As one of the largest container shipping lines in the world, ONE seeks to promote gender diversity, raising the profile of women in the traditionally male-dominated maritime sector. As the line continues to see the number of women on its staff rise, it has continued to enhance its efforts on gender equality. Freight News spoke to three women in the organisation about the roles they play.Robyn Siebritz is ONE’s national reefer product manager. She started her journey in container shipping with Ellerman & Bucknall, which later became P&O Nedlloyd. She subsequently joined MOL, which in 2018 joined forces with another two Japanese carriers to form ONE.Enthusiasm and accountability are key“I’ve been afforded generous opportunities during my journey to develop academically,” says Siebritz, who is a chartered shipbroker. “I am able to work with industry leaders and have also worked and lived abroad. I currently manage a very capable and invested reefer sales team for ONE in South Africa.”Siebritz is quick to point out that logistics is tough, particularly in South Africa at present. “It demands your all, sometimes even to get the seemingly simplest shipment across the line.”She says the key to success in this business is to cultivate an environment that generates enthusiasm and accountability. “You not only have to go the extra mile for your customer, but want to do that. I remain excited to be in this position where I can empower and encourage the next generation to make their way in this industry.”Samukelisiwe Khoza is a care service agent at ONE – and she didn’t move into the maritime industry immediately, even though she had studied oceanography and earth science at university. “Having joined the ONE team, I have really found myself in an environment where I love making a difference. ONE has opened my mind to the exciting career in liner shipping.”Problem solving an essential skillKhoza describes herself as goal orientated. She enjoys solving problems – an essential skill in the shipping industry which she says is “broad, challenging, dynamic, and interesting”.“Container shipping has a sense of adventure that seems hard to find in other industries,” she told Freight News. “I like teamwork and collaborating to achieve a bigger purpose. Every day there is an exciting challenge and I never stop learning. My skills are put into use daily.”She finds it fascinating to learn about how the shipping cycle and trade dynamics work. And her thoughts on this male-dominated industry after having taken on the challenge? “My colleagues, who have been in the shipping industry longer, tell me that it has been dominated by men, but I have to admit that I have not really found this to be the case. I think it has become a multicultural environment that I find to be extremely refreshing and fair.”She has high hopes of furthering her career in shipping, saying constant growth and skills enhancement are important to her. “I want to earn recognition as an expert in the shipping and maritime industry.”Wendy Nathan, heads up human resources, general affairs and compliance at the company. “Moving from law into the HR field, and then having the opportunity to lead teams in general operations management, manufacturing, design and retail at board level experience, while maintaining my role as a director of HR, has cultivated and established my passion for people,” she says. Curious thinker and conceptualiserShe sees the challenging barriers over the course of her career as the learning curve needed to develop the skills she now uses in coaching and developing people. “I am a curious thinker, problem solver and conceptualiser, and I am grateful that my role at ONE provides a platform for me to make a positive impact on a group of people who care about this industry.”As a woman in leadership, Nathan takes great care to enhance people’s well-being as they journey through their careers. “I would advise youth joining this industry to never discount opportunities outside of what they know and are familiar with. The industry offers so many paths, and in our company we encourage people to leverage their experience and always have an open learning mindset. All you need to do is take one step forward at a time.”
