8 minute read
Going places
Tamara Lowe
If you are not already aware of Dominica’s Tamara Lowe then this is a name that you are bound to hear a lot more about in the years ahead and especially now that she has just been appointed president of the increasingly influential Women in Maritime Association Caribbean (WiMAC).
Here Tamara talks to Caribbean Maritime about her life and maritime career and what’s behind her rise to prominence aswell as her aims and ambitions now that she hastaken the helm at WiMAC*.
How does anyone get into the shipping business?For some, of course, it’s pre-ordained or inthe family but for Tamara it seems it was pureluck and all about seizing an opportunity. AsTamara explains when she got her first job it justso happened to be in shipping: “I had recentlyreturned from university (in Cuba) with a bachelor’sdegree in economics and was determinedto get a job. With resumé in hand, and dressedfor success, I walked into Tropical Shipping andrequested a meeting with the manager, TomLafond. It must have been my lucky day becausehe interviewed me at that moment. I specificallyremember him asking why he should hire me,having no experience in sales or the shippingindustry. I responded, saying that whatever I do,I do always to the best of my ability. As they say,the rest is history.”
And how did Tamara end up going touniversity in Cuba in the first place? “It wasnot at all unusual as students were awardedscholarships by the government every yearto study in Cuba. What was unusual was howI got the scholarship. At the time, I was eagerto go to university to further my education,but I could not afford it. An introvert at heart, Ihad been asked several times to represent mycommunity in the local beauty pageant and haddeclined. However, in 2000, the prime minister at the time announced that the young lady who won this pageant would be awarded a university scholarship. I remember a light bulb going off in my head like the cartoon characters. It is true that necessity is the mother of invention, because necessity turned me into a beauty queen and recipient of a university scholarship in Cuba.”
And Tamara maintained her fondness for study after her return from Cuba and this has earned a post-graduate diploma from the UK’s University of Leicester and master’s in strategic management from the University of Derby, also in the UK.
Bilingual
Of course, studying in Cuba resulted in Tamara learning Spanish, but it’s surprising that she doesn’t also speak Creole. “I am bilingual in both Spanish and English, and I am particularly proud of this. Completing a bachelor’s degree in economics in Spanish was no easy feat. I do not speak fluent Creole but I do understand a lot of it. In my house as a child, Creole was spoken by my Mom when she was speaking to her friends and did not want the children to understand. It is beautiful to see though, Creole now being taught in schools and being incorporated in our everyday lives in Dominica. I still have hopes of being fluent in Creole.”
Impressive
Since joining the company in 2006, Tamara’s career path at Tropical Shipping has been impressive and saw her eventually taking overall charge in Dominica. “The position became available after being employed as the sales representative. For six years, I was like a sponge. I am very curious by nature and questioned everything in an effort to understand processes. I was fortunate to work with a company that believes in continuous improvement, providing frequent training and opportunities for growth. Additionally, Tropical Shipping encourages diversity and applauded my every accomplishment. Although I am an introvert, I became a self-taught extrovert and focused on building strong relationships based on trust and commitment. I also started teaching part-time at the University of the West Indies (Open Campus) to keep my intellectual juices flowing and to bring back my Spanish mind to the English world. When the position became available, I was scared, but I was ready. I applied and after several face-to-face interviews, was offered the position. I have been in the position for the last eight years.
Tropical was also the catalyst for Tamara joining WiMAC. One of Tamara’s mentors at Tropical Shipping, Jennifer Nugent-Hill, had introduced her to the idea of joining the local WiMAC chapter. “I was approached by the national liaison, Bethude Azille, who was passionate about seeing the chapter officially established and this passion caught on. I loved that one of WiMAC’s goals was to attract more women to the industry with the aim of closing the gender gap. I felt that the maritime industry, as an employment option, was one of the best-kept secrets, and that other women needed to know about it.”
President
As with Tropical, Tamara did not let the grass grow under her feet. “When I joined WiMAC, I did not expect to be the president. There was so much to learn and to understand, so that was my initial goal: understanding why there was an under-representation of women in the maritime industry, reading up on journals produced from the industry on diversity and seeking out the women who were pioneers for change in this regard. Prior to being elected as the president of WiMAC, I had served in the positions of president of the WiMAC Dominica chapter, and VP membership and administration on the General Council at WiMAC. The other women contesting the position are giants in their own rights and I feel truly honored to have been nominated alongside each. I felt confident though, in my ability to lead with a passion and vision that defied all fear of adversity, and I felt honest in my offer: to focus on building a powerful network of inspired women with the aim of closing the gender gap in the maritime industry. The choice of president was not at all a foregone conclusion, but I hoped that it would be me.”
The two years of Tamara’s WiMAC presidency looks like being interesting ones and it’s a sure-fire bet that her already stellar maritime career still has much further to go.
*The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has facilitated the creation of several Women in Maritime professional networks, including WiMAC, for the improvement of gender balance in the shipping industry.
Dr Doumbia-Henry
Image: World Maritime University (WMU)
In becoming WiMAC president, Tamara has taken inspiration from Dominica’s other great female maritime figure, Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, president of the World Maritime University. “I had the pleasure of meeting Dr Doumbia-Henry two years ago and I am very proud to call her a fellow Dominican. It was an honor to sit and chat with her and to leave more inspired for having met her. In our efforts to reduce the gender gap and encourage diversity in the maritime industry, it is a fact that representation matters. Dr Doumbia-Henry is, globally, a beacon of hope, that women of like backgrounds can find a home in this male-dominated industry where they can grow, excel, and effect change.
New line up for WiMAC
Following the Women in Maritime Association, Caribbean (WiMAC) Annual General Meeting and Elections on the 10 December, members opted to elect a new Governing Council:
The President: Tamara Lowe, Country Manager, Tropical Shipping Dominica (Dominica).
The Immediate Past President: Dwynette D. Eversley, Consultant (Trinidad & Tobago).
Vice President of Membership and Administration: Kemi Linton, Trade & Maritime Specialist, Barbados Port Inc (Barbados).
Vice President of Public Relations & Marketing: Tricia King, Marine Management Area and Habitat Monitoring Officer, Department of Marine Resources (St Kitts & Nevis).
Vice President of Research & Development: Suzette Balkaran, Senior Instructor, Centre for Maritime & Ocean Studies, University of Trinidad & Tobago (UTT) and Energy Efficiency Advisor, Maritime Technology Cooperation Centre (MTCC) Caribbean (Trinidad & Tobago).
Vice President of Women & Development: Thecla Joseph-Charles, Director of Fisheries & Marine Resource Management, Turks & Caicos (St Lucia).
Director of Finance: Ilaisa Lila, Business Support Officer, Maritime Authority Suriname (Suriname).
Member-At-Large: Jennifer Nugent-Hill, Director of Government & Community Affairs, Tropical Shipping, (Florida/United States Virgin Islands).
Valerie Simpson is the Operations Manager at WiMAC’s Jamaicaheadquartered secretariat. is the Operations manager at WiMAC's Jamaica-headquartered secretariat.
Director, Corporate Affairs: Vannessia K. Stewart, Legal Officer, Maritime Authority of Jamaica.
The mission of WiMAC is to foster the development and participation of women in the maritime sector and contribute to the growth of the industry within the Caribbean region.
Tamara Lowe
