About Us
WISTA is an international networking organisation whose mission is to attract and support women, at the management level, in the maritime, trading and logistics sectors. It has 5,900 members and 62 National WISTA Associations (NWAs).
WISTA's vision is to empower women to lead through their unique perspective and competencies with the conviction that gender diversity is key in providing a sustainable future for the shipping industry internationally.
(Women's International Shipping and Trading Association https://wistainternational.com/)
WISTA International approved the Chapter of WISTA UAE at its Annual General Meeting on 26 October 2022, in Geneva, Switzerland.
WISTA UAE Focuses on:
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Industry Research and Reports: Conducting research activities to gather data on gender diversity in the UAE maritime industry. These findings can then be used to support advocacy efforts and influence policies and practices.
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Professional Development: Supporting professional development for women in the industry by regularly organising seminars and training sessions to help members enhance their knowledge.
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Networking Opportunities: Organising networking events to provide opportunities for its members to connect, share experiences, and learn from each other.
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Educational Initiatives: Engaging in educational initiatives to encourage women to pursue careers in maritime-related fields.
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Mentorship Programmes: Running mentorship programmes where more experienced professionals mentor younger members to help enhance their skillset and knowledge and to provide support for career growth.
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Promoting Leadership: Promoting leadership among women in the industry. We are in partnership with the International Maritime Organisation and Maritime SheEO to enroll members to the Leadership Accelerator Programme.
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Collaborations and Partnerships: Collaborating with governmental bodies, industry associations, and other organisations to promote gender diversity and inclusion in industry.
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Awareness Campaigns: Conducting awareness campaigns to highlight the challenges faced by women in the maritime sector and the benefits of a diverse workforce.
Board Members
Rania Tadros has been involved in the world of shipping and trade since she started her career at a shipping
law firm in London in 1998. She is the Managing Partner of the Dubai office for international law firm,
Stephenson Harwood, where she also heads the marine and international trade department in the Middle
East. With a career spanning over two decades, ten of which have been based in the UAE, she specialises in supporting clients within the marine, offshore, trade and logistics industries. Rania serves as a trusted advisor
to major global shipping businesses, representing them on some of the world's leading and reported maritime cases. Rania also has significant experience in relation to non-contentious matters and advises clients on their commercial contracts and large-scale projects.
Rania Tadros
President
Dr Meena Mathews is General Manager P&I at ES Global and performs a dual role as Director at AOS, looking after the legal, compliance, insurance and finance for the group. She is spearheading ES Global’ s drive to improve services to the P&I Clubs and Ship Owners throughout the Middle East Region. She was previously
with the GAC Group for 20 years, as their Regional P&I Manager Middle East. And the General Manager/
Director of TTMS (Gulf).
Dr Meena Mathews
Honourary Treasurer
Liana Kouimtzi serves as a Commercial Manager within the Commercial Team at GAC Group Headquarters. Her expertise encompasses Commercial Strategy, Customer Relationship Management, Tender and Bid Contract Management, and Supplier Relationship Management, all of which play a vital role in advancing GAC Group's initiatives from the market and client viewpoints.
With over 20 years in the maritime sector, she has a deep understanding of the industry and has held key roles that enhanced her expertise and contributed to her organizations' success. Liana has worked as an Operations Executive and Subject Matter Expert in Greece and the UAE, refining her operational skills. As a Commercial Manager at GAC Hub Services, she managed commercial activities and built relationships with stakeholders, playing a vital role in securing contracts and business growth.
Liana Kouimtzi
Marketing & Events
Christine Mavromichalis, is a Deree Alumna holding a BSc. in Marketing Management, a GDL and an LL.M. in Maritime Law with commendation from City University London. She started her career in Athens with (Asset) Ogilvy PR working for a number of international brands on various large-scale PR/event projects and media campaigns, then she continued her career with the Libra Group in London, where she relocated and subsequently joined the shipping & trading industry.
In the past few years, Christine has been focused on the setting-up of international trading teams in the Commodity/oil trading sector while sitting on the trading floor offering advice on trading contracts and compliance. She is the Group Head of Human Resources at the VS GROUP, a conglomerate with oil & shipping investments across the GCC region. Christine specializes on employee relations, dispute resolution, Employment laws of UAE/UK/Switzerland & Singapore, talent acquisition, drafting Company policies & procedures, change mgt. integration including compensation & benefits policies and corporate affairs.
She is a Founding Member and the Secretary General of WISTA UAE since 2022, advocating on diversity, equity and women’s empowerment for female professionals in Shipping & Trading, a member of WISTA UK since 2018 and one of the Founding Members of the Women in Business initiative of ICC Hellas (founded 2020).
Christine Mavromichalis
Secretary General & Memberships
Dina Kottoros
Legal & Sponsorships
Dina Kottoros is the Managing Director and Senior Legal Counsel of Mercuria Energy Trading Middle
East, a world leading independent energy and commodity trading firm headquartered in Geneva. She holds a BSC with honours in Maritime Business with Maritime Law from the University of Plymouth, and
an LLM in Maritime Law from Southampton University. She has combined experience in shipping and
law for approximately 18 years and currently practicing in the region since 2008 for both in-house and
firm roles.
As well as managing the day-to-day running of the Dubai office, she wears multiple hats within the firm,
as Group Company Secretary, managing the legal department in Dubai, and holding multiple
directorships throughout the