YoungShip President Birgit Liodden receives the WISTA LeaderShip Award 2012

JOC Staff |
WISTA Norway is pleased to announce that President of YoungShip International, Birgit Liodden, is the winner of the WISTA LeaderShip Award 2012. She receives the award as recognition of her dedicated efforts to raise the profile of the maritime industry and attract more female talents to the business. The award will be handed over by Ms Rikke Lind, State Secretary at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, during Oslo Maritime Week in May.

“Birgit Liodden is an accomplished young leader in our industry. For some time now, she has distinguished herself as a knowledgeable and passionate spokesperson for the new shipping generation both in Norway and internationally”, comments President of WISTA Norway, Bjørg Ekornrud.

“With former award winners like Elisabeth Grieg, Gunvor Ulstein and Borgny Eidesvik to mention some, it is a great honour for me to receive this award from WISTA Norway”, says Liodden. Her efforts to promote the maritime industry among young people in general and young women specifically are widely known. The need for renewal and openness within the Norwegian and international shipping industry are matters close to her heart.

“We need to attract forward thinking young people to the maritime industry in order to strengthen and secure our ability to compete in the global market. Shipping has a lot to offer our top talents, but we need to work on the overall image of the maritime sector and generally be more open in our dealings with the stakeholders outside our industry in order to get on their list of attractive future employers”, she concludes.

Statement from the jury justification:
The WISTA LeaderShip Award is given out as recognition to people in our business that truly lives the WISTA values - professional, dynamic, open-minded and committed - for their contribution to the development of the maritime industry.

In 2009, Birgit Liodden was listed one of the 100 top young Norwegian leaders in the annual rating by the business news channel E24.no. Today, she runs her own company and holds key positions in among others Oslo Maritime Network, YoungShip International, Nor-Shipping, Maritime Career and Oslo Region Maritime Council. With dedication and enthusiasm, Liodden is a driving force in the Norwegian shipping community. Innovation, recruitment of top talent and social responsibility are key industry challenges which are close to her heart.

Former winners of the WISTA LeaderShip Award: Rikke Lind (2011), Borgny Eidesvik (2010), Marita Scott (2009), Gunvor Ulstein (2008), Ellen Forland (2007) and Elisabeth Grieg (2006). Elisabeth Grieg was also awarded “Personality of the years” in 2006 by WISTA International.