Grand
Cayman, Cayman Islands –
Cayman’s Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association
– WISTA Cayman Islands – has announced that Captain Patrik
Dahlgren, Senior Vice President, Global Marine Operations at Royal
Caribbean Cruises, Ltd will be the keynote speaker for the 2019 WISTA
International AGM & Conference which is being hosted by WISTA
Cayman from 29 October to 1 November.

Captain
Dahlgren’s responsibilities span across six cruise brands with
offices in Miami, London, Hamburg, Madrid and Shanghai. His seagoing
experiences started as a bridge officer with tugboats, yachts and an
array of cargo vessels and ferries. He rose through the ranks with
over 15 years onboard Royal Caribbean International cruise ships with
his last seagoing command being Master of Oasis of the Seas and
Quantum of the Seas and was responsible for the final launch of the
Quantum Class.

Patrik
is a firm believer in giving back to the community, starting with his
drive and passion for the United Nations 17 Sustainable Goals. He is
personally involved with Gender Equality #5 where he is responsible
for raising the percentage of female bridge officers from 5% to 20%
in 12 months.

“More
women than ever are entering the maritime industry. Being an
industry leader in diversity, we continue to focus our efforts on
attracting, supporting, and growing our woman talent pool,” said
Captain Dahlgren. “Expanding on the talent available is not only
the right thing to do from a gender equality perspective but also
good for the industry. Ignoring a growing gap in the talent pool
means that we are ignoring 50% of available capable talent.
Celebrity Cruises and RCL look to provide ongoing opportunities to
women in these roles as this industry continues to grow, and I very
much look forward to having this conversation at the conference.”

Other
industry professionals slated to speak at the Conference include
Lilia Khodjet El Khil, Project Technical Manager for the
International Maritime Organisation (IMO) who will talk about
GloFouling Partnerships, a joint project between the IMO, United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Global Environment
Facility (GEF) to address the transfer of harmful aquatic species in
some of the developing regions of the world through biofouling –
fouling of pipes and underwater surfaces by organisms such as
barnacles and algae.

International
hostage negotiator Suzanne Williams will speak on the topic of
Business Negotiation in A Global World as well as moderate a panel on
doing business in a global world while Jodi Munn Barrow, Secretary
General, Caribbean Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control
and Jennifer Nugent-Hill, Director of Governmental & Community
Affairs at Tropical Shipping USA will discuss Empowering Women in the
Maritime Community: Diversity/Gender Bias.

“I
am inspired daily by the awesome women whom I have the privilege to
call my colleagues across this vast maritime industry. These mighty
women of courage who push through the challenges of the workday using
their leadership skills and talents to increase profits, proving the
idiocy of barriers such as the lack of gender inclusivity in
organisations,” said Ms. Nugent-Hill. “I am also encouraged by
the strong and open-minded men who are champions for diversity and
have recognised that effective leaders exist in both genders and have
willingly provided a seat at the table, on the deck or at the helm of
the ship for women.”

This is the first time
that Cayman is hosting the AGM and Conference which will bring over
200 maritime experts from 30-plus countries. The theme for the
conference is "Founded Upon the Seas" and the event is
sponsored by Maples Group, Port Authority of the Cayman Islands,
NetClues, TotoTheo Maritime, Cayman Registry and Jones Walker.

For
more information about the 2019 WISTA International AGM &
Conference visit www.wistainternational2019.com
or email Sherice.Arman@maples.com.

About
WISTA International

Formed
in 1974, the Women’s International Shipping & Trading
Association (WISTA International) is a global organisation connecting
female executives and decision makers around the world. WISTA
International serves as a connector for its network of more than
3,000 female professionals from all sectors of the maritime industry.

WISTA
International promotes increased competency and diversity throughout
the maritime sector. Forty-six countries support a National WISTA
Association (NWA), each of which in turn is a member of and is guided
by WISTA International. NWAs provide in-country and regional
networking, business and skill building opportunities, corporate
visibility, and also facilitate relationships within the industry.