Board of Directors

Simeon P. Palios has served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Diana Shipping Inc. since February 2005 and a Director of the Company since March 1999. He served as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer from February 2005 until February 2021. Mr. Palios also serves as the President of Diana Shipping Services S.A. which was formed in 1986.  Mr. Palios has experience in the shipping industry since 1969 and expertise in technical and operational issues. He has served as an ensign in the Greek Navy for the inspection of passenger boats on behalf of Ministry of Merchant Marine and is qualified as a naval architect and marine engineer. Mr. Palios was the founder of Diana Shipping Agencies S.A., where he served as Managing Director until November 2004, having the overall responsibility for its activities. From January 13, 2010 until February 28, 2022, Mr. Palios also served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Performance Shipping Inc. (ex. Diana Containerships Inc.) and as Chief Executive Officer until October 2020.

Mr. Palios is a member of various leading classification societies worldwide and he is a member of the board of directors of the United Kingdom Freight Demurrage and Defense Association Limited. Since October 7, 2015, Mr. Palios has served as President of the Association “Friends of Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens”. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Marine Engineering from Durham University.

Semiramis Paliou has served as a Director of Diana Shipping Inc. since March 2015, and as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Chairperson of the Executive Committee and member of the Sustainability Committee since March 2021. Ms. Paliou has been the Chief Executive Officer of Diana Shipping Services S.A. since March 2021. She also serves as a Director of OceanPal Inc. since April 2021 and as the Chairperson of the Board of Directors and of the Executive Committee of OceanPal Inc. since November 2021. Ms. Paliou is the Chairperson of the Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Association (HELMEPA), a position she has held since June 2020, while she joined its board of directors in March 2018. As of July 2023, she serves as Chairperson of INTERMEPA. She is also a member of the board of directors of the UK P&I Club since November 2020, member of the board of directors of the Union of Greek Shipowners since February 2022 and member of the board of directors of the Global Maritime Forum since April 2022. She is Vice-Chairperson of the Greek committee of Det Norske Veritas, a member of the Greek committee of Nippon Kaiji Kyokai, Bureau Veritas, American Bureau of Shipping and Hellenic War Risks.

Ms. Paliou has over 20 years of experience in shipping operations, technical management and crewing. She began her career at Lloyd’s Register of Shipping where she worked as a trainee ship surveyor from 1996 to 1998. She was then employed by Diana Shipping Agencies S.A. From 2007 to 2010 she was employed as a Director and President of Alpha Sigma Shipping Corp. From February 2010 to November 2015, she was the Head of the Operations, Technical and Crew department of Diana Shipping Services S.A. From November 2015 to October 2016, she served as Vice-President of the same company. From November 2016 to the end of July 2018, she served as Managing Director and Head of the Technical, Operations, Crew and Supply department of Unitized Ocean Transport Limited. From November 2018 to February 2020, she worked as Chief Operating Officer of Performance Shipping Inc. (ex. Diana Containerships Inc.). From October 2019 until February 2021, Ms. Paliou served as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Diana Shipping Inc. She also served as member of the Executive Committee and the Chief Operating Officer of the Company from August 2018 until February 2021.

Ms. Paliou obtained her BSc in Mechanical Engineering from Imperial College, London and her MSc in Naval Architecture from University College, London. She completed courses in “Finance for Senior Executives”, in “Authentic Leader Development” and a certificate program on “Sustainable Business Strategy” all at Harvard Business School. Ms. Paliou is also the daughter of Simeon Palios, the Company’s Chairman.

Anastasios C. Margaronis has served as President and a Director of Diana Shipping Inc. since February 2005. He is also member of the Executive Committee of the Company. Mr. Margaronis is the Deputy President of Diana Shipping Services S.A., where he also serves as a Director and Secretary. Mr. Margaronis has experience in the shipping industry, including in ship finance and insurance, since 1980. Prior to February 21, 2005, Mr. Margaronis was employed by Diana Shipping Agencies S.A. in 1979 and performed on our behalf the services he now performs as President. He joined Diana Shipping Agencies S.A. in 1979 and has been responsible for overseeing our vessels’ insurance matters, including hull and machinery, protection and indemnity and war risks insurances. From January 2010 to February 2020, he served as Director and President of Performance Shipping Inc. (ex. Diana Containerships Inc.).

