Shipowners Claim Bureau Hellas, the Greece branch of the manager of the American P&I Club, organized an exemplary anniversary formal dinner party at the Grand Bretagne Hotel as a final celebration in 2017 of 100 years of service of the American Club in the marine insurance industry.
Starting off in June 2017, the Club had its main celebratory event marking its 100th Annual General Meeting of the Members in New York. This was followed in October by tributes to its cooperating markets in Asia. On Friday December 8th, 2017, the management of the American Club paid special tribute to the loyalty of it’ s Greek membership over the last two decades of its 100 years of servicing the P&I marine insurance market overall.
More than 300 exclusive guests representing its shipowning membership, producing brokers, representatives of shipping organizations, associates, correspondents, and lawyers that do business with the Club, from the local community were present to enjoy an exciting evening full of entertainment and what can only be described as a very electric celebratory atmosphere.
Mr. Joseph E. M. Hughes, Chairman and CEO of Shipowners Claims Bureau, Inc., graciously noted many significant figures that played important roles in the history of the American Club and told guests that it’s a privilege to serve the world’s top maritime industry which carries centuries of maritime heritage.
“Twenty-five years ago, less than five percent of the American Club’s business came from overseas. Nowadays, although about a third of the Club’s entries are still generated from North America, about a half are now derived from Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and about one fifth from the Asia Pacific region. Members from all three core constituencies of the Club are here tonight. We salute all of you, and the great diversity you bring to the Club’s affairs, representing not only different regions of the world, but also many different types of vessels and trades. And, in addition to honoring those who support us here in the Club’s homeland, we also cherish the loyal and enthusiastic support we have received from the Greek community over the years, as well as from owners in Greater China and Southeast Asia. To all of these great constituencies of shipping, we offer our sincere thanks,” Mr. Hughes said.
A special highlight of the evening was Mr. Vincent J. Solarino, President and COO of Shipowners Claims Bureau, Inc. who, in an inspiring address, stressed the importance of those individuals who take on the day to day load of the Club’s business servicing the membership. Mr. Solarino then went on to explain the spirit of the American Club through a rousing rendition of the legendary Frank Sinatra’s “That’s Life” backed up by the beautiful ladies of the SCB Hellas office through which the team spirit and bond of the Club’s management team resonated.
With central offices in New York, the Club’s Manager, Shipowners Claims Bureau, Inc., has operations in Piraeus, Houston, London, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Winner of the Lloyd’s List North American Maritime Services Award for 2016, winner of the Seatrade “Investment in People” Award for 2017 and with its Dorothea Ioannou taking the Lloyds List Next Global Generation Award for 2017, the Club prides itself with over 80 dedicated specialized staff and a proven track record of exceptional personalized service, know-how and capability to accommodate the needs of members both large and small.
