Having started out in 1992 and with an ongoing presence in important international shipping and energy markets, Island Energies has presented its new corporate identity, marking another chapter in its history.
Welcoming the guests to the Exclusive Afternoon Cocktail Event, which took place on November 12, 2026 at the Four Seasons Hotel Limassol, Chrysostomos Papavassiliou, Founder, CEO & Chair of the Board of Directors of Island Energies, warmly thanked the Shipping Deputy Minister Marina Hadjimanolis, as well as the associates and executives who honored this landmark evening with their presence.
Starting with a moving flashback, he turned back time to 2 May, 1992, when the company took its first steps in a small office in an apartment building, just a few steps away from the event venue, before moving to the coastal road and evolving, almost 35 years later, into an international group with a presence in 12 countries. As Papavassiliou confessed, the secret of this journey can be summed up in a single word: people. “The most valuable asset of any company is its people. People can take gold and turn it into dust, or they can take dust and turn it into gold,” he said characteristically, emphasising that the team always faced difficulties with optimism and with the Greek saying “every obstacle is for the good” (κάθε εμπόδιο για καλό) that is to say, to trust that temporary disruption might lead to a better outcome.
Papavassiliou also shared valuable business lessons from the early years of development, emphasising the importance of clear systems and procedures so that there is no ambiguity, but also the value of perseverance. He even humorously recalled the purchase of the first ship, when access to bank loans was extremely difficult and he had to secure financing from a London trading house with a high interest rate calculated on a daily basis. As he noted, consistency, keeping commitments and building relationships of trust with a future perspective, rather than opportunistic agreements, were what paved the way to success.
Explaining the transition to the new corporate identity after almost three and a half decades, he said that the word “Island” was retained as a tribute to the company’s roots and essence, while the word “Energies” was added in the plural. This choice does not limit the group to a single activity, but embraces both the energy that drives shipping and new markets, as well as the human energy itself that fuels every endeavor.
In closing, he presented the group's new motto, "Solid Partnerships, Infinite Horizons", sending an optimistic message for the future, founded on mutually beneficial relationships, teamwork and shared values that remain unchanged.
