An exceptional tribute to Jacques Saadé, Founder of the CMA CGM Group and visionary entrepreneur driven by a passion for the sea
The ceremony was held today in the presence of Elisabeth Borne, Minister of Ecological and Solidarity Transition and Jean-Baptiste Djebarri, Minister of State for Transport
Alongside ENSM (the French Maritime Academy), CMA CGM is sharing its expertise with the French merchant marine officers and sailors of tomorrow
The CMA CGM Group, a world leader in maritime shipping and logistics, and the French Maritime Academy (ENSM) are pleased to announce that this year’s new class has been named in honour of Jacques Saadé, Founder of the CMA CGM Group.
An opening day ceremony took place today in Marseille in the Jacques Saadé Tower, the Group’s world headquarters, in the presence of Elisabeth Borne, Minister of Ecological and Solidarity Transition, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, Minister of State for Transport, Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and CEO of the CMA CGM Group, and Frédéric Moncany de Saint- Aignan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the ENSM. Many political and economic leaders were also present alongside the 150 students of the Jacques Saadé class. An exceptional tribute to Jacques Saadé, a visionary entrepreneur driven by a passion for the sea By naming the class after Jacques Saadé, the French Maritime Academy made the unprecedented and highly symbolic choice to mark the leadership and contribution of this visionary entrepreneur.
Driven by a passion for the sea, Jacques Saadé founded the Compagnie Maritime d’Affrètement (CMA) on September 13, 1978 with a strong belief in both the development of international trade and the role that the container would take in world shipping. Under his leadership, the CMA CGM Group became a world leader in shipping while maintaining its family and human values, deeply impacting the French and international maritime world.
CMA CGM alongside the ENSM to share its expertise with French maritime officers and the sailors of tomorrow Nearly 500 French officers and sailors serve on CMA CGM Group’s ships, making their recruitment and training a priority. In 2019, 50 French officers trained at the French Maritime Academy have joined the Group’s ranks and more than 130 have been accepted as trainees aboard CMA CGM ships.
CMA CGM relies on the expertise of the ENSM, which provides specific training on the navigation of ships powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). This training is essential to prepare French officers and sailors who will be called upon to serve on the nine future 22,000 TEU (20 foot equivalent unit) container ships of the CMA CGM Group, all of which will fly the French flag.
The excellence of ENSM training admitted on the basis of competition and credentials, these students will pursue a five and a half year course of study at the ENSM sites of Marseille and Le Havre to become merchant marine officers and marine engineers. They will benefit from multi-purpose training, bridge and machine, recognized internationally for its excellence.
On this occasion, Elisabeth Borne, Minister of Ecological and Solidarity Transition, said: “Celebrating the opening day of the French Maritime Academy here at CMA CGM is a strong symbol and I would like to welcome the young students who are embarking on a maritime career. We owe you the best training and we want ENSM to become an international reference. I also would like to highlight two major commitments made by the CMA CGM Group: the first when you began the transition of your fleet in 2017 with the order of nine LNG containerships. This is the way of the future. The second one, only a few days ago, when you decided not to use the northern sea route.”
Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, Minister of State for Transport, said : “I am determined to continue, together, the work that is being done to transform the shipping sector. CMA CGM is a source of pride for France. As a world leader, the Group has a special responsibility to contribute to cleaner shipping. CMA CGM fully embraces this responsibility, with ambitious commitments and I want to welcome it.”
Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and CEO of the CMA CGM Group, said: “By choosing liquefied natural gas (LNG) for its future containerships, the CMA CGM Group will provide France with the first commercial fleet engaged in the energy transition. Students of the “Jacques Saadé” class will be tomorrow’s commanding officers of these ships and they will be main actors of the sector, always more respectful of the environment.”
Frédéric Moncany de Saint-Aignan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the ENSM, said: “The excellence of multi- purpose training at the French Maritime Academy justifies the School’s international ambitions, which, in addition to merchant marine officers, grants maritime engineering degrees. Faced with new ecological and digital challenges, the French Maritime Academy is constantly adapting to meet the expectations of this sector.”
About CMA CGM
Led by Rodolphe Saadé, the CMA CGM Group is a world leader in shipping and logistics.
Its 511 vessels serve more than 420 ports on five continents around the world and carried nearly 21 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) in 2018. With CEVA, a world leader in logistics services, CMA CGM handled more than 500,000 tons of airfreight and 1.9 million tons of inland freight in 2018.
CMA CGM is constantly innovating to offer customers new maritime, inland and logistics solutions.
Present on every continent and in 160 countries through its network of 755 offices and 750 warehouses, the Group employs 110,000 people worldwide, of which 2,400 in Marseille where its head office is located.