Aponte is a Neapolitan captain, who entered the shipping industry in 1970 together with his spouse, Rafaela. At the time, the newly-formed company owned a single vessel that would ship cargo between Europe and Africa.[3]

With the growth of his business, he eventually made a move towards the cruise industry in 1988.

As of 2014, he has retired from the position of CEO and president in favour of his son, Diego Aponte, and took on a role as executive chairman within MSC.[4]

The 1978 war in Lebanon prompted him to move to Marseille. This is where he set up Compagnie maritime d’affrètement (CMA) with his brother Johnny on September 13 the same year.

The company initially operated services between Marseille, Beirut and Syria. Saadé said: “I wanted the sea. Marseille is beautiful and the sea looks a little like that in Beirut.”[7]

In the beginning there was family tension between Jacques Saadé and his brother Johnny. After difficult family disputes, Jacques took the helm alone.[8]

In 1983, Saadé made the decision to cross the Suez Canal and extended the company lines to Mina-Qaboos in the Gulf of Oman.

Jacques Saadé was trying to prepare the company for the "Far East" to win a competitive advantage over other carriers.