Category Archives for "session"

Senior Researcher & Head of the Research Unit Maritime Health and Technology
University of Southern Denmark

Lisa Loloma Froholdt is a Senior Researcher and Head of the Research Unit Maritime Health and Technology, at the University of Southern Denmark. Originally from New Zealand, she has lived in Denmark for many years, developing an extensive career bridging international organizations, the maritime private sector, and higher education. With a Ph.D. in Maritime Human Factors and a background in psychology, she has dedicated her work to understanding the human element in shipping, focusing on mental health, safety, and well-being at sea.

Dr. Froholdt has held key positions across academia, international organizations, and the maritime industry, including at the World Maritime University (a UN institution), The Copenhagen School of Marine Engineering and Maritime Technology, and the private maritime sector. Her research addresses critical issues such as seafarers’ psychological well-being, maritime health and safety, and gender diversity in shipping.

She has led and contributed to numerous international research projects, including collaborations with the IMO, WHO, and ILO, securing significant funding for studies on workplace bullying and harassment, psychological safety, and seafarers’ mental health. Notably, her research on bullying and harassment at sea directly contributed to changes in Danish maritime safety law. A recognized expert in her field, she serves on editorial boards, advisory committees, and policy initiatives, actively shaping the future of maritime health and safety, and human factors research.

Technical Adviser to the Managing Director
National Agency of Maritime Affairs (ANAM)

At 32, I returned to my studies, pursuing International Relations at a Parisian institution and earning a diploma. A year later, I obtained a Master’s in Law, Economics, and Management, focusing on Development Project Management in Africa. This enabled me to assess UNDP actions for Senegalese rural women.

In 2010, I joined the National Agency of Maritime Affairs (ANAM-Senegal) as Head of Studies, Planning, and Strategies. In 2013, I attended the World Maritime University in Malmö, earning a Master of Science in Maritime Affairs, specializing in Maritime Safety and Environmental Administration. By 2016, I became Deputy Director of Maritime Safety and Marine Pollution Prevention at ANAM, overseeing vessel administration and ensuring maritime safety, pollution control, and a viable blue economy in Senegal.

In 2017, I was elected Vice-Chair of the INTERPOL Fisheries Crime Working Group (FCWG), tackling transnational environmental crimes in the fisheries sector. During this time, we launched the “Law Enforcement Femmes Network” to support female professionals in maritime enforcement agencies.

I’ve contributed to various UNODC initiatives and consultancies, including the “Rotten Fish” guide to combat corruption in the fishing industry and dialogues on gender in maritime law enforcement.

Currently, I lead the “Réseau des Femmes pour le Développement Durable,” a network focusing on gender equality, poverty reduction, and the implementation of SDGs, with a focus on women’s empowerment in sectors like health, education, peace, security, and sustainable economies.

Since December 2020, I have served as Technical Adviser to the Managing Director of ANAM, coordinating strategies and tasks as assigned by the General Director.

Manager for Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) & Maritime Welfare
South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA)

Sibusiso Rantsoabe is a Manager for Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) & Maritime Welfare at the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA). He manages a national Unit, the OHS & Maritime Welfare Unit within SAMSA with a mandate across different functional areas: i.e.

1. Maritime Occupational Health and Safety compliance regime
2. Seafarer Welfare (C188 & MLC)
3. Verified Gross Mass of packed containers (VGM) compliance regime
4. Marine Environmental Protection

He has over 24 years in the maritime industry with 10 years having been spent at the South African Maritime Safety. He is a South African delegate at the IMO’s Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships (ISWG GHG) and the Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) as well as the ILO Special Tripartite Committee of the MLC, 2026. He has interest and passion in the following topics: marine environmental protection, sustainable development, seafarer welfare, occupational health and safety, human rights including equality, diversity, and inclusivity. He holds an MSc in Maritime Affairs with WMU majoring in Marine Environmental and Ocean Management.

