The maritime classification society American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) celebrated International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) World Maritime Day with a month of activity putting women in the spotlight to inspire current employees as well as future generations of mariners.
The theme for 2019’s World Maritime Day, an official United Nations day, is “Empowering Women in the Maritime Community.”
“I am proud that ABS has strong women leaders across all areas of the organization who are recognized and accomplished professional trailblazers as well as mentors for the next generation of leaders,” said Christopher J. Wiernicki, ABS Chairman, President and CEO. “In fact, of the 10 women who have been elevated to Fellow of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME), four are connected to ABS."
ABS supported the day with a collection of messages that included an inspirational video, social media activity, and hosting the Empower Hour event, an opportunity for women innovators to network and discuss trends in the maritime industry, held at Gastech 2019 at the NRG Center in Houston.
Through the month of September, female leaders from across the global ABS organization have been celebrating their professional successes in a series of social media profiles. ABS also produced a motivational video, titled “From Dreams to Reality,” featuring employees and family members to illustrate how ABS supports women in the maritime industry.
The Empower Hour saw ABS Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications Cathy Mann welcome female leaders from across the marine and offshore sectors to the ABS booth at Gastech 2019 to share knowledge and inspire the next generation.
“Women in our industry are contributing and accomplishing amazing things, and I think it’s important we celebrate these achievements and what they mean to the industry,” said Mann. “We are working to support the IMO and share its ambition of inspiring more women to join this exciting industry.”