ATHENS, Greece, Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Diana Shipping Inc. (NYSE: DSX), (the “Company”), a global shipping company specializing in the ownership of dry bulk
vessels, today announced that, effective August 1, 2018, the Company increased the size of its Board of Directors (the “Board”)
from nine to eleven members, and appointed Mr. Christos Glavanis to serve as a Class I Director and appointed Mr. Andreas
Michalopoulos, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, to serve as a Class III director, in each case effective August
1, 2018. The Board has determined that Mr. Glavanis is an “independent director” as such term is defined under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the New York Stock Exchange Listing Manual.
Mr. Christos Glavanis has over 30 years of experience in the audit profession, serving in several senior roles
at Ernst & Young, including as Chairman and Managing Partner of EY Greece from 1987 to 2010 and Managing Partner of EY South East
Europe from 1996 to 2010. Mr. Glavanis was also a main Board Member of EY EMEIA Regional and a member of EY Global Council.
Currently, Mr. Glavanis is a non-executive board member of W S Karoulias S.A., a beverage distribution company based in Athens,
Greece and BuyaPowa Ltd., a London, England based online platform allowing users to design, launch, and analyze social sales
campaigns. He is also the trustee of Phase Worldwide, a United Kingdom charity. He previously served as a non-executive board
member and chairman of the Audit Committee of Korres S.A, a Greece based pharmaceutical company, chairman of the Audit Committee of
the Hellenic Financial Stability Fund, board member and audit committee member of Eurobank SA and a non-executive board member of
Pharmaten S.A.
Mr. Andreas Michalopoulos has served as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer since March 8, 2006
and also has served in these positions with Diana Containerships Inc. since January 13, 2010. Mr. Michalopoulos started his career
in 1993 when he joined Merrill Lynch Private Banking in Paris. In 1995, he became an International Corporate Auditor with Nestle SA
based in Vevey, Switzerland and moved in 1998 to the position of Trade Marketing and Merchandising Manager. From 2000 to 2002, he
worked for McKinsey and Company in Paris, France, as an Associate Generalist Consultant before joining a major Greek Pharmaceutical
Group with U.S. R&D activity as a Vice President of International Business Development and Member of the Executive Committee in
2002 where he remained until 2005. From 2005 to 2006, he joined Diana Shipping Agencies S.A. as a Project Manager. Mr.
Michalopoulos graduated from Paris IX Dauphine University with Honors in 1993 obtaining an MSc in Economics and a master's degree
in Management Sciences specialized in Finance. In 1995, he also obtained a master's degree in Business Administration from Imperial
College, University of London. Mr. Michalopoulos is married to the youngest daughter of Mr. Simeon Palios, the Company’s Chief
Executive Officer and Chairman.
In addition, effective August 1, 2018, Mr. Ioannis Zafirakis was appointed to the new position of Chief Strategy
Officer of the Company. Mrs. Semiramis Paliou was appointed to succeed Mr. Zafirakis as Chief Operating Officer of the Company. Mr.
Zafirakis and Mrs. Paliou both currently serve as members of the Board.
Finally, the Board has increased the size of its Executive Committee from three to five members, and has appointed Mr. Andreas
Michalopoulos and Mrs. Semiramis Paliou as members of the Executive Committee, effective August 1, 2018.
About the Company
Diana Shipping Inc. is a global provider of shipping transportation services through its ownership of dry bulk
vessels. The Company’s vessels are employed primarily on medium to long-term time charters and transport a range of dry bulk
cargoes, including such commodities as iron ore, coal, grain and other materials along worldwide shipping routes.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. The Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to
provide prospective information about their business. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives,
goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements
of historical facts.
The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words “believe,”
“anticipate,” “intends,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project,” “plan,” “potential,” “may,” “should,” “expect,” “pending” and similar
expressions identify forward-looking statements.
The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are
based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, our management’s examination of historical operating
trends, data contained in our records and other data available from third parties. Although we believe that these assumptions were
reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are
difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond our control, we cannot assure you that we will achieve or accomplish these
expectations, beliefs or projections.
In addition to these important factors, other important factors that, in our view, could cause actual results to
differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the strength of world economies and currencies,
general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values, changes in demand for dry bulk shipping
capacity, changes in our operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for our vessels,
availability of financing and refinancing, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory
authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions,
potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, vessel breakdowns and instances of off-hires and
other factors. Please see our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a more complete discussion of these and other
risks and uncertainties.
Corporate Contact: Ioannis Zafirakis Director, Chief Strategy Officer and Secretary Telephone: + 30-210-9470-100 Email: izafirakis@dianashippinginc.com Website: www.dianashippinginc.com Investor and Media Relations: Edward Nebb Comm-Counsellors, LLC Telephone: + 1-203-972-8350 Email: enebb@optonline.net