In the final quarter of 2025, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company completed the transfer of ownership from founder Gianluigi Aponte to his children Diego and Alexa Aponte, a move disclosed by the Group on 13 April 2026. The new owners, Italian citizens raised in Switzerland where they reside, already hold senior leadership roles within the company: Diego Aponte is Chair, while Alexa Aponte is Chief Financial Officer.
The ownership transfer forms part of a broader continuity plan already under way in previous years, marked by the gradual assumption of operational responsibilities by the next generation. According to the company, the move is intended to ensure long-term stability and growth while maintaining family leadership at a time of significant transformation in the maritime transport sector. The presence of the two new owners in top executive roles creates an overlap between shareholding control and operational management, a feature that has historically characterised MSC’s model.
Gianluigi Aponte will retain the role of Executive Chairman of the Group, ensuring strategic continuity and support during the transition phase. In a statement released by the company, the founder described the transfer as “a recognition of the dedication and achievements” of his children, while also emphasising the intention to continue a family entrepreneurial tradition rooted in the maritime sector. This focus on continuity comes as MSC has consolidated a leading global position over time, with a highly integrated model in container shipping.
Diego Aponte’s career has developed entirely within the company. He joined the Group in 1997, starting on board ships as a junior engineer, before moving into the technical division in Sorrento and later to the Geneva headquarters, where he worked on commercial activities along routes between Latin America and the United States. In 2000, he founded Terminal Investment Limited, a company active in container terminal operations and now a core element of the Group’s vertical integration strategy. In 2014, he was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer, effectively anticipating the generational transition.
Alexa Aponte’s profile is focused on the financial domain. She has served for years as the Group’s Chief Financial Officer, with responsibility for financial strategy and major investment operations. Her role has become central to managing the Group’s growth across container shipping, as well as in cruise and logistics activities. In 2025, she joined the board of Rolex, extending the Aponte family’s presence within the Swiss economic landscape.
