International Women’s Day 2021
International Womens Day
Today is International Women’s Day, a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality.
Each year, International Women’s Day is also an opportunity to recognise the contribution and the incredible commitment of our team every day. Meet a few of the women from across the business who are part of the team that keep our operations running 24 hours, 7 days a week.
Strategies for Success
Research has proven that diverse teams and an inclusive culture leads to higher performance and innovation, and so in Svitzer we are committed to investing in and unlocking the potential of our female pipeline of talent. The Strategies for Success training program (through Maersk) is one of the programs we make available to achieve this goal.
The Strategies for Success Program is specifically designed for women across Maersk who want to maximise their career potential and enhance their performance. Being part of Maersk, Svitzer is committed to increase the number of women in leadership positions globally and the program aims to bring women opportunities to grow, network, inspire and be inspired.
Svitzer Australia’s General Manager for East Coast, Deniz Kirdar-True played a significant role in establishing the course for Maersk, and is pleased to see it still going strong 10 years after its initiation. She had this to say about the program:
“Strategies for Success and similar women’s leadership programs are building blocks in our journey to achieving a more gender balanced and inclusive organization at all levels. Strategies for Success provides opportunities for participants to spend dedicated time on their careers and leadership journey, hear different perspectives from research and role models and equip themselves with a broader tool set fitting the challenges they face.”
Julia Heinemann
Role: Linesperson/Deckhand
Town / City / Port: Kwinana / Fremantle
How did you get your start at Svitzer Australia? What attracted you to Svitzer?
After living in the Pilbara for 6 years it was time for a scenery change. With previous experience working on Tugboats, I wanted to continue my journey in the Maritime Industry. Being at the right time in the right place led to a great start as a deckhand with Svitzer.
What would you say most motivates you to do what you do?
I love going to work, contributing to a unique workplace where no day is the same. Working outdoors is something I appreciate very much as well as the comfort and inclusion in a special team and environment.
What are your career highlights?
My highlight was the opportunity to be involved in a Vessel Relocation for the 5 yearly Dry Docking.
What are the key habits that you feel make you successful?
I’m always curious and motivated to try new challenges.
What’s the most valuable piece of advice you have received in your career and how did it help you?
Never stop doing your best just because someone doesn’t give you credit.
Were there any key influencers in your life that inspired you to follow your career path?
Meeting my Friend Bill in the Pilbara who was working as an Engineer inspired me to change my career path to the Maritime Industry.
If you could go back in time to the beginning of your career, what advice would you give yourself?
Believe you can.
Adriana Dello Iacono
Role: Port Manager
Town / City / Port: Port Kembla & Eden
How did you get your start at Svitzer Australia? What attracted you to Svitzer?
I got my start with Svitzer Australia as Port Manger – Port Kembla & Eden, the role I still hold today. I was attracted to Svitzer as I knew they were part of the Maersk group and felt it was a great opportunity to work again within the maritime industry as well as a new challenge.
What would you say most motivates you to do what you do?
Working in the maritime industry really motivates me, it’s a great community to be a part of, coming across different people with different skills as well as the various challenges the role brings excites me.
What are your career highlights?
Moving to WA and implementing significant change within the logistics team
In my current role, it was seeing how the team responded to an emergency in the port of Port Kembla, continuing to assist with the emergency for 5 days whilst still maintaining service reliability.
What are the key habits that you feel make you successful?
I wouldn’t say habits as such, but more my ability to take on feedback (good or bad), to listen and take that feedback or advice on board.
What’s the most valuable piece of advice you have received in your career and how did it help you?
If you want something you need to go after it, don’t be afraid to put your hand up for new or different opportunities. This has allowed me to work in various roles and different locations, from working in WA as a Logistics Manger to Customer Account Management and now as a Port Manager.
Were there any key influencers in your life that inspired you to follow your career path?
It hasn’t been just one key influencer, but rather meeting a broad range of people that have done various things in their career or life that have inspired me.
If you could go back in time to the beginning of your career, what advice would you give yourself?
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, it’s how we learn and grow.
Jasmine Miranda
Role: Senior Finance Analyst
Town / City / Port: Sydney Head Office
How did you get your start at Svitzer Australia? What attracted you to Svitzer?
