The www.allaboutshipping.co.uk has announced 100 Top Women in Shipping for 2021
By Anny Zade
Good evening to the Eastern and good day to the Western hemisphere.
As the business week ends today and pursuant to previous announcements, we are pleased to announce that 152 women out of 1,610 participating, proposed or …otherwise from almost all sectors of the entire Shipping spectrum, shared the Top 100 places.
As in the previous two years, we witnessed a fierce but friendly competition from our sea-maidens emanating from all over Planet Ocean. Central and Latin American voters supported their candidates like no other region…
Despite the despicable situation we continue to live in as we are in a double recession, despite another anus horribilis given the Coronavirus anathema and its despicable mutations – not to say the irresponsible handling by all, a dangerous geopolitical scene with Ukraine, Turkey’s attitude against its neighbours violating international law and in particular the Law of the Sea, Chinese demands and energy issues, uncertain market environment, valiant and admirable women were once again out there performing service to humankind and …outperforming
A real challenge once again for those working mostly from home tackling business, simultaneously caring and looking after children – some very young – and supporting others in their families whether from on board or ashore…
Many congratulations to all involved, thanks to all who proposed candidates – including when nominating themselves – 65 centum of those taking part in this year’s process were men (In the near future, like last year we will upload the Vital Statistics).
We hope we enlighten you more from last year to get to know them – as many have been modestly very much avoiding publicity…
Here below are the winners and in parenthesis last year’s result/place . Amazing newcomers too and many ups and downs… and last year’s winner, made it once again; a milestone in her career! A bit of a good volatility too… Next year will strictly upload / announce the first 100, no equals occupying …sharing the same space/position…
Once again we very much believe that we can improve a lot of things in possibly the most demanding industry of all, that of Shipping, by pulling together and making diversity a MUST:
1. Irene Rosberg, Programme Director Executive MBA in Shipping and Logistics (The Blue MBA) Copenhagen Business School, Denmark, president and co-founder of Maritime Network of Women (M-NOW) (1)
2. Semiramis S. Palios CEO Diana Shipping Inc., President of HELMEPA, Greece (3)
3. Dr. Marina Papaioannou, Head of the Maritime Academy Hellas, Maritime Service Centre & Advisory at DNV GL Maritime, Greece (5)
4. Katharina Palmer, Global Head of Sustainability at Lloyd’s Register, UK (15)
5. Sabrina Chao, Wah Kwong Maritime Transport, Hong Kong and President of BIMCO (8)
6. Dr. Aleka Mandaraka- Sheppard, Maritime Arbitrator, Chairman and Founder of the London Shipping Law Centre, UK (4)
7. Katharina Stanzel, Managing Director at Intertanko, London, United Kingdom (6)
8. Nicola Good, Journalist and Global Head of Brand & External Relations Marine & Offshore at Lloyd’s Register, UK (12)
9. Elvia Bustavino, lawyer and General Secretary in the Panama Maritime Authority, Panama (10)
10.Pailette Palaiologou, Vice President, Marine & Offshore Division, Hellenic, Black Sea & Adriatic Zone, Bureau Veritas Hellas A.E., Greece (2)
11. Dr. Helen Thanopoulou, Professor at the University of the Aegean at the Department of Shipping, Trade and Transport, Greece (11)
12. Elpi Petraki, president WISTA Hellas, Chartering Manager at ENEA Management Inc., II Vice President at EENMA, Greece (16)
13. Danae Bezantakou, CEO at Navigator Shipping Consultants, Secretary at the International Propeller Club Port of Piraeus, founder YES Forum, and president iforU, Greece (14)
14. Despina Panagiotou – Theodosiou, WISTA International president and CEO Tototheo Group, Cyprus (16)
15. Hu Xiaolian, Chairwoman/Party Secretary at the Export–Import Bank of China, China (7)
16. Katerina A. Mahera, Commercial director in Greece for Q88. (0)
17. Anna Vourgos, co-founder Aphentrica Marine Insurance Brokers and WISTA Cyprus President (22)
18. Maria Dixon, Director, ISM Shipping Solutions Ltd, former WISTA UK president (12)
19. Elina Souli, Regional Business Development Director, V.P- FD&D Manager, The American P&I Club, Piraeus, Greece, vice president WISTA Hellas (20)
20. Maria J. Angelikousis, CEO Angelikoussis Group., Greece (11)
21.Maria Ntouka Montesantou, Legal Adviser at A1 Yachting Paleon Faliron/Marina Zeas, Piraeus/Athens, Greece (15); Angela Smith, Customer Services Manager, DP World London Gateway, UK (23); Captain Jessica Tyson, Master Mariner, United Kingdom (24)
22. Irene S. Daifas, CEO at Stavros Daifas Maritime Corporation, president of the Piraeus Marine Club, member of WISTA Hellas and HELMEPA, Greece (23)
