Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) said this week that founder Gianluigi Aponte transferred ownership of the group to his son and daughter in the last quarter of 2025, marking a major generational shift at the world’s largest container shipping line. 

The Geneva-based company said ownership passed to Diego Aponte, the group’s president, and Alexa Aponte, its chief financial officer, both Italian nationals raised in Switzerland and now resident there. 

MSC said the transition marked a significant step in the company’s history, adding that “the move would help ensure the group’s continued stability and growth under the next generation.” 

“I am incredibly proud of this historic moment,” Aponte said, adding that passing ownership to my children is not only a reflection of their dedication and achievements, but also a continuation of our family’s centuries-long maritime heritage. 

He said he was confident that, with Diego and Alexa leading the group, the business would continue to thrive and uphold the family’s legacy of innovation, resilience and commitment to the sea. 

MSC said Aponte will remain executive chairman, while the company continues to focus on its core ocean freight business. 

Born in Sorrento, Italy, Aponte began his career as a captain operating passenger ferries in the Mediterranean for his family’s business after graduating from the Italian Maritime Academy.  

After spending several years in banking, he returned to shipping in 1970 to found MSC. 

The company has since grown from a single-vessel operation into a global transport and logistics group with 675 offices in 155 countries, including a presence in Limassol, Cyprus. 

MSC said it now operates a fleet of 1,000 vessels, sails on 300 trade routes, calls at 520 ports, and carries around 30 million TEU a year. 

The wider MSC group is also active in overland transportation, logistics and port terminal operations, while the business, including its passenger activities, employs 200,000 people worldwide.