WISE WORDS FROM BREAKBULK WOMEN

As part of our ongoing initiative to support women in the industry, here we share advice from several Breakbulk Europe participants. Be inspired and add your voice to the conversation by joining the Women in Breakbulk Europe network at europe.breakbulk.com/page/womenin-breakbulk-europe-edition

Katherine Phillips, managing director, ABL

Speaker: Managing the Offshore Wind Boom Wednesday, June 7, 14:20 - 15:05

Be yourself; don’t change who you are at work. Keeping up a mask is very draining in the long term and can mean that you don’t form bonds with colleagues. Not being your true self at work can become a real disadvantage as you get more senior.

When I took over Intermarine, almost 10 years ago, I knew nothing about the job, in a world full of men staring at me and having technical difficulties. In the beginning I was afraid of speaking, making the wrong decisions and not knowing what I was talking about. I decided to take small steps from the bottom, directly on the field, looking and listening. As time passed, I gained respect, got closer to my collaborators and learned technical aspects.

Most decisions can be taken only by keeping your mind clear, using good common sense, and never being afraid of making mistakes. Nobody is perfect.

Speaker: ESG Across the Supply Chain Thursday, June 8, 13:45 - 14:30

My advice is to never ignore advice. Don’t exclude anything or any source because other — and even opposite — opinions can have merit. So, be open to that input and hear it out. Regardless of what you do or whom you work for, seeking different opinions gives you a better chance of making the decision that is right for you. You will know that your decision is well assessed because you explored different views. No one can take away that confidence.

I have worked for more than 10 years either with or in the shipping industry and have regularly heard that it is not always an industry that is easy to access for women. But I believe that image is wrong. It is so dynamic that both women and men can find the right career path based on their field of interest.

So, my advice to women in this industry would be to listen to all well-intended advice, assess it, read, learn and draw your own conclusions. Find your own way. If you want to work in shipping, don’t let anyone tell you that it has nothing to offer you, be aware of your talents, and then go claim your space!

My motto (I found it once in an Italian Chocolate ‘Baci’) is, “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it,” Henry Ford