23. Jillian Carson-Jackson, President of The Nautical Institute, United Kingdom (9)
24. Christine Cabou Woehrel, director of Assets at CMA CGM and former head of Port of Marseille Fos, France (12); Maria Karahaliou, PA to GEMA Marine Manager Marine Internal Training Coordinator at Lloyd’s Register EMEA, Greece (21)
25. Suzanna P. Laskaridis, Director Lavinia Group, Laskaridis Shipping Co. Ltd. and founder Real Time Graduates, Greece (11)
26. Boriana Farrar, Chief Legal Officer at Patriot Contract Services, LLC and WISTA USA president (74)
27. Natalia Margioli, Head of HMC and ICS Piraeus Branch, Greece (20)
28. Elena Sendona, Fashion designer and journalist, the heart and soul in fashionality and beyondgreeksalad, hospitality, tourism including maritime tourism (42)
29. Eleni Letoni, Communications, Sales & Marketing Co-ordinator for Greece, Cyprus & Malta, CSR officer at SEEBA Zone, Bureau Veritas Hellas, Piraeus, Greece (46)
30. Daphne Angelidou, president WISTA Argentina and CEO at Agencia Maritima Intercontinental (38)
31. Frances Baskerville, Secretary General of CIRM, London, United Kingdom (37); H.E. Natalia Royo, Panamanian Ambassador in the United Kingdom (44)
32. Katerina Skourtanioti, managing director, Venlys Greece (41); Rasmina Rauber, Swiss Maritime Services, WISTA Switzerland past president (93)
33. Prof. Averil MacDonald, OBE, DSc, DUniv, FRSA Deputy Master of the Worshipful Company of Fuellers and Freelance Diversity and Inclusion Consultant, United Kingdom (13); Teresa Peacock, Managing Director Spinnaker Global and WISTA UK (16)
34. Claudia Ohlmeier, DNV, Head Of Section Class Systematics Data and Operation Centre at DNV in Hamburg, president WISTA Germany (40); Tracey Gunnlaugsson, CEO ExxonMobil/Sea River, Houston, USA (12)
35. Olga Lazovskaya, a founder member of WISTA Russia and leading marine insurance specialist, Russia (45)
36. Susan Terpilowski, OBE, Founder Image Line and former president WISTA UK (11); Captain Radhika Menon, Indian Merchant Navy Captain, India (72)
37. Dr. Sasha Heriot, Business Development and Portfolio Manager, Wärtsilä Corporation,(69)
38. Helle Hammer, CEFOR, Represents Cefor in external forums such as stakeholder committees in Bureau Veritas, RINA & DNV GL, and as a Board member of the Norwegian Maritime Forum. Chair of the IUMI Policy Forum, and Secretary to the Cefor Technical Forum, Norway (30); Ioanna Prokopiou, CEO Sea Traders and founder of Prominence Maritime S.A., Athens, Greece (91)
39. Claire N. Tsavliris, Tsavliris Salvage Group (0)
40. Lesley Bankes-Hughes, publisher, director of publishing, Petrospot Ltd (Bunkerspot and ship.energy), UK (53)
41.Anna-Maria Monogioudis, Director, Aegean Protective Coatings, Piraeus, Greece and WISTA Hellas former president (39).
42. Mary Carmen Barrios, Senior Vice President Ports, Terminal & Stevedoring Europe, Middle East & Africa, Wallenius Wilhelmsen Group, Panama (17)
43. Bridget Hogan, Director of Publishing and Membership at The Nautical Institute, WISTA-United Kingdom (20)
44. Dorothea Ioannou, Chief Commercial Officer at Shipowners Claims Bureau Inc., as Manager of the American P&I Club and WISTA Hellas ( 21)
45. Teresa M Stevens, Founder and Director, Guardian Maritime Limited, UK (33)
46. Judith Patten, MBE, Renewable Energy, Journalist and Media, UK (21)
47. Dr. Anne Marie Warris, founder ecoreflect Ltd, United Kingdom (15)
48. Heidi Heseltine, co-founder of the Diversity Group, United Kingdom (25); Angeliki Frangou, CEO of Navios, Greece (60)
49. Evgenia D. Chandris, entrepreneur and founder A Magic Cabinet, former joint president of BHCC, Greece (11)
50. Alexandra Anagnostis, president Total Marine Services, past WISTA International Secretary, WISTA USA Ex Officio Board Member and past president (67); Anne H. Steffensen, Director General of the Danish Shipowners Association, Denmark (26)
51. Margaret Fitzgerald, Head of Marine Policy & Regulatory Affairs, International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) (26)
52. Charlotte Røjgaard, Global Technical Manager for Verifuel, Bureau Veritas, Denmark (9)
53. Anna Angelikousis, Principal of Alpha Bulkers, Alpha Gas and Pantheon Tankers, Greece (13); Shoko Kamimori, president Fukada Salvage & Marine Works, Japan and WISTA Japan president (38)
54. Debbi Bonner, founder of j-l-a media in UK (50)
55. Martina Meinders – Michail, managing director at MSM, WISTA Cyprus (71)
56 .Clara Wahnich, Digital Innovation Partnerships Lead, Inmarsat, French (19)
57. Kathy Metcalf, CEO, Chamber of Shipping of America, USA (30)
58. Monica Kohli, GARD (UK) Ltd office and WISTA UK president (62)
59. Patty Apostolopoulou, Lloyd’s Register, United Kingdom and HESGB Secretary (35)
60. Natasha Brown, Media and Communications at the IMO, London, United Kingdom (24)
61. Debora Valera, President of VSV Marine & Port Group, President of WISTA Venezuela, President of the Venezuelan Maritime Cluster, Venezuela (71).