Prior to joining Svitzer, I was working within the development/construction industry for 4 years. I never really thought about making an industry change until I came across this position under the Maersk Group and who would want to forego on an opportunity to work for a Fortune 500 organisation? Now that I have been with Svitzer for almost 2 years, what I didn’t know then that I know now is that Svitzer’s most attractive asset is its people. Everyone here is very kind and welcoming and most importantly, very passionate about what the organisation stands for and about the work that they do.
What would you say most motivates you to do what you do?
I love what I do, and I surround myself with the best people that motivate me to be the best version of myself.
Loving what you do every day becomes a passion and your capabilities become limitless. You really drive and see results when you are fully committed to your work.
I thrive in an environment where I am around the most enthusiastic and inspiring people. The kinds of people that are always open to collaboration and learning.
What are your career highlights?
When I was in Development, I was able to travel around Australia to visit the many different project sites that I was managing. It was such an experience to be standing at the finished roads and buildings that you only a year ago planned, calculated, and visualised on paper. With COVID-19 restrictions now easing, I hope that I will be able to travel and visit some of our ports around Australia, too, with Svitzer, as nothing would give me more joy than to meet our people and see and experience what we do on the ground (or sea!) firsthand.
What are the key habits that you feel make you successful?
Being resilient and always having an inquisitive and insightful mindset. In my line of work, I need to be able to adapt quickly to change (whether it be your priorities for the day or being thrown into the “deep end” on a special, more long-term project) so resilience is a skill I have developed over the years. I am also never afraid to ask questions – even if they are the hard questions. Being able to think things through logically has always helped me in my career twofold: to help me understand what the problem is and how best to resolve it and to help others by providing them with commercial insight and feedback when needed.
What’s the most valuable piece of advice you have received in your career and how did it help you?
I have two. (1) Always view any criticism as constructive criticism – use it as motivation to learn, improve, and grow. And (2) never back down after a rejection – if you know what you want, then do everything you can and go after it; sometimes, it may take a slightly longer route to get to your ultimate goal or role (like a lateral career move) but don’t let that deter you from working towards that end goal.
What is the key takeaway you got from participating in the Strategies for Success program?
You need to set the wheel in motion for the change(s) that you want to happen in your career. This includes knowing who you really are, what your mission is, and how you can really “create the dress that you want tailored just for you.”
Everyone is different. Every woman is different. As one of the women in Maersk Group privileged enough to be granted admission to this Program, I am going to utilise the skills and learnings I have gained to focus on my brand and assess and plan the next steps of my career in Maersk.
Nicole Bunnell
Role: Integrated Rating
Town / City / Port: Port Kembla
How did I get my start at Svitzer?
I started with Svitzer in December 2019 after applying for the deckhand position from an advert.
What attracted you to Svitzer?
About a year after I had my first son, I decided I wanted to go back to my passion and career. Svitzer was the ultimate goal, as it allows me to have the best of both worlds, working on vessels and going home at the end of the day.
What most motivated me to do what I do?
I have always had a passion to work on the water and to build up my career to become a master, which I am currently doing now.
What are your career highlights?
Seeing the maritime industry becoming more diverse.
What are the key habits you have that make you successful?
I strive to achieve and don’t give up.
What is the most valuable people of information you have received in your career and how did it help?
The most valuable piece of information I have received is to persevere through the worst to get the best.
We’re there any key influences in your life that inspired you to follow your career path?
Definitely! Mainly my father uncle and pop, so I am a third-generation seafarer.
If you could go back in time to the beginning and give yourself some advice what would it be?
I would have progressed further within the industry. However, experience is a valuable thing to have.
Strategies for Success
Rachael Lester-Smith
Role: HR Operations Advisor
Town / City / Port: Fremantle, WA
How did you get your start at Svitzer? What attracted you to Svitzer?
My contract with an oil and gas major came to an end, so I posted a message on a women’s forum looking for employment opportunities. I was contacted about an Operations Assistant position within the Terminal Towage team, went for an interview and was offered the position shortly after. I spent three months in the position, before being informed a HR Advisor position had been created in the West – my background was in human resources and recruitment, so everything fell into place.
What are your career highlights?
Being given the opportunity to contribute to many national and global projects and initiatives – being part of the big picture. I have also met so many awesome and inspirational people at all levels!
What are the key habits that you feel make you successful?
