WISTA International Elects New Board Members and Honors 2019 Personality of the Year

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands –Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA) elected Alexandra Anagnostis-Irons, President of Total Marine Solutions (WISTA USA) as Secretary, and Fabiana Simões Martins (WISTA Brazil), as Board Member, to the WISTA International Executive Committee at the 39th WISTA International Annual General Meeting on Grand Cayman on 30 October 2019. Despina Panayiotou Theodosiou (WISTA Cyprus), CEO of Tototheo Maritime, was re-elected to a second term as President of WISTA International. Naa Densua Aryeetey (WISTA Ghana), Head, Shipper’s Services & Trade Facilitation, Ghana Shippers’ Authority, was re-elected to a third term as a Board Member. Karin Orsel, CEO, MF Shipping Group and Co-Chairman, Royal Association of Netherlands Shipowners, was honored as the 2019 WISTA International Personality of the Year.

Despina P. Theodosiou, CEO Tototheo Maritime was re-elected to her second term as WISTA International President. Theodosiou served as WISTA International Secretary before being elected president in 2017. Theodosiou is also a founder of WISTA Cyprus and serves on the Board of the Cyprus Shipping Chamber, Cyprus Employers & Industrialists Federation and the Cyprus Maritime Academy.

“I am honored to be re-elected to a second term as President of WISTA International,” said Theodosiou. “2020 will be another exciting year for WISTA around the world and I’m looking forward to continuing the momentum. WISTA is committed to creating change in the industry and leading by example. It is important for us to focus toward the breadth of potential solutions and answers that diversity can bring us.”

Alexandra Anagnostis-Irons is President of Total Marine Solutions, a global environmental solutions company based in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Anagnostis-Irons is Immediate Past President of WISTA USA. Anagnostis-Irons takes over the position from Diane Edwards of WISTA New Zealand.

“WISTA plays an increasingly important role in giving women a voice in the future of our industry,” said Anagnostis-Irons. “It is an honor to be elected as Secretary, representing the interests of female professionals in nearly 50 countries.”

Fabiana Simões Martins is Partner at Siano & Martins Advogados Associados, a Rio de Janeiro based law firm focused on maritime law. Martins is the Immediate Past President of WISTA Brazil and a founder of WISTA Brazil. She has helped expand WISTA International throughout South America in the last five years.

“I am very honored and excited to be able to serve this association, which shares the values that I believe are essential to face the challenges of our society: professional, dynamic, open-minded and committed,” said Martins.

Naa Densua Aryeetey is Head, Shipper’s Services & Trade Facilitation, Ghana Shippers’ Authority. She has served on the Executive Committee since 2015, facilitating development and collaboration throughout the African region, including the re-activation of WISTA South Africa earlier this year.

“My re-election as Chair of the African Region is a testament to the work WISTA International is doing in Africa, reaching out to women in maritime and trade,” said Aryeetey.

Karin Orsel, CEO, MF Shipping Group, was honored as the 2019 WISTA International Personality of the Year at the Annual General Meeting. Orsel is extremely active in the maritime community. She currently serves as Co-chairman of the Royal Association of Netherlands Shipowners (KVNR), Vice Chairman and board member of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), Executive Committee Member of INTERTANKO, on the Board of BIMCO, as a Trustee of the International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN), Chairman of MFG Seafarers fund, and is Immediate Past President of WISTA International.

“We are incredibly proud of Karin’s accomplishments for our industry,” said President of WISTA The Netherlands President Sylvia Boer. “She is dedicated to help others develop themselves and she is active in many boards trying to make our amazing industry more sustainable and visible. Thank you for being a source of inspiration, you deserve to be WISTA Personality of the Year 2019. Congratulations on behalf of all WISTA The Netherlands members.”
Source: WISTA International