He replaces Kenneth Engstrom, who after more than 30 years with ISP, SunStone and CMI, retired as of May 1.
Barreiro de León brings vast experience in passenger ship management, having been involved for more than 30 years managing vessels of all types and in different market segments.
'Jim is regarded as a high-value business driver with exceptional management skills and expert knowledge of the industry and we are excited to have him on our team,' CMI chairman Niels-Erik Lund said.
The new chief is a native of the Canary Islands and was raised in Rotterdam.
Barreiro de León's maritime career began in 1986 on board river cruise vessels in Europe and after three decades of maritime experience, he has acquired a specific understanding of the ship management industry.
He is proficient in designing turn-key ship management solutions while optimizing all aspects of the shoreside and shipboard operations.
'He has proven to be a maritime visionary, with the ability to address the ever-changing, demanding challenges of our industry, while never losing focus on the needs of the ship owners and operator,' commented Lund.
CMI was formed in 2015 as a continuation of the original International Shipping Partners, formed in 1990. CMI took over the organization and the management contracts, now managing 11 cruise vessels, mainly within the expedition cruise segment.
CMI and its sister company, CMI Leisure, a hotel concessionaire, works closely with SunStone Ships, managing its fleet and also will manage its newbuildings. SunStone Ships and China Merchants Industry Holdings signed a framework agreement last month to build four expedition ships with options for six more. The first delivery will be in August 2019, with one vessel to follow every six months after.
Lund continued: 'CMI has a strong management team, supported by a dedicated and experienced technical team for its existing fleet of passenger vessels, and is now looking forward to expanding its services portfolio and growing the business.'
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