CMA CGM S.A.
Leadership History
2 leaders · 1978 to present
Rodolphe Saadé is the CEO of CMA CGM, in the role since 2017.
| Name | Role | From | To | Years in role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rodolphe Saadé | Chairman and CEO | 2017 | Present | 9 |
| Jacques Saadé | Founder | 1978 | 2017 | 39 |
CMA CGM is the world's third-largest container shipping line behind MSC and Maersk. Headquartered in Marseille's Zaha Hadid-designed CMA CGM Tower, the group carried 24.2 million TEU in 2025 and employs about 160,000 people. Alongside its CMA CGM, APL, ANL, CNC and Mercosul Line ocean brands, it owns CEVA Logistics, CMA Terminals, CMA CGM Air Cargo and CMA Media (BFM TV, RMC, La Provence, Brut). The massive global shipping conglomerate was founded in Marseille, France in 1978, aggressively growing from a single shipping line operating just one route between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea into the third-largest container shipping company on Earth.
The core business model is ocean freight. They own or lease large container ships (some capable of carrying 24,000 containers at once) and charge corporations to move those containers across the ocean. The profitability is entirely dependent on global shipping rates and the price of bunker fuel. However, recognizing that ocean freight is highly volatile, their modern business model has aggressively shifted to 'End-to-End Logistics'. They want to control the cargo not just on the water, but all the way to the final warehouse.
Chairman and CEO
2017 – Present
9 years (current)
Took over as CEO in February 2017 and Chairman in November 2017; led the NOL/APL integration and the acquisitions of CEVA Logistics, Ingram Micro CLS, GEFCO, Bolloré Logistics and Santos Brasil, and built CMA Media.
Founder
1978 – 2017
39 years
Founded CMA.
Jacques Saadé founded CMA (Compagnie Maritime d'Affrètement) in 1978 and spearheaded its growth into a global shipping giant. He orchestrated the critical acquisition of CGM in 1996 to form CMA CGM, pioneering modern container shipping strategies and expanding operations across major intercontinental routes before his passing in 2018.
CMA CGM's earnings swing with container freight rates: shipping EBITDA fell from $11.2 billion in 2024 to $7.9 billion in 2025 as average revenue per TEU dropped 8.7% to $1,414. Its logistics arm, CEVA, earns thinner margins (9.4% EBITDA margin in 2025) and its freight-management business was squeezed by volatile markets and a weak automotive sector. Red Sea and wider Middle East disruption, a record orderbook of new ships across the industry, EU carbon pricing (ETS) and the cost of integrating Bolloré Logistics, Santos Brasil and a string of smaller acquisitions are the other main pressure points.
Rodolphe Saadé was appointed Chief Executive Officer in February 2017 and Chairman of the Board of Directors in November 2017, taking over executive leadership from his father, founder Jacques Saadé.
Rodolphe Saadé earned a degree in business administration from Concordia University in Montreal. He joined CMA CGM in 1994, holding key executive positions including Head of transatlantic lines, Chief Operating Officer, and Executive Vice President, leading the key acquisition of NOL/APL in 2016.
Jacques R. Saadé (1937 to 2018) was a French-Lebanese maritime pioneer who founded CMA in Marseille in 1978 with a single ship and four employees, building it over 40 years into a global container shipping leader before passing away in 2018.
Rodolphe Saadé led the acquisitions of CEVA Logistics (2019), Ingram Micro CLS, GEFCO (2022), Bolloré Logistics (~$5.48 billion (€4.85 billion), 2024), Altice Media (~$1.75 billion (€1.55 billion), 2024), Santos Brasil (2025) and Freightliner and Air Belgium (2025).
During the pandemic freight boom, CMA CGM froze spot rates from September 2021 to February 2022 and used record 2021-2022 profits to reduce debt, order dual-fuel ships and buy logistics and terminal businesses.
Tanya Saadé Zeenny serves as Executive Officer, Board Director, and President of the CMA CGM Foundation, while Jacques Junior Saadé serves on the Board of Directors, ensuring active multi-generational family leadership.
Rodolphe Saadé serves as Chairman and CEO. He took over from his father, founder Jacques Saadé, in 2017, and has aggressively used the company's massive pandemic profits to buy up logistics companies and even French media outlets.
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