Women in maritime
What did you want to become when you were a child?
A vet.
Why did you choose to work within shipping?
Brought up in a small fishing village on the west coast of Scotland, my grandad was a fisherman. I loved maths through school so it was suggested to join the Merchant Navy.
What is your best work-related memory?
I have more than a few from Stena! One is loading on various ships – Stena Superfast X, Stena Estrid and now the Stena Adventurer; this is such a big part of the job and every load and ship is different, sometimes it is like a game of Tetris. It’s always a good feeling when all the pieces slot into place at the end of a challenging load! Another one is flying out to Gibraltar and being part of the team bringing the first E-Flexer Stena Estrid back to the UK and successfully into service, on time, was one of the great moments in my career at sea. And lastly, Dunkirk Dry Dock on Stena Adventurer, which was my first big challenge shortly after being promoted to Chief Officer. I learned a lot about the ship through this dock, but the crew BBQ at the end of the dry dock in the French sun was a definite highlight!
Who has been your role model?
My dad.