The maritime world’s focus turned to Marseille on Friday as it paid tribute to CMA CGM Group founder and industry visionary Jacques R. Saade, who died on June 24.
His funeral at Le Major Cathedral was attended by members of the French and Lebanese governments, as well as many of CMA’s employees during a ceremony that was felt around the world.
30,000 of the Group’s associates held a minute’s silence in the 160 countries it operates in and during the service every ship docked in French ports sounded its horn in tribute to a man that rose from humble beginnings to change the maritime industry forever.
Having left war-torn Lebanon with his family, Saade founded Compagnie Maritime d’Affretement (CMA) in 1978 with just four employees, one ship and a single service between Marseilles and Beirut.
Within five years, he had sent his first ship beyond the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal.
By 1986, Saade had opened up a service linking Europe and Asia.
In honour of its Founding President, five CMA CMG Group vessels anchored in the Bay of Marseilles in front of the Cathedral
His eye for strategic acquisitions saw CMA consistently appear in emerging markets and become the third biggest container shipping company in the world by 2006.
CMA CGM Tower, the group’s headquarters, opened in Marseille in the same year and has since become a symbol of the city.
He was at the forefront of many of the industry’s biggest trends, most notably being one of the first to see the manufacturing potential of China – he opened CMA’s first office in Shanghai in 1992.
His achievements, which included working tirelessly to promote relations between France and Lebanon, were recognized with numerous awards from around the globe, such as the Commander of the French Legion of Honour by the President of France in 2015 and the Admiralitats-Portugaleser by the city of Hamburg.
Following his death last week, he was posthumously awarded the Lebanese Merit honour medal, the country’s highest distinction.