WISTA Norway appoints new President and board members

The Norwegian branch of Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA) has strengthened their media, communication, and tech presence this year.

In addition to the sitting seven board members, three new members were elected: Caroline Whittle, Head of Marketing at the Norwegian Maritime Authority, Agnieszka Sledz, former head of Clean Marine’s System Design & Engineering, and Wallenius Wilhelmsen Senior Executive Advisor Carine Moeller Mortensen.

Siri Sundal Shield, Senior Ship Broker at Odfjell Tankers, was elected President, succeeding Pia Meling who has chosen to step back after two years. Siri has spent close to 20 years in commercial roles within the shipping industry and has extensive broking and business development experience from ship broking majors Clarksons, Howe Robinson and Simpson Spence and Young in London and Bergen.

“I feel very privileged to take on this role with such a strong team at an incredibly exciting time in our industry. We face a massive technological shift and new environmental standards, and to meet these challenges, we need the brightest minds. Research shows that diverse and inclusive organisations are not only more innovative and resilient, they are also more profitable. The ambition to level the gender imbalance in shipping is what drives us at WISTA,” says Siri Sundal Shield.

“Norway wants to take the lead role in sustainable business development and environmentally friendly solutions in the ocean space. Therefore, we need to attract new skills, ideas, and educational backgrounds – and we must retain and elevate the talent we already have. WISTA Norway welcome all maritime professionals who want to contribute to us staying a relevant network organization for shipping industry professionals, regardless of gender, age, or background,” continues Sundal Shield.

The WISTA Norway board consists of:

• Siri Sundal Shield, Senior Ship Broker, Odfjell Tankers
• Emilie Christiansen, Senior Claims Executive, Skuld
• Kari Ytreland, Head of PMO, Norled
• Stine Mundal, Naval Architect and Key Account Manager, DNV
• Benedicte Bjorøy, Head of HR, Gearbulk
• Henriette K. Bergesen, Operations and Chartering Broker, Hansa Tankers
• Sarah Soon Arnhus, Assistant Regional Head Europe and Africa, BW LNG
• Caroline Whittle, Head of Marketing, Norwegian Maritime Authority
• Agnieszka Sledz, former head of System Design & Engineering, Clean Marine
• Carine Moeller Mortensen, Senior Executive Advisor, Wallenius Wilhelmsen