Grand
Cayman, Cayman Islands –
A top hostage negotiator, the CEO of a company which supplies
environmental products to ship owners and operators and the heads of
two maritime technology firms are all part of an impressive line-up
of speakers scheduled to speak at the 2019 Women’s International
Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA) AGM & Conference which
takes place next week from Tuesday, 29 October to Friday, 1 November.
The four-day event is being hosted by WISTA Cayman Islands and is
expected to bring over 200 maritime experts from 30-plus countries.

This
is the first time that Cayman is hosting the WISTA AGM and
Conference. The conference theme this year is "Founded Upon the
Seas", a nod to Cayman's maritime heritage. Despina Panayiotou
Theodosiou, President of WISTA International, says the emphasis for
this year’s gathering will be on doing business differently as it
relates to diversity, technology and environmental issues in the
maritime industry. Ms. Theodosiou will be participating in two
panels at the conference – one about how organisations such as
Women In Maritime Association (WIMAs) and WISTA can work together to
challenge gender bias and another called Technology / The Digital
World / Autonomous Ships / Cyber Security. She is joint CEO of
Tototheo Maritime, a leading global maritime solutions provider,
specialising in maritime satellite communications, bridge systems,
digital technologies and fleet optimisation services. She was also
chosen as one of the Top 100 Most Influential people in shipping and
Top 10 Women in Shipping in both 2017 and 2018 by leading
international shipping publication Lloyd's List.

“The
focus will be on the need for diversity, whereby we see the skills
and knowledge of a person regardless of their gender, ethnicity or
any other distinguishing factor. Our industry has changed so much
over the last five years, that we must look at it with open minds,”
said Ms. Theodosiou. “The relevance is that people and
organisations with the right set of diverse skills, and a willingness
to think afresh will be able to move forward in an industry where the
old ways of doing things no longer apply.”

Ms.
Theodosiou will be joined on the technology panel by Cynthia Hudson,
CEO and founder of HudsonAnalytix, Inc., a global maritime risk
consultancy. A leader in her field, Ms. Hudson believes that the
rapid advance of technology and digitalisation in the maritime
transportation business has changed and will continue to change the
very fabric of businesses like hers.

“These
exciting changes mean new opportunities but also bring new risks and
challenges; perhaps the most critical of those is cyber risk.
Learning about what cyber risk means and how to implement cyber
security is absolutely critical to protecting what is of value in our
organisations,” said Ms. Hudson.

Alexandra
Anagnostis-Irons, founder and President of Total Marine Solutions
agrees. Anagnostis-Irons will tackle the important topic of doing
business in a global environment. She started her shipping career in
the cruise sector and enjoyed over 16 years serving in a number of
executive roles within Marine & Technical Operations. She left
the cruise industry as Royal Caribbean’s Director, Technical
Purchasing to launch Total Marine Solutions, an organisation with a
focus on supplying maritime pollution (MARPOL) compliant solutions to
ship owners and operators.

“Shipping
has always been a global industry. With increased digitisation we are
transforming into a real-time data driven industry, allowing the
entire world to be accessible and visible,” said Anagnostis-Irons.
“This brings its own challenges, including cyber and physical
security, IT standardisation and system integration. It also makes it
essential to build a network of relationships around the globe. This
panel will tackle those topics head on and share best practices.”

Hostage
negotiator Suzanne Williams will be speaking on the topic of Business
Negotiation in A Global World and moderating a panel on the same
subject. For the past 28 years Ms. Williams has been negotiating the
release of hostages detained in very challenging parts of the world.
Her negotiation skills were recognised by Said Business school at
Oxford University, where she is now a regular lecturer on the Oxford
Program of Negotiation (OPN). Using the techniques of hostage
negotiation, she demonstrates how simple tactics and preparation can
make attendees better negotiators within the kinder and easier world
of business negotiation.

“Negotiation
and good communication are both activities that are fundamental to
every aspect of our daily lives both at home and work. They underpin
decision making, conflict resolution, management and leadership as
well as the more obvious profit and bargaining functions,”
explained Ms. Williams. “Lessons learnt in this session will give
attendees the skills to adapt their own negotiation style within
different contexts in an ever-changing business environment. They
will learn how to secure the ‘buy in’ of various stakeholders at
so many levels. I believe this 30-minute session will change the way
they do business forever.”

The 2019 WISTA
International AGM & Conference is sponsored by Maples Group, Port
Authority of the Cayman Islands, Ministry of Health, Environment,
Culture and Housing, NetClues, TotoTheo Maritime, Cayman Islands
Shipping Registry, Fiorenti Holdings, Jones Walker LLP, Marshall
Islands Registry, BlankRome Maritime, Cricket Square Ltd., Total
Marine Solutions, Hyde Agencies Ltd., Cayman Management, MF Shipping
Group, Cayman Armoured, Island Electronics Security & Monitoring,
Cricket Square, Waterfront Shipping Company Limited and Seaboard
Cayman, AL Thompson's, Methanex and Bina Motor Yacht.

For
more information 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-seven 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.

IMAGES:

• WISTA Board photo: L-R Robynette Hera, Kayla Martin, Doris Jackson, Sherice Arman, Keisha Yates, Nanalie Cover. Missing from photo are Vangie Hunter and Natasha Bunting
• Despina Theodosiou – President, WISTA Internationa