62. Sadan Kaptanoglou, Kaptanoglu Shipping Group of Companies, ex-President & Chairperson of the Board, BIMCO, Turkey (26); Pia Meling, Massterly AS and WISTA Norway ex-president (31)
63. Melina Travlou, Head of Neptune Lines Shipping and Managing Enterprises, Head of Neptune Dry and President of the Union of Greek Shipowners (0)
64. Eugenia Benavides, Terpel, WISTA Colombia and IBIA (56); Nazli Selek, NSN law firm and president of WISTA Turkey (86)
65. Maria Kouliga – Pavlou, CEO / founder of Trinity Insurance Brokers, president of the Hellenic Committee of Lloyd’s Brokers Associates, WISTA Hellas (17)
66. Maria Christina Ktistakis, Genmar Shipping and WISTA Hellas, ex-president WISTA- Hellas, (78)
67. Camila de Oliveira Diniz, HESGB, Brazil (22); Birgit Liodden , Founder/CEO, The Ocean Opportunity Lab, Chair, Norwegian Environmental Boats Association, Board Member, Bellona and WISTA Norway (29); Victoria Freeman, Chief Financial Officer at KPI OceanConnect (0)
68. Kristie Loutsiou, PA to Professor C. Th. Grammenos, Administrator for the Centre for Shipping, Trade and Finance at CASS Business School, United Kingdom (18)
69. Maria Mavroudi, marine insurance broker and Founder of Searock Marine Insurance Brokers. Founder also of Kallichoron Boutique Hotel, Island of Astypalaia Greece, and WISTA Hellas member (72)
70. Makiko Toni, Deputy Manager, Cyber Security Team, ClassNK, Japan (35); Eleni Polychronopoulou, ERMA First and the full group of companies owned by them – also President of METIS and HEMEXPO, and Vice Chair of Sea Europe. (0)
71. Carly Fields, editor ICS membership magazine, United Kingdom (30); Isabella Ryckbost, ESPO secretary general, Brussels, Belgium (53)
72. Carleen Lyden Walker, CEO at Morgan Marketing & Communications, IMO Goodwill Maritime Ambassador, NAMEPA, SHIPPINGInsight, WISTA USA (74)
73. Janet Porter, journalist at Informa, United Kingdom (59); Artemis Vamvakopoulou, co-founder/managing partner at Exrovert Business Communications and Posidonia Exhibition Press Office, Greece (87)
74. Olga Jaques, Business Development & Events Manager at Maritime London, UK (80); Aurette Arkas; president of ARKAS HELLAS (0); Melissa Williams, Vice President of Shell Marine (0)
75. Sofia Falida, Business Development Manager at Polyeco Group, Greece (73)
76. Maria Papadoyanne, Manager at Seascape Marine & Trading Ltd, WISTA Hellas, Greece (80)
77. Capt. Ayse Asli Basak , Mid-ship group LLC, Turkey (47); Sandra Spears, writer. The heart and mind of The Maritime Advocate (0)
78. Michelle Wise Bockmann, Markets editor at Lloyd’s List (51)
79. Gabriela Aresu, of Studio Legale Aresu and WISTA Italy (32); Gianela Rivas Justiniani, Attorney, Illicit Trade Prevention Executive, Philip Morris Central America and the Carribean, Panamanian (48);Isabella Jones, The Bahamas Maritime Authority in the United Kingdom, Bahamas (77)
80. Patricia Velasquez, Commercial director and Deputy Registrar at Macosna Corporation, former president of Panama Chamber of Shipping 2018-2019 and WIST Panama member (91); Katerina Fitsiou, director and relationship manager at XRTC Greece and treasurer of the Association of Banking & Shipping Executives of Hellenic Shipping – the only woman in the board and long lasting member, Greece (96)
81. Isabellla Ryckbost, ESPO secretary general, Brussels, Belgium (53); Tamara de Gruyeter, President Wartsila Marine Systems and vice president and head of portofolio business (0)
82. Holly Birkett, of Tradewinds News (0); Stavriana Asprogianidou, director, head of Mediterranea at Willis Towers Watson (0)
83. Savanti Selvaranam, QC at Stone Chambers, London, (28); Roula Tzamtzi, Charterwell Chartering Department, Glyfada, Athens, Greece (82)