In addition, Mr. Margaronis is a member of the Greek National Committee of the American Bureau of Shipping. He has also been on the Members’ Committee of the Britannia Steam Ship Insurance Association Limited since October 2022. From October 2005 to October 2019, he was a member of the board of directors of the United Kingdom Mutual Steam Ship Assurance Association (Europe) Limited.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Warwick and a master’s of science degree in Maritime Law from the Wales Institute of Science and Technology.

Ioannis Zafirakis has served as a Director and Secretary of Diana Shipping Inc. since February 2005 and Chief Financial Officer (Interim Chief Financial Officer until February 2021) and Treasurer since February 2020 and he is also the Chief Strategy Officer of the Company. Mr. Zafirakis is also member of the Executive Committee of the Company. Mr. Zafirakis has held various executive positions such as Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice-President and Vice-President. In addition, Mr. Zafirakis is the Chief Financial Officer of Diana Shipping Services S.A., where he also serves as Director and Treasurer. Also, he has served as a Director of OceanPal Inc. since April 2021. He has also served as the President, Secretary and Interim Chief Financial Officer of OceanPal Inc. from November 2021 to April 2023. He is also member of the Executive Committee of OceanPal Inc.

From June 1997 to February 2005, Mr. Zafirakis was employed by Diana Shipping Agencies S.A., where he held a number of positions in finance and accounting. From January 2010 to February 2020, he also served as Director and Secretary of Performance Shipping Inc. (ex. Diana Containerships Inc.), where he held various executive positions such as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Strategy Officer.

Mr. Zafirakis is a member of the Business Advisory Committee of the Shipping Programs of ALBA Graduate Business School at The American College of Greece. In 2024, Mr. Zafirakis attended and completed the Advanced Management Programme at INSEAD Business School in Singapore. Mr. Zafirakis has also obtained a certificate in “Blockchain Economics: An Introduction to Cryptocurrencies” from Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences in Greece. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Studies from City University Business School in London and a master’s degree in International Transport from the University of Wales in Cardiff.

Apostolos Kontoyannis is a Director, the Chairperson of the Compensation Committee and a member of the Audit Committee of Diana Shipping Inc., positions he has held since March 2005. Since March 2021, Mr. Kontoyannis also serves as the Chairperson of the Sustainability Committee of the Company.

Mr. Kontoyannis has over 40 years of experience in shipping finance and currently serves as financial consultant to various shipping companies. He was employed by Chase Manhattan Bank N.A. in Frankfurt (Corporate Bank), London (Head of Shipping Finance South Western European Region) and Piraeus (Manager, Ship Finance Group) from 1975 to 1987.

Mr. Kontoyannis holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance and Marketing and a master’s degree in Business Administration and Finance from Boston University.

Kyriacos Riris has served as a Director of Diana Shipping Inc. since March 2015 and a member of its Nominating Committee since May 2015. From May 2022, he is also the Chairman of the Audit Committee of the Company.

Commencing in 1998, Mr. Riris served in a series of positions in PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Greece, including Senior Partner, Managing Partner of the Audit and the Advisory/Consulting Lines of Service. From 2009 to 2014, Mr. Riris served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Greece. Prior to its merger with PwC, Mr. Riris was employed at Grant Thornton, Greece, where in 1984 he became a Partner. From 1976 to 1982, Mr. Riris was employed at Arthur Young, Greece. Since November 2018, Mr. Riris has served as Chairman of Titan Cement International S.A., a Belgian corporation, while he is currently the Vice Chairman of the Board and the Chairman of the Audit and the Risk Committee of the Group.

Mr. Riris holds a degree from Birmingham Polytechnic (presently Birmingham City University) and completed his professional qualifications with the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA) in the UK in 1975, becoming a Fellow of the Association of Certified Accountants in 1985.

