Dr. S.V. Anchan
Chairman, Safesea Group, a Global Shipping Company
Dr. S.V. Anchan, a Global Advisor of ACE Health Foundation’s ACE Global Leaders of Excellence Network is the chairman of global shipping company Safesea Group and is a recognized world leader in the international shipping sector. Hailing from a shipping and logistics family spanning three generations, the Indian-born American entrepreneur founded his company in 2006. Since then, the global provider of shipping and logistics services and freight forwarding, headquartered in New Jersey, has grown exponentially with offices in Canada, Denmark, United Kingdom, India and Bangladesh (South Asia), UAE (Middle East) and Singapore (Southeast Asia), along with a network of allied offices in over 100 countries.
Under the Safesea banner, Anchan’s organization has become the only shipping group that caters to all aspects of shipping operations under one umbrella. Safesea’s clients include the United Nations, United Nations Peacekeeping Forces, World Food Program (WFP) and the General Services Administration of the U.S. government. Safesea services navy ships with professional services such as shipping and chartering, providing numerous tankers designed to move refined products from refineries to regions with a consumer base. In 2022, Safesea Group was shortlisted by the government of India to privatize the country’s prestigious Navratna public sector shipping enterprise. Anchan plans to publicly list his Nav Bharat Tankers PVT LTD in India by 2025, to become the first maidan shipping company to invest in India under foreign direct investment.
In honor of Anchan’s contributions to the framing of India’s shipping policies to meet national and international standards, the government of India recognized him with the Shipping Pravasi (first recipient) and Eminent Overseas Maritime Personality Award, bestowed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at its maiden Maritime India Summit 2016. Other prestigious awards include Future 50 Fastest Growing Companies Award 2015 (SmartCEO), International Leadership Innovation Excellence Award and Gold Medal 2017 (Institute of Economic Studies, India), Mahatma Gandhi Samman Award 2017 (House of Lords, U.K.), Best Ship Operator of the Year Finalist 2017 (Lloyds, U.K.), International Man of the Year 2017 (7th Annual Congressional Award, U.S.), and many others.
Anchan’s focus on social responsibilities has included philanthropic activities in the fields of education, women's empowerment and safety, underprivileged children, and places of worship all over the world. In the U.S., he is a strong advocate of the Asian Women’s Safety Network (AWSN), directed to the assistance and support of women facing domestic violence. Anchan also actively supports ACE Health Foundation, an organization engaged in closing the equity gap globally by providing sustainable resources and building healthy and financially empowered communities for the world's underserved and under-resourced populations and building bridges for tomorrow’s Global Leaders. Anchan is a leading industry speaker on shipping law, customs procedures, automation, and other issues at key industry events such as the International Shipping Forum, Global Ports Forum and events hosted by chambers of commerce worldwide.
“It is my utmost honor and privilege to accept the invitation from two iconic global chairwomen, Pooja Chandra Pama and U.S. Ambassador Ruth A. Davis (Ret.) of ACE Health Foundation’s ACE Global Leaders of Excellence Network (AGLEN), to serve this outstanding network.
Their well-known diplomatic leadership for cultural understanding has gained the respect of the global community. Pama and Ambassador Davis’ commitment to using their voices to bridge the gap for equity, economic development, and social justice is admirable. I commend Ms. Pama and Ambassador Davis for exemplifying steadfast win-win collaborative advocacy for worldwide empowerment for the under-represented and marginal communities, along with their commitment to developing future global leaders.
I am grateful to serve and contribute my expertise and experiences in collaboration with other like-minded leaders.”
- Dr. S.V. Anchan, Shipping Tycoon