yet further success in the future.”

Dan Tadros, the incoming COO, also commented: “The recent years during which I have had the privilege of serving SCB, the American Club and EOM have been enriching, not to mention educational, quite nicely dovetailing my time as a maritime lawyer. I am excited about and look forward to assuming my new responsibilities as SCB’s COO over the months ahead, and to working with my exceptional colleagues across the world in developing future success together.”