Brian Ladin
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Delos Shipping, a maritime merchant bank and vessel lessor. CFA charterholder.
Three decades in capital markets, most of them spent financing ships.
Brian Ladin finances, leases and acquires ocean-going vessels. He founded Delos Shipping in 2009, in the aftermath of the financial crisis, when traditional ship lenders were pulling back from an industry that still needed capital.
Shipping is capital-intensive and cyclical, and banks tend to retreat exactly when owners need them most. Delos was built to fill that gap. Under Brian’s leadership the firm grew from no vessels to a fleet of 63, sold most of those ships into a strong market, and then pivoted to structured leasing. Today it is building a diversified sale-leaseback portfolio across tankers, dry bulk carriers, container ships, car carriers and cruise ships.
Before Delos, Brian was a partner at two investment firms, Talisman Capital and Bonanza Capital. At Bonanza, an investment in containership owner Euroseas, through its acquisition and public offering, was his introduction to shipping. He began his career in banking at Bank One and then ABN AMRO.
The shipping industry is a dynamic space with many different opportunities to generate attractive returns.Brian Ladin
A merchant bank and lessor to the maritime industry.
Delos Shipping provides debt and equity financing to shipowners and operators worldwide. The firm stays focused on shipping rather than spreading across asset classes, and treats deep industry knowledge as its main asset and careful due diligence as its protection.
Sale-leasebacks
Long-term leases on all maritime asset types, for counterparties rated CCC to AA, implied or actual, with growing emphasis on fuel-efficient and dual-fuel tonnage.
Distressed and special situations
Purchases of distressed loans, corporations, partnerships and assets, typically where conventional lenders have stepped away.
Cyclical opportunities
Vessel acquisitions underwritten on freight rates, newbuild orderbooks and second-hand values.
From a 63-ship fleet to a leasing portfolio.
| Year | Transaction | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 onward | Fleet build-up and exit | Grew Delos from no vessels to 63, sold most of them near the market peak, and pivoted to structured leasing. |
| 2013–2016 | Expansion into Hamburg | Built a European presence alongside board service at König & Cie, the Hamburg ship-finance house. |
| 2018 | Acquisition of MS DeutschlandCruise ship | Acquired after a long negotiation. The ship carries the Semester at Sea program. |
| 2024 | Acquisition of M/V AsturiasCar carrier · built 2010 · 44,037 dwt · 4,200 vehicles | Delos’s first Ro-Ro vessel. |
| 2025 | Sale of M/V AsturiasCar carrier | Sold to a European logistics provider. |
Banker, investor, shipowner, lessor.
- 2009 – present
Delos Shipping
Founder and Chief Executive Officer70 vessels purchased and more than $1.3 billion deployed across ownership, leasing and distressed investments.
- Prior
Bonanza Capital
PartnerInvestment manager with roughly $600 million under management. His positions produced more than $100 million in profits, including the Euroseas investment.
- Prior
Talisman Capital
PartnerIdentified and executed more than 70 direct investments, deploying over $200 million.
- Early career
ABN AMRO Bank
Banking - First role
Bank One
BankingBegan his career in banking.
Houston-raised, Dallas-based.
Education
- B.A., Political Economy, Tulane University, 1995
- The Kinkaid School, Houston
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
Boards and memberships
- König & Cie, board
- Affinity Media, board
- Points International, board
- YPO, member
On the road
Spends 100 to 150 days a year traveling to meet counterparties and speak at industry conferences.
Financing a vessel or a fleet?
Delos Shipping works with owners and operators on sale-leasebacks, refinancings and acquisitions.