SAFETY4SEA Log I May 2025 I ISSUE 103 I 53 safety4sea.com S4S: What are 3 key things you think are important to succeed as a woman in the maritime industry? Capt. J. B.: • Relationships: We need champions—people who mention our names in rooms we’re not in, who back us up when things get tough, and who open doors that might otherwise stay closed. • A mindset open to opportunity: Say yes to the roles you’re not 100% ready for. If it’s adding value to the industry, you’ll grow into it. • Clarity of purpose: Know what you want to change about the industry, and build relationships around shared goals—not just individual accomplishments. S4S: What initiatives related to diversity and inclusion would you like to see in the workplace both onboard and ashore? Capt. J. B.: We need a human-centered appraisal of the career paths in our industry. Who’s included? Who’s left out? And why? We have to look at how age, gender, nationality, and life phase all shape people’s access to opportunity. Every maritime professional has their own experience of the industry—and our systems need to acknowledge that. S4S: What is your wish list for the industry stakeholders to implement changes and improvements with regards to DEI? Capt. J. B.: I want us to include men more holistically. Women’s roles have expanded a lot over the last 50 years. In some ways, men’s roles haven’t. That gap creates friction—and sometimes backlash. If diversity, equity, and inclusion is seen as a zero-sum game where men lose when women advance, we’ve already lost the plot. The truth is, the more talent we include, the more value we create as a society. Diversity, equity, and inclusion should be framed around collective gain. It is not a competition of men vs. women but how we can ensure that the industry is resilient and grows with the best possible talent long-term. S4S: What needs to change to raise the industry’s profile and attract future talents? Capt. J. B.: We need more positive storytelling. Most people outside the industry only hear about shipping when there’s a scandal or disaster—that’s not the whole picture. Capt. Kate has done a lot to shift the narrative, but we need a thousand more like her, and we need male champions doing the same. We also need to show—clearly—that there’s a viable path from sea to shore. If people think a maritime career means staying at sea forever, we’ll lose many before they even begin. Another major issue is the lack of safe, supportive, and instructive internships for cadets globally. If we want to close the gap in qualified seafarers, we need to treat every experienced officer over 50 as a mentor—and for every one of them, we should be training up the next generation. There are many cadets who have finished maritime studies but have been unable to secure sea time as cadet that have left the industry, for others where they could find employment. Without strong, structured pipelines, the talent shortage we’re already seeing will only become more critical. S4S: If you could change one thing across the industry from your perspective, what would it be and why? Capt. J. B.: I’d break down the silo between women’s and men’s networks. While it’s fantastic that women’s groups are gaining strength, too often we’re operating in parallel tracks. That can lead to exclusion and missed opportunities for collaboration. If we want to build better leadership, better innovation, and better retention, we need spaces where everyone’s contributing to the conversation together in an inclusive conversation space – another reason I am so excited for our Nor-Shipping line-up this summer! S4S: What is your key message to maritime stakeholders to support and drive industry’s goals for diversity? Capt. J. B.: People have different needs, and different talents. If we want to get the best out of them, we have to stop designing systems based on sameness. Inclusion isn’t a buzzword—it’s the operational strategy for unlocking full performance. Think about how people experience their roles, not just what’s written in the job description. That’s where the real change begins. I NTERV I EW
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