CMA CGM S.A.
Company History
CMA CGM History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 1978 in Marseille, France
When was CMA CGM founded?
CMA CGM was founded in 1978 in Marseille, France by Jacques Saadé, making it 48 years old.
- Founded
- 1978
- Founding place
- Marseille, France
- Founders
- Jacques Saadé
- Headquarters today
- Marseille, France
- Milestones documented
- 12 (1978–2026)
- Current CEO
- Rodolphe Saadé
- Acquisitions
- 4
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1978 | Founding of CMA |
| 1996 | Merger with CGM |
| 1998 | ANL Acquired |
| 2005 | Delmas Acquired |
| 2016 | Neptune Orient Lines Acquired |
| 2017 | Rodolphe Saadé Assumes Leadership |
| 2018 | Death of Jacques Saade |
| 2019 | Acquisition of CEVA Logistics |
| 2021 | Pandemic Freight Boom |
| 2024 | Acquisition of Bolloré Logistics |
| 2025 | Control of Santos Brasil |
| 2026 | Rate Rebound in Q2 2026 |
- Where was CMA CGM founded?
- CMA CGM was founded in Marseille, France in 1978.
- Who founded CMA CGM?
- CMA CGM was founded by Jacques Saadé.
- When did CMA CGM start?
- CMA CGM was founded in 1978.
- How old is CMA CGM?
- CMA CGM is 48 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
Jacques Saadé, born in Beirut in 1937 and trained at the London School of Economics, left Lebanon during the civil war and founded Compagnie Maritime d'Affrètement (CMA) in Marseille in 1978 with four employees and one chartered ship serving Lebanon and Syria. He moved early into Asia, opening a Shanghai office in 1992, and in 1996 bought the privatized state carrier Compagnie Générale Maritime (CGM), creating CMA CGM.
Founders
Jacques Saadé
Jacques Saadé was born in Beirut in 1937 to a family with business interests in Lebanon and Syria and studied at the London School of Economics. The Lebanese civil war pushed him to Marseille, where in 1978 he founded Compagnie Maritime d'Affrètement (CMA) with one chartered ship linking Marseille with Beirut and Latakia. He bet early on containerization and on China, opening a Shanghai office in 1992. In 1996 he acquired the privatized state carrier Compagnie Générale Maritime (CGM), creating CMA CGM, and later added Delmas (2005). He handed the chairmanship to his son Rodolphe in 2017 and died on June 24, 2018, aged 81. The group's 23,000 TEU LNG-powered flagship, delivered in 2020, bears his name.
Key Milestones
Founding of CMA
Jacques Saadé founded Compagnie Maritime d'Affrètement in Marseille with four employees and a single vessel, introducing guaranteed weekly schedules to the Mediterranean trade.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgMerger with CGM
CMA merged with the state-owned Compagnie Générale Maritime, creating CMA CGM and acquiring a dominant franchise in West Africa and a global deep-sea network.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgDelmas Acquired
CMA CGM bought the shipping line Delmas from the Bollore group in 2005.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgNeptune Orient Lines Acquired
CMA CGM bought Neptune Orient Lines, owner of APL, in 2016 for about $2.4 billion.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgRodolphe Saadé Assumes Leadership
Rodolphe Saadé succeeded his father Jacques as Chairman and CEO, initiating a radical strategic pivot from a pure-play ocean carrier to an end-to-end logistics provider.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAcquisition of CEVA Logistics
CMA CGM acquired a 100% stake in CEVA Logistics for approximately $1.7 billion, marking its first major step into the high-margin contract logistics and freight forwarding market.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgPandemic Freight Boom
Freight rates surged during the pandemic supply-chain crisis, producing record profits in 2021-2022 that CMA CGM used to cut debt, order dual-fuel ships and buy logistics and terminal assets.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAcquisition of Bolloré Logistics
CMA CGM completed the acquisition of Bolloré Logistics in February 2024 for an enterprise value of ~$5.48 billion (€4.85 billion), making its logistics arm one of the world's largest freight forwarders.
Source: cmacgm-group.comControl of Santos Brasil
After agreeing in September 2024 to buy about 48% of Santos Brasil, CMA CGM closed the deal on April 24, 2025, becoming the controlling shareholder of the operator of South America's largest container terminal.
Source: gcaptain.comRate Rebound in Q2 2026
Q2 2026 revenue rose 19.2% to $15.69 billion and EBITDA rose 31% to $2.99 billion as transpacific demand and Middle East disruption lifted freight rates.
Source: freightwaves.comMajor Acquisitions
Bolloré Logistics
2024To turn CMA CGM from a port-to-port carrier into an end-to-end logistics provider with deep air and ocean freight-forwarding capacity, particularly in Africa, Europe and Asia.
CEVA Logistics
2019To establish a foundational presence in the global contract logistics and freight forwarding market, marking the first major step in Rodolphe Saadé's pivot toward end-to-end supply chain integration.
Santos Brasil (controlling stake)
2025To control Santos Brasil, owner of South America's largest container terminal at the Port of Santos, and expand CMA CGM's terminal network in Latin America.
Mercosul Line
2017CMA CGM S.A. acquired Mercosul Line in 2017.
Keep researching CMA CGM
CMA CGM Company History FAQ
When was CMA founded and what was its original maiden voyage?
CMA was founded on September 13, 1978, in Marseille by Jacques Saadé, launching its maiden voyage with the chartered ship 'Ville d'Orient' connecting Marseille, Beirut, and Latakia.
When did CMA establish its first office in China?
In 1992, CMA established its first representative office in Shanghai, becoming one of the first Western shipping companies to provide direct regular container services connecting China to Europe.
When was the modern CMA CGM formed through merger?
In 1999, CMA completed the merger with privatized state shipping company Compagnie Générale Maritime (CGM, acquired in 1996), officially establishing the CMA CGM Group.
When did CMA CGM acquire Delmas and NOL/APL?
CMA CGM acquired African specialist Delmas from the Bolloré Group in 2005 and Singapore's Neptune Orient Lines (APL) in 2016 for about $2.4 billion, consolidating its position as the No. 3 container carrier.
When did Rodolphe Saadé become Chairman and CEO?
Rodolphe Saadé was appointed CEO in February 2017 and Chairman in November 2017, initiating a bold transformation into integrated logistics, clean fuels, air cargo, and media.
When did CMA CGM acquire CEVA Logistics and launch CMA CGM Air Cargo?
CMA CGM acquired CEVA Logistics in 2019 for $1.7 billion and launched dedicated airline CMA CGM Air Cargo in 2021, establishing end-to-end multi-modal logistics leadership.
When did CMA CGM complete the acquisition of Bolloré Logistics?
In February 2024, CMA CGM finalized the landmark 4.85-billion-euro acquisition of Bolloré Logistics, creating a global top-five freight forwarding leader.
What is CMA CGM's position in global shipping and trade today?
CMA CGM is the world's third-largest container line, with $54.4 billion of 2025 revenue, 24.2 million TEU carried, 66 terminals and about 160,000 employees.
When was CMA CGM founded?
The company began as CMA (Compagnie Maritime d'Affrètement), founded in 1978 by Jacques Saadé. In 1996, the French government privatized CGM (Compagnie Générale Maritime), and Saadé acquired it, merging the two into the massive CMA CGM.
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