High rolling record breaker from New Zealand
New Zealand ship navigation officer Catherine Williams can proudly lay claim to being the first and only female chief officer (second in command) in more than 100 year history of Holland America Line (HAL) - one of the longest established cruise liner companies in the world.
The New Zealand Maritime School gradfuate is one of a relatively few females in a traditionally male dominated industry.
“Worldwide only about two percent of the officers are female,” reports Captain Kees Buckens, programme director at the New Zealand Maritime School. “It is very much a level playing field in the maritime industry, and women are able to achieve great positions and enjoy rewarding careers at sea.”
Catherine’s new distinguished status comes from her fifth promotion in the last seven years where her time has been spent both abroad at sea and at home in New Zealand with continued study at NZMS.
“It’s nice to have a career where the next step and level are laid out and you have clear stepping stones to advance to,” says 32-year-old Catherine. “I get flown around the world, see amazing places, meet a diverse mix of wonderful people, and get to be in charge of a ship”
“At the maritime school, 8-12 percent of the class are female - that’s well above the world average,” said Captain Buckens. “We have proudly observed Catherine’s progress in her career, and she is on track to become one of the world’s few female captains.”
The New Zealand Maritime School is a world class training institute for nautical officers, as well as providing for the freight, logistics and transport industries. The school has a reputation for producing high quality, technically competent graduates who are in demand from shipping companies internationally.