Fenech & Fenech Marine Services Ltd honour the memory of maritime giant Athena Martinou

Fenech & Fenech Marine Services Ltd have bid adieu to maritime giant Athena Martinou, who passed away on Friday, 11th October, at the age of 97.

Ms Martinou, dubbed as one of the pioneers in the international maritime industry worldwide was the founder of shipping giant Thenamaris Ships Management.

Fenech & Fenech Maritime Services remarked the company was privileged to know her and collaborate with her company.

“Her steadfast dedication to the maritime industry was always paired with an inimtable humility that set her apart,” the company wrote.

It added that Ms Martinou exemplified the values of perseverance, tenacity, innovation, and service, leaving an indelible mark on the maritime industry, “an industry she helped transform with her remarkable vision and leadership.”

In an interview, asked about how she fell in love with the sea, Ms Martinou recounted how she was born in Glyfada and frequently saw ships passing by. “I told my friends; we will make barges too and we did it. We were obsessed with it and the whole family made barges,” she said.

During the same interview she reiterated that being at the helm of the company was not a ‘one-woman-job’ but had lots of help from her husband John Martin and her son Thanasis, who from a very early age showed interest in the business.

Furthermore, she had said she was never a Director. “Thenamaris was what I loved, not the directing. What I wanted was for my barges to multiply, and that’s what happened.”