Ownership style | management style |
One ship belongs to one (owning) company. The owner may be a person or family. All owning companies deposit their shares with the mother-holding company, belonging to family. In every ship-owning company may exist majority and minority share-holders. Shares are anonymous to bearer. Owning companies are formed mainly under shipping laws of countries like Malta, Cyprus, Liberia, Panama, Greece and others. Shareholders look after profits. Best archetype: Greek Shipping. | Management is done by a separate company established by the owners of the ships. Ownership is the “passport” to management. Ship Management (in Greece) is a way of life. A separate company acts as a fleet banker. The management know-how is of secondary importance to manage a shipping company. Management and ownership coincide to the same person. There may be established and other companies for chartering, travel, ship repairing, shipbuilding etc. Best archetype: Greek shipping. |
Public companies are owned by wide public and usually are listed; their shareholders look after dividends. | Management is carried out by a board of directors and by a professional manager. Management is separate from ownership. |
Owners retain their ownership, but refrain wholly―or partly―from managing their own ships. | Management is carried out by “3rd-party-ship-managers” on a fee under “Shipman 1998” contract. These companies may be personal, private and/or listed. |