Managing Director, INTERTANKO
Katharina Stanzel has served as Managing Director of INTERTANKO since 2012, representing the interests of independent tanker owners worldwide, promoting safety, environmental responsibility and regulatory compliance. The fifth MD in the Association’s long history, she brings an environmental background to the position. She is passionate about advancing the role and reputation of the tanker industry as a vital and responsible partner in the global energy supply chain and has been driving collaboration and partnerships between industry stakeholders; advocating for policies that foster sustainable growth, fair competition and international cooperation in developing best practice, operational excellence and global solutions for a global industry.
A marine biologist by training, she entered the world of shipping in the 1990s. Focussing on marine pollution from ships, she spent ten years as technical advisor for the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation before joining the IOPC Funds, a UN body tasked with administering several crucial compensation conventions for oil pollution from tankers.
Katharina holds postgraduate qualifications in coastal management and business administration from universities in Germany, the UK and Australia. She is a Member of the American Bureau of Shipping and sits on the International Quality Assessment Review Board (IQARB), an initiative to promote and enhance maritime safety and pollution prevention.
In 2012, she was honoured to be named WISTA International Personality of the Year by the Women in Shipping Trade Association and in 2022 won the SheEO Leads Prize for excellent leadership in a company.