Piraeus, Greece - NewLead Holdings Ltd., an international shipping company, announced that Michael Zolotas, president and chief executive officer of NewLead, will assume the role and responsibilities of chairman.
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Mr. Zolotas joined Stamford Navigation Inc. as a superintendent engineer where he spent almost three years in sea service and in pure technical matters including repairs and conversions and newbuildings. In 1999, Mr. Zolotas became General Manager of Stamford Navigation Inc.
In 2005, he was nominated as member of Bureau Veritas (BV) Black Sea Mediterranean Committee, on which he serves as board member.
In 2006, he was nominated as member of Registro Italiano Navale (RINA).
He is also a member of China Classification Society (CCS) Mediterranean Committee. From 2001 to 2007, he served on the board of the CTM Pool.
In 2006, together with Mr. Nicholas G. Fistes, Mr. Zolotas founded GrandUnion Inc., where he serves as Chief Executive Officer and is a board member.
He completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Stevens Institute of Technology.
Nicholas Fistes resigned as chairman and director of the company.
Mr. Fistes is an Executive Chairman of the Board of NewLead Holdings Ltd., since October 13, 2009. He began his career as a Naval Architect and Marine Engineer in charge of worldwide new construction and shipbuilding with Ceres Hellenic Shipping Enterprises Ltd., or Ceres.
He later became the Chief Executive Officer of Ceres (2004-2005), one of the ship management companies in the world, managing various types of ships including crude oil tankers, chemical tankers, LNG ships and dry bulk carriers.
Mr. Fistes also served as Chief Executive Officer of Seachem Tankers Ltd. (1993-1996), a commercial chemical tanker operating company and as Chief Executive Officer of Coeclerici Ceres Bulk Carriers, a bulk carrier shipping company (2002-2003).
He served on the Executive Committee of Euronav NV from 2006 to 2008. He was also a Board Member of the shipmanagement companies Ceres LNG Services Ltd. and Ceres Hellas Maritime Company from 2004 to 2006.
In 2006, together with Michail Zolotas, Mr. Fistes founded Grandunion Inc., a shipholding company, where he holds the position of Chairman.
From March 2007 until 2009, he was the Chairman of the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (INTERTANKO) and serves on the Board of the Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Association (HELMEPA).
He is a member of a number of industry-related associations including the Executive Committee of the International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (INTERCARGO) and the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).
Mr. Fistes serves on the Hellenic Committees for Det Norske Veritas (DNV), Registro Italiano Navale (RINA) and the Korean Register of Shipping (KR).
Mr. Fistes also serves on the Mediterranean Committee for the China Classification Society (CCS). ■