Katharina Stanzel: From Marine Biologist to INTERTANKO top boss!

Statistics show that only 5% of our leadership tiers are women. I am one of the people who ended up in shipping as a coincidence. I studied marine biology. I then ended up working in Indonesia and other places. And through pure serendipity, I saw a job advertised for ITOPF as technical adviser, looking at accidents from shipping and pollution from those accidents. And I knew instinctively it was the job for me. I've never looked back. (Katharina Stanzel, in conversation with S&P Global.

How does a Marine Biologist end up leading the world´s leading organisation for Tanker Owners?

Katharina Stanzel has served as Managing Director of INTERTANKO since 2012. She is the fifth MD in the Association’s long history, and brought an environmental background to the position.

Just like TOOL´s founder, and many other profiles in maritime, Katharina is among the many who coincidentially ended up in the industry. She is a keen diver and started out with studying marine biology in Australia, and later on field work in Indonesia. Then she spent ten years as a technical advisor for the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation, focusing on shipping-related pollution incidents, before joining the IOPC Funds, a UN body tasked with administering several crucial compensation conventions for oil pollution from tankers.

Through a long career by now, Katharina is one of the incredibly inspirational leaders who is a clear mover & shaker, and showing us all how there are many paths to a top executive career within the ocean industries.

She features in the March/April edition of The Maritime Executive - and we truly recommend the article! You will also be able to hear more from her Monday 5 June, as we gather for an afternoon to celebrate & unite women, and introduce the global diversity initiatives as part of TOOL Community Innovators events during the bi-annual shipping week!

A true role model for industry women!

Katharina is among the leaders who has been awarded the Global Personality of the Year by WISTA International, the organisation for female leaders in maritime & trading. To learn more about WISTA, and sign up as member in your local association, check out the WISTA International webpage.

Meet Katharina on 5 June for Women at the Helm

On 5 June, you can meet Katharina at Amazonia Tjuvholmen - the TOOL & Partner´s Innovators venue for Nor-Shipping Week 2023. Katharina takes the stage alongside Shipowner Karin Orsel, and the founders of BRIM Explorer, Veer Group, bound4blue and Polarsea!

RSVP to get on the guestlist: Women at the Helm: Movers & Shakers

Portrait Interview in SHE of Change

Get to dive even deeper into Katharina´s personal reflections on influencing the shipping industry, and making positive impact! Check out the March edition of SHE of Change here!

Featuring on the Shipping Podcast