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CMA CGM S.A.

Container Shipping and LogisticsFounded 1978
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Company data updated: October 2026

Founders

Who Founded CMA CGM?

Jacques Saadé · Founded 1978 · HQ today: Marseille, France

Who founded CMA CGM?

CMA CGM was founded by Jacques Saadé in 1978. It is now led by Rodolphe Saadé.

Founders
Jacques Saadé
Founded
1978
Headquarters
Marseille, France
Number of founders
1
Current CEO
Rodolphe Saadé (since 2017)
Where was CMA CGM founded?
CMA CGM was founded in Marseille, France in 1978.
When was CMA CGM founded?
CMA CGM was founded in 1978.
Who started CMA CGM?
CMA CGM was founded by Jacques Saadé.
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.

Jacques Saadé

Background

Jacques Saadé founded CMA in Marseille in 1978 with four employees and one chartered vessel, then built it into a global carrier through early expansion into China and the 1996 purchase of state-owned CGM. He led the group until 2017 and died in 2018.

Role at CMA CGM S.A.

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.

CMA CGM S.A.: CEO & Leadership History

Full timeline →

Rodolphe Saadé

Chairman and CEO

2017 – Present

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.

Jacques Saadé

Founder

1978 – 2017

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.

Keep researching CMA CGM

Who Founded CMA CGM? FAQ

Who founded CMA CGM and in what year was the company established?

CMA CGM was established on September 13, 1978, in Marseille, France, by Jacques R. Saadé under the original name Compagnie Maritime d'Affrètement (CMA), operating a single chartered vessel between Marseille, Beirut, and Latakia.

What historic event caused Jacques Saadé to move from Lebanon to Marseille in 1978?

Following the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War, Jacques Saadé moved his family from Beirut to Marseille, France, recognizing Marseille's strategic position as the gateway port connecting Europe to the Mediterranean and the Suez Canal.

How did Jacques Saadé pioneer containerization in the Mediterranean?

Jacques Saadé was among the first European shipowners to embrace standard steel shipping containers, predicting that containerization would replace traditional breakbulk cargo and transform global manufacturing trade.

When did Jacques Saadé pioneer direct shipping routes to China?

In 1992, far ahead of Western competitors, Jacques Saadé opened CMA's first commercial office in Shanghai, launching regular direct container shipping lines between China and Europe that positioned CMA as the preferred maritime carrier for Chinese trade.

How did CMA acquire Compagnie Générale Maritime (CGM) in 1996?

In 1996, during the French government's privatization of state-owned shipping lines, Jacques Saadé acquired Compagnie Générale Maritime (CGM, founded in 1855 as Compagnie Générale Transatlantique), merging them in 1999 to form CMA CGM.

What was the historic acquisition of Delmas in 2005?

In 2005 CMA CGM acquired Delmas, a French shipping line specializing in Africa, from the Bolloré Group, strengthening its West African network.

When did Jacques Saadé pass away and how is his memory honored?

Jacques Saadé passed away on June 24, 2018, at the age of 81 in Marseille. In 2020, the company named its flagship 23,000-TEU LNG-powered container ship the 'CMA CGM Jacques Saadé' in his honor.

What is the lasting historical legacy of Jacques Saadé on global maritime history?

Jacques Saadé transformed a modest one-ship startup with four employees into the world's third-largest ocean container shipping empire, proving that family entrepreneurship could conquer global trade.

Who founded CMA CGM?

Jacques Saadé founded the company. He was a Lebanese-born businessman who relocated to Marseille due to the civil war in Lebanon, brilliantly recognizing that massive economic growth in China would require an equally massive global shipping network.

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Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.