Simeon Palios, the chairman and CEO of both Diana Shipping and Performance Shipping, has tested positive for coronavirus.
In an SEC filing, Diana Shipping said it has appointed the Semiramis Paliou, the company’s deputy CEO and daughter of Palios, as acting chief executive officer on a temporary basis.
Performance Shipping also submitted an SEC filing, but did not name an acting CEO. It did say that it has “taken additional steps to protect the health of all other employees of the company” and isn’t aware of any other employees having tested positive. Andreas Michalopoulos, the son-in-law of Palios, is currently deputy CEO.
Palios is the second prominent Greek shipowner to contract the coronavirus, joining Evangelos Marinakis who took to social media to confirm that he was fighting the illness.
Last night, Marinakis took to social media again to share that he has since recovered from the virus, having tested negative.