84. Natasa Vassilaki, of Naftiliaki/Seatrade, WISTA Hellas, Greece (79); Karin Orsel Marin Ship Management BV and former WISTA International president, Th Netherlands (88); Jenny Pournara, Secretary at the Piraeus Association of Maritime Arbitrators and WISTA Hellas member (100)
85. Anna Kalliani co-president BHCC (British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce), Athens, Greece (73)
86. Kira Phoenix K’inan, Glass Artist Photographer, Painter, Environmentalist and Glass Tutor, London, United Kingdom (88); Stella Mantzari, CEO of AS Marine Ltd and philanthropist, Greece (90)
87. Rosana Velasco, HISPANIA P&I Correspondent, WISTA Spain (37); Olga Bornozis, Managing director at Capital Link, USA (57 ); Maria Yiassa, The Swedish Club, Greece and WISTA Hellas (78)
88. Clare Gomes, Strategic Planning & Communications Executive at AMSOL, South Africa and WISTA South Africa President (52); Iris D. Liaskoni, Director Seascape, WISTA Hellas and Propeller Club Port of Piraeus member, Greece (93)
89. Euridice Livada Ntouka, Author, Historian, Argostoli, Cephalonia, Greece (28); Anjie Hartmann, head of Crew Dept at Star Bulk and former president of WISTA- Hellas (29)
90. Laia Politou, solicitor, the Swedish P&I Club, Greece (70); Katerina Stathopoulou, MICS, Executive director at Investments & Finance, Tutor, WISTA Hellas and Greece (90); Katrina Davis, marine insurance broker at Gallaghers (0)
91. Jean Grasso, attorney, partner at Black Rome LLP and WISTA USA board member USA (27); Mia Jensen, Greek director & events manager at Marine Money International (82); Maria M. Tripolitis, director PMS and Special Secretary at the Chios Marine Club, Greece (100)
92. Ana Irene Delgado, Senator in Panama, former Ambassador of Panama in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Iceland and member of Panama’s Olympic team in fencing, devoted participant at the annual Davos Forum (100), Panama; (95)
93. Sherice Arman, Maples and Cadler, president WISTA Cayman Islands (65); Aspasia Rallis, Events Governor, Yacht Club of Greece, Greece (95); Anna Kaparaki, Lecturer in Maritime Law at John Moores University, Liverpool, and Senior Solicitor at Mackinnons Solicitors LLP, United Kingdom (96)
94. Ida Stier, founder Stier Group, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands (96); Parker Harrison, SVP and General Councel at Crowley Maritime Corp, former WISTA USA President (67); Jan Webber, Director of Development, The Mission to Seafarers (0)
95. Margareth J.Musquera, Lawyer at Arias & Associates, Panama (85); Irene K. Notias, Founder and Managing Director at Prime Bunkerplus, Propeller Club Port of Piraeus BoG member, founder Project Connect and Adopt a Ship, Athens, Greece (92); Elina Papageorgiou, UK&I Marine and Offshore Area Manager, Lloyd’s Register (0)
96. Chrysoula Patrikiou, CEO & Founder of Potentia, Greece (67); Ioanna Topaloglou, CEO at Orion Insurance Brokers & Consultants, ex BoD at WISTA Hellas (76); Sophia Konstantopoulou, Global head, marketing & events at IBIA and founder of GIWA (Greek International Women’s Awards), London, United Kingdom ( (85)
97. Marina Tzoutzouraki, co-founder & CFO at eShipfinance, Athens, Greece; (92); Consuelo Rivero Diaz, SAU, Ship agency and WISTA Spain (97)
98. Maria Angelidou, Manager at GAC Greece and Board member at WISTA-Hellas, Greece (94); Peggy Papastavrou, lawyer at ATHEX Exchange, WISTA Hellas (97)
99. Gina Panagiotou, lawyer, Founder of Oceans Arena, Concept Founder of It’s All about Shipping, journalist and WISTA UK member (90); Saleha Shaikh, Founder and CEO, Dynamic Marine Solutions, based in Istanbul, Turkey (0)
and 100. Shelagh Ingledow, Lloyd’s List Greek Shipping Awards and Greek Shipping Hall of Fame Events secretariat, Greece (21); Unni Einemo director of IBIA, IBIA’s representative at the IMO (69).