News / Shipping Australia appoints My Therese Blank as its first female director

Credit AP Moller Maersk

Shipowner and operator association Shipping Australia has appointed the first female director in its 110-year history.

My Therese Blank heads Maersk Group’s Oceania-Market, covering the ocean business in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. She has more than 15 years’ experience in shipping and logistics across Europe, Asia and Oceania in senior roles including Australia sales and country director and Oceania area customer service director.

In 2013, she established Maersk’s presence in Myanmar as country director.

Ms Blank said: “Shipping Australia is an important vehicle to accelerate the transformation of our industry as it is the voice of ship operators and owners to Australian governments. In my role as a director, I’m committed to driving innovation and digitalisation in the shipping industry.”

She believes data sharing within the maritime sector is crucial.

“The next five years will be ground-breaking for our industry as the world fleet moves to carbon neutral fuels for a more sustainable future. This will require collaboration across industry to enable, and make accessible, carbon neutral fuels across the region.”