Lena Göthberg from the Shipping Podcast outlines a new initiative to highlight female leaders in our sector.
We all know that the maritime industry is male dominated and has been so forever. As the sector is now entering the fourth industrial revolution it’s also opening up to new competence, for which there has not been a demand before. We are going to need software engineers, IT architects, programmers, experts on 3D, artificial intelligence and a whole new profile of leaders.
The women in the shipping industry have rarely been visible, with the exception of a handful, hence the lack of role models for women entering the sector. WISTA (Women in Shipping and Trading Association) has under the leadership of Karin Orsel, CEO of MF Shipping Group, worked really hard to highlight competent, highly skilled, professional women to the industry and beyond.
YoungShip Oslo, in cooperation with Nor-Shipping, has now taken this to the next level by compiling a list of 10 women to watch for the future.
Marthe Lamp Sandvik, COO, Lorentzen & Stemoco, explained how the list came about.
“When I had the idea last year, it came from the belief that we are not marketing ourselves well enough as an industry,” she said. “To reach the diverse workforce that we need, we need to recruit outside the typical channels, and reach those people who haven’t heard about our industry. For young women, I think part of that is to show strong and obtainable female role models they can relate to, and who after relatively few years in the work force have made exceptional results.”
These 10 women have inspired people within their company and market through natural leadership and knowledge sharing, and show a passion for our industry within a new and modern framework of such leadership. Because you can be every bit a leader without being the boss. Some part of me feels we should have gotten further than gender-specific lists, but looking around – it’s still important. Also, it’s heck of a lot of fun giving these women their due attention for being awesome.
Despina Panayiotou Theodosiou (35), CEO – Tototheo Group, Cyprus
Ingrid Due-Gundersen (37), CFO, Höegh Autoliners, Oslo
Kristine Hasle Øverby (37), Partner, Wiersholm Lawfirm, Oslo
Liv Hege Dyrnes (37), CFO, Torvald Klaveness, Oslo
Mari Bygstad (34), Operations Manager, Frontline Management, Oslo
Nina M. Hanevold-Sandvik (34), Senior Laywyer, Wikborg Rein, Oslo
Sigrid Schrødter Teig (31), CPO (Chief Prosess Officer) Western Bulk, Singapore
Stine Mundal (33), Head of Section Environmental Certification, DNV GL, Hamburg
Thea Thorstensen (28), Claims Executive, Skuld, Oslo
Therese Jällbrink (33), Business Interaction Manager, Stena Bulk, Gothenburg
Marthe continues: “The best part is that a lot of the women on the list and those who nominated them are all WISTA sisters.”
YoungShip International now urges all national branches to join the initiative and start their own lists, at the end of the game, there might be a global list of young women to watch for the future!