Researcher, Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA) – Denmark
Gender Equality Consultant, IOC-UNESCO

Dr. Ellen Johannesen is an interdisciplinary marine social science researcher at the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA – Denmark) and a gender equality consultant for the IOC-UNESCO. She holds a PhD in Maritime Affairs with a focus on gender equality in ocean science from the World Maritime University in Malmö, Sweden. A graduate of the Empowering Women for the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development programme hosted at the Global Ocean Institute, generously sponsored by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

With over 15 years of experience at the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), has worked extensively in intergovernmental ocean governance at the science-policy interface. Including leading the development of the ICES gender equality plan. Her work aims to advance an ecosystem-based approach to marine conservation and restoration through international collaboration and coordination.

Dr. Johannesen is dedicated to mainstreaming gender equality and fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in ocean science and governance. She actively contributes to initiatives linked to the UN’s Ocean Decade and World Ocean Assessment III, focusing on gender equality, equity and inclusion, citizen engagement and knowledge transfer in ocean protection and restoration, and marine ecosystem-based management.

National Climate Change Adaptation Officer
Ministry of Climate Resilience, the Environment and Renewable Energy, Grenada

Roxanne Graham is currently the National Climate Change Adaptation Officer for Grenada, tasked with revising the country’s National Adaptation Plan as well as its Climate Change Policy. Previously, she worked as a Research Assistant with the NF-WMU “Closing the Circle Programme: Marine Debris, Sargassum, and Marine Spatial Planning in the Eastern Caribbean.” This program, generously funded by The Nippon Foundation and hosted at the World Maritime University (WMU) – Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute, was where Roxanne also earned her PhD in Maritime Affairs.

From 2017 to 2021, Roxanne was an Instructor at St. George’s University (SGU), where she taught lower-level Biology courses and contributed to senior-level courses within the Department of Biology, Ecology, and Conservation.

Roxanne also holds a Master of Marine Management degree from Dalhousie University, Canada. Before pursuing her Master’s degree in 2015, Roxanne served as a Project Assistant at Roberts Caribbean, Ltd.—Environmental and Development Consulting. In this role, she gained expertise in conducting environmental consultancies, including social and impact assessments, and contributed to several national environmental and climate change-related reports.

Roxanne is also an active member of GAEA Conservation and was recently appointed the Secretary of the Grenada Coral Reef Foundation (GCRF).

Beyond her professional life, Roxanne is a mother and loves to spend time outdoors with her family.

Focal point for the Women in Maritime Programme
International Maritime Organization

Mariana Noceti is a seasoned professional with over a decade of experience at the International Maritime Organization (IMO). She has contributed significantly to various divisions, starting with the Goal-Based Standards programme in the Maritime Safety Division and later in the Office of the Director for Legal Affairs and External Relations. Currently, she leads IMO’s Women in Maritime Programme within the Technical Cooperation and Implementation Division. In this role, she drives the Organization’s gender and capacity-building programme, focusing on training, visibility, and recognition.

Mariana also serves as an advisor for all of IMO’s external gender-related activities and outputs, providing strategic advice on long-term thematic projects and regional technical cooperation programmes. Her expertise centres on promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women in the maritime sector.

In addition to her professional responsibilities, Mariana holds a Bachelor’s degree in Translation and Interpreting and a Diploma in Gender, Policies, and Participation. She has served as one of IMO’s United Nations Focal Points for Women and has been a key member of the IMO Gender Equality and Diversity Group for the past five years, contributing to the development of the Secretariat’s Gender Equality Strategy.

Before joining the UN system, Mariana worked as an interpreter and translator for high-profile clients across Latin America and Europe, further enriching her multicultural and multilingual expertise.

Marine Culture Lead
A.P. Moller – Maersk

Amalie Grevsen leads the Maersk Fleet Cultural Transformation, driving critical initiatives that promote an inclusive and respectful work environment across the global fleet. She is responsible for developing, designing, and implementing key programs such as Maersk’s Global Anti-Harassment campaign and an onsite leadership program for all Senior Officers and Superintendents.

With a dual focus on both strategic projects and structural barriers, Amalie works to ensure that cultural change goes beyond policies to create lasting behavioural shifts. She is passionate about supporting change processes through clear and impactful communication, helping employees across all levels recognize challenges and embrace solutions.

Before joining Maersk, Amalie spent eight years at TV 2 Denmark, the country’s largest commercial broadcaster, where she worked with external partnerships—an experience that strengthened her ability to navigate complex stakeholder landscapes and build bridges across organizations.