Eleftherios (Lefteris) A. Papatrifon has served as a Director and a member of the Executive Committee of Diana Shipping Inc. since February 2023. Prior to this appointment, he served as Chief Operating Officer of the Company from March 2021 to February 2023. Mr. Papatrifon also serves as a Director of OceanPal Inc. and a member of its Executive Committee, positions he has held since November 2021. From November 2021 to January 2023, he served as Chief Executive Officer of OceanPal Inc.

Prior to joining Diana Shipping Inc., he was Chief Executive Officer, Co-Founder and Director of Quintana Shipping Ltd, a provider of dry bulk shipping services, from 2010 until the company’s successful sale of assets and consequent liquidation in 2017. Previously, for a period of approximately six years, he served as the Chief Financial Officer and Director of Excel Maritime Carriers Ltd. Prior to that, Mr. Papatrifon served for approximately 15 years in a number of corporate finance and asset management positions, both in the USA and in Greece.

Mr. Papatrifon holds undergraduate (BBA) and graduate (MBA) degrees from Baruch College (CUNY). He is also a member of the CFA Institute and a CFA charterholder.

Jane Chao has served as a Director of Diana Shipping Inc. since February 2023. She also serves as a director of Wah Kwong Shipping Holdings Limited, a position she has held since 2008. Ms. Chao is the managing director of Wah Kwong China Investment which includes residential and commercial properties as well as hospitality businesses in Shanghai and Wuxi. Ms. Chao has founded her own art consultancy company Galerie Huit and lifestyle gallery Maison Huit in 2009 and recently, the non-profit Chao-Lee Art Foundation in 2022.

Ms. Chao has also served as a Council Member for Changing Young Lives Foundation helping underprivileged children in Hong Kong and China from 2014 to 2020.

Konstantinos Psaltis has served as a Director of Diana Shipping Inc. since March 2005, the Chairman of its Nominating Committee since May 2015 and a member of its Compensation Committee since May 2017. Mr. Psaltis serves also as President of Ormos Compania Naviera S.A., a company that specializes in operating and managing multipurpose container vessels, where from 1981 to 2006, he held the position of Managing Director. Prior to joining Ormos Compania Naviera S.A., Mr. Psaltis simultaneously served as a technical manager in the textile manufacturing industry and as a shareholder of shipping companies managed by M.J. Lemos. From 1961 to 1964, he served as ensign in the Royal Hellenic Navy.

He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Technische Hochschule Reutlingen & Wuppertal and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Tubingen University in Germany.

Konstantinos Fotiadis has served as a Director of Diana Shipping Inc. since 2017.  Mr. Fotiadis served as an independent Director and as the Chairman of the Audit Committee of Performance Shipping Inc. (ex. Diana Containerships Inc.) from the completion of Performance Shipping Inc. (ex. Diana Containerships Inc.)’s private offering until February 2011. From 1990 until 1994, Mr. Fotiadis served as the President and Managing Director of Reckitt & Colman (Greece), part of the British multinational Reckitt & Colman plc, manufacturers of household, cosmetics and health care products. From 1981 until its acquisition in 1989 by Reckitt & Colman plc, Mr. Fotiadis was a General Manager at Dr. Michalis S.A., a Greek company manufacturing and marketing cosmetics and health care products. From 1978 until 1981, Mr. Fotiadis held positions with Esso Chemicals Ltd. and Avrassoglou S.A. Mr. Fotiadis has also been active as a business consultant and real estate developer.

Mr. Fotiadis holds a degree in Economics from Technische Universitaet Berlin and in Business Administration from Freie Universitaet Berlin.

Simon Morecroft has served as a Director of Diana Shipping Inc. since May 2022. He also serves as a Director of Enarxis Ltd, a shipping consultancy company. Mr. Morecroft spent his career in the shipbroking industry as a Sale and Purchase broker. He joined Braemar Shipbrokers Ltd (now Braemar ACM Shipbroking) in 1983 becoming a director in 1986 and remained on the board until his retirement in August 2021. During this time Braemar grew from a boutique broking operation into one of the world’s most successful fully integrated shipbroking companies with a listing on the London Stock Exchange.

Mr. Morecroft graduated from Oxford University in 1980 with a Masters in PPE.