Ilya Espino de Marotta, who played a lead role in the expansions of the Panama Canal took office on January 1 as the first woman deputy administrator of the waterway.
She was chosen by the board of directors of the Panama Canal Authority to replace Manuel Benítez, who retired on December 31, 2019.
Mrs. Espino de Marotta began her career at the Canal in 1985 as the sole female engineer at its shipyard. She now works alongside more than 1,000 women and recently served as the Vice President of Transit Business and the Executive Vice President for Engineering during the Panama Canal Expansion Program.
The new deputy administrator took office in the presence of the president of the Board of Directors and Minister for Channel Affairs, Aristides Royo, and the administrator of the Panama Canal, Ricaurte Vásquez Morales.
“Ilya skillfully oversaw the construction of the Expanded Canal, leading the waterway into a new era for global shipping,” said Panama Canal Board of Directors Chairman Aristides Royo.
“It is a great honor to work alongside a visionary such as Ilya, and I am certain that she will continue leading the Canal into a new decade of inspired innovation,” said Panama Canal Administrator Ricaurte Vásquez Morales.