Bermuda Joins Women’s Shipping Association
Female leaders of the island’s shipping industry have launched a Bermuda chapter of the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association [WISTA].
Bermuda is the 40th country to join the global organisation, whose members are women in management positions in the maritime transportation business and related trades worldwide.
Photo: WISTA Bermuda members with Economic Development Minister Dr. Grant Gibbons and WISTA International representative Jeanne Grasso [far left]. Pictured [left to right, front row]: Grasso; Marilyn Feldman, President, Shoreline Managers; Konika Spence, Freight Administrator, Meyer Group; Tammy Richardson-Augustus, Partner, Appleby [Bermuda]; Deborah Davis, Chief Administrative Officer, Consolidated Services; Minister Gibbons; Angelique Burgess, General Manager, Concordia Maritime [Bermuda]; Donnelle Swan, Senior Underwriter, Shoreline Managers; Cheryl Hayward-Chew, President & CEO, Meyer Group; [back row] Inger Mesna, Vice President, Embla; Jennie Kelly, Chief Operating Officer, Consolidated Services; Claire Burnard, Senior Corporate Administrator, Frontline; Katrina Burgess, Manager Corporate Services, Ardmore Shipping [Bermuda]; Laura Blee-DeFrias Manager Freight Services, Bermuda Forwarders; Heather Cooper—Managing Director, Steamship Mutual Management [Bermuda]; Diana Martin, Chief Executive Officer, Bermuda Sloop Foundation; Tiffany Boys, Associate, Appleby [Bermuda]. Missing from photo: Tami Ray, Ferry Pilot, Marine & Ports Services; Gretchen Goodbody-Gringley, Assistant Research Scientist, Bermuda Institute of Ocean Scientist [BIOS]. [Credit: Shawn Simmons]
Economic Development Minister Dr. Grant Gibbons congratulated the new WISTA Bermuda chapter during Wednesday’s official launch, held at Bacardi International headquarters in Hamilton.
Attendees included 17 local industry founding members, along with representatives from Bermuda Business Development Agency [BDA], the new Bermuda Shipping & Maritime Authority [BSMA], Department of Marine and Ports, and the Bermuda Sloop Foundation.
“I would like to congratulate the new WISTA executive members on the launch of their Bermuda chapter,” said Minister Gibbons.
“Bermuda has a strong legacy of maritime administration dating back to the formation of the Bermuda shipping registry in 1789. WISTA’s emphasis on career development, education and networking will contribute to the professional development and opportunities for women executives, and strengthen the overall competitiveness of our shipping and trading sector.”
WISTA, which has chapters across the world from Finland to Sri Lanka, is a networking organisation that seeks to promote education of its members, drive career success, and act as a liaison with other related institutions and organisations worldwide.
“WISTA is a major player in attracting women to the shipping industry and supporting women in management positions. We are very proud to be a part of this respected organisation and we believe it will benefit our industry’s female executives, and Bermuda in general,” said Angelique Burgess, WISTA Bermuda President, BSMA Board member, and General Manager, Concordia Maritime [Bermuda].
Photo: Members of the new Bermuda Shipping & Maritime Authority [BSMA] joined Economic Development Minister Dr Grant Gibbons at WISTA Bermuda’s launch. Pictured, from left: BSMA Chair and BDA Board member Paul Scope; BSMA Board member and WISTA Bermuda President Angelique Burgess; Minister Gibbons; Jeanne Grasso of WISTA International; BSMA Board member Michael Smyth; Marilyn Feldman; BSMA Board member John O’Kelly-Lynch; and BDA Business Development Manager Kevin Richards[Credit: BDA]
Jeanne Grasso, a Partner with Blank Rome, in Washington, DC who represents WISTA International’s Executive Committee, travelled to Bermuda for the launch and applauded local female shipping executives for having the vision for a chapter.
The number of WISTA associations worldwide continues to grow, she said, with Bermuda joining four other new members this year, including Brazil, Georgia, Monaco and Morocco.
“This is great news for the jurisdiction and a strong boost for our island’s evolving shipping ecosystem,” said BDA Business Development Manager Kevin Richards. “It will better enable us to showcase Bermuda’s top-tier shipping registry, our world-class talent and our advantageous domicile to a global audience.”
Burgess said she was delighted the chapter was up and running after almost 18 months of work and thanked founding members, particularly Marilyn Feldman, President, Shoreline Managers, who will serve as Vice-President of WISTA Bermuda and Appleby Partner Tammy Richardson-Augustus, the chapter’s Chief Legal Officer. Over the next few months, WISTA Bermuda will launch a membership drive, Feldman noted.
“We would like to encourage women working in the industry to join WISTA Bermuda so they can take advantage of the many opportunities afforded by being part of this international network,” said Feldman.
“These include the ability to empower by engaging and experiencing the influence of networking on both a personal and civic level.”
Both Burgess and Feldman will attend the 36th WISTA International Annual General Meeting & Conference taking place onboard the MS Koningsdam November 9–13 from Fort Lauderdale.
For more information about WISTA, visit wista.net. For WISTA Bermuda membership inquiries, contact: Angelique.burgess@concordiamaritime.com or 295-0040; or Mfeldman@shoreline.bm or 248-0001.