University Lecturer, Police Training
Malmö University

Johan Pettersson works as a lecturer and teacher at the police training program in Malmö. He teaches the course Power Analysis, where tomorrow’s police officers get to train their abilities to discover, understand, analyze and apply knowledge regarding power structures in their police work. It can be operational aspects such as treatment, reflection skills, communication, prejudice, racism and use of violence or collegial aspects regarding culture, jargon, feedback, masculinity norms, civil courage or sexual harassment.

Since 2018, Johan has met with companies, workplaces, sports clubs, and schools and lectured on gender equality issues, work environment, inclusion, discrimination issues, diversity, and power structures. He is a political and gender scientist, passionate about discussing and raising awareness of gender equality and power issues. He often works in male-dominated environments – the Swedish Armed Forces, the police department, the forestry industry, the shipping, and the tech industry, where the aim is to engage men in gender equality work. Johan has expertise in topics related to gender equality, masculinity theory, jargon, and homosocial communities between men.

Johan grew up in masculine environments, with high-level sports, destructive friend groups, and boyish summer jobs, and is therefore passionate about raising knowledge and people’s ability to stop, reflect, and become better at putting themselves in the perspective of others.

Deputy Director Corporate Business (Maritime)
Warsash Maritime School (Solent University)

Yvette de Klerk is the Deputy Director for Warsash Maritime School with responsibility for Corporate Business, including the School’s Short Course Sales and Corporate Finance teams. She also oversees Safety Training at the Warsash Campus and the Ship Handling Centre at Timsbury Lake, key elements of the Short Course portfolio, and research & knowledge exchange activities. Prior to taking up her current role in March 2024, Yvette was the School’s Commercial Business Manager (Maritime), having relocated the year before from Singapore, where she was Head of Training, Ship Management at the Wallem Group. Her previous roles include Managing Director of Maritime Training Enterprise (Pty) Ltd and National Cadet Programme Manager at the South African International Maritime Institute (SAIMI).

Yvette holds an MSc in Maritime Affairs, Maritime Education and Training from the World Maritime University.

Marine Engineering Programme Head & Supervisor
Zamboanga State College of Marine Sciences and Technology

Chief Engineer Christalyn Delos Reyes Chiong , PhD.M.E. (Doctor of Philosophy in Maritime Education), is a distinguished maritime professional and academic leader, currently serving as the Marine Engineering Program Head and Supervisor at the College of Maritime Education, Zamboanga State College of Marine Sciences and Technology (ZSCMST), Philippines. She previously held the roles of Concurrent College Dean and Marine Engineering Program Head, demonstrating her expertise in both academic leadership and maritime industry practices.

Before transitioning to academia, Chief Engineer Chiong accumulated over seven years of onboard experience, including two years as an Engine Cadet and five years as a Junior and Senior Marine Engineer Officer aboard passenger, offshore, and container vessels operating locally and worldwide. Her extensive industry experience provides invaluable insights into maritime education, ensuring that students receive practical, industry relevant training.

Chief Engineer Chiong holds the distinction of being the first female Marine Engineering cadet at ZSCMST, as well as the first female Marine Engineer from her city and region a groundbreaking achievement in a traditionally male-dominated field. She is also recognized as the second female Marine Engineer in the Philippines. Her contributions have set an unbreakable record, inspiring future generations of female seafarers and maritime professionals.

In addition, she made history as the youngest and first female College Dean in the College of Maritime Education at ZSCMST, where she has continuously elevated both her name and the institution’s reputation. Her leadership and dedication serve as a testament to the capabilities of female seafarers and marine engineers in taking on significant roles in the industry.

While actively teaching, Chief Engineer Chiong pursued and successfully earned her Master’s and Doctorate degrees, further strengthening her academic expertise. She is also practicing to involve in research, innovation, and extension programs, recently she has her publications, in “Beyond the Maritime Education Classrooms: Analysis of Life Skills Gained from Maritime Trainings.”

Chief Engineer Chiong remains passionately engaged in both seafaring and academia, with a strong focus on marine engineering laboratory work, maritime safety, and industry. She continues to be an advocate for female leadership in maritime education, proving that women can excel in technical and leadership roles within the global maritime industry.