Getting a good night’s sleep and creating ‘me’ time in my daily routine.
What’s the most valuable piece of advice you have received in your career and how did it help you?
I was directed to the book ‘Tribe of Mentors’ by Tim Ferris – a compilation of life and career advice from some of the world’s most successful and iconic people. Every time I pick up the book, there is something new to learn or consider.
What is the key takeaway you got from participating in the Strategies for Success program?
The importance of personal branding, having confidence and backing yourself, and building a supportive network around you. And that we also have some exceptionally talented and hard-working women in our business!
Cathy Fu
Role: Finance Analyst and BPO
Town / City / Port: Balmain, NSW
How did you get your start at Svitzer? What attracted you to Svitzer?
I was looking for my first job at a multinational company after graduation, and luckily Svitzer provided me with a chance. What especially attracted me to this role was the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills. Also Svitzer/Maersk’s core values, which believes in constant care and provide opportunities to employees with a focus on diversity and inclusion encouraged me to apply.
What would you say most motivates you to do what you do?
I see that Svitzer/Maersk is very respectful on of diversity. The efforts made by Svitzer/Maersk on building up a culture of inclusion with diverse genders and backgrounds and tone from top for diversity motivates me to work and grow with Svitzer.
What are the key habits that you feel make you successful?
I believe that taking accountability and responsibility would a key habit contributing to success. Accountability leads to quality and effective works and builds trust within and outside of my teams, making myself reliable and successful in my work.
What’s the most valuable piece of advice you have received in your career and how did it help you?
I believe that the most valuable piece of advice I’ve received is to speak out your thoughts and never afraid to express myself. As a graduate started in Svitzer, I was afraid to express myself and afraid my opinion won’t be counted, but my managers advice and encourage me to speak out my thoughts. Voicing my opinion helps me to set a tone for myself, bring my values to teams and getting unexpected opportunities.
What is the key takeaway you got from participating in the Strategies for Success program?
Firstly, I feel that I gained acknowledgement from Svitzer when selected to participate in the Strategies for Success program. Then, meeting with smart and successful people from different cultures and positions within Maersk group is an interesting and exciting journey – which is one of my favourite aspects of the program. I love hearing about their work and life stories, learning from their experience and suggestions and building my friendship and professional network within organisation across the world. Besides, the program guides me to think about knowing myself, managing my brand and build up my self-belief and resilience, which encourages me to think about the track that suits my best and outlines my potential and possibilities.
Georgia Terlick
Role: Operations Centre Manager – West
Town / City / Port: Fremantle
How did you get your start at Svitzer? What attracted you to Svitzer?
I was informed of an Operations vacancy by a former colleague. The role was supporting Svitzer’s North West/ Regional WA Port operations and overseeing crew manning services which Svitzer provided to Maersk Supply Service back then. I wasn’t looking for a change but the diversity of the role attracted me. My Dad had worked for Svitzer for over 20 years at that stage and I was confident that I would be moving to a global organization with an impressive reputation.
What would you say most motivates you to do what you do?
I enjoy working with people that do their best every day and am motivated by my team who handle challenges and curve balls with resilience and determination. I am also motivated by the pride and commitment of others in our organization- our crews and colleagues who strive to deliver their role to the highest standard
What are your career highlights?
I was very proud to be awarded the Global Commercial Community Strategy Award in 2020 and be recognised for my secondment to the Global Helm Connect Project – Project Kaizen. I learned so much during and to be recognized for our teams work at the end of the Project was really nice. Some other highlights have been less ceremonious but when I have seen our crews and colleagues work together to achieve a common goal, this is always a highlight for me.
What are the key habits that you feel make you successful?
The success of the team around me makes me feel successful. I like to see my colleagues and my team kicking goals and I try to encourage, support and celebrate that as best as I can.
What’s the most valuable piece of advice you have received in your career and how did it help you?
I was once told that you should leave nothing in the tank each day. You can’t ask for much more than doing your best every single day.
What is the key takeaway you got from participating in the Strategies for Success program?
My key takeaway from the Strategies for Success course is to continue reflecting and investing in your personal development, as the course has been focused on individual growth. The growing requirement for soft skills such as emotional intelligence, leadership skills & social influence is surpassing past ideals of requiring hard management & technical skills in order to be successful.
