Thomas A. Kazakos is the Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), having previously served as Director General of the Cyprus Shipping Chamber (CSC), the representative National-Member Association of Cyprus at ICS, since 1995. Throughout his last tenure, he actively participated together with successive CSC Board Members (currently, Mr. Themis Papadopoulos) at the ICS Board, contributing in shaping the Association’s strategy on all regulatory, operational, and legal issues concerning the international shipping industry. Thomas studied at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree in Law (LL.B) and a Master‘s Degree in European and International Trade Law (LL.M). Thomas began his professional career at the Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation prior to joining the Cyprus Shipping Chamber. Internationally Thomas has represented Cyprus on the board of ICS and the European Community Shipowners’ Association (ECSA) in addition to being an Administrative Board member of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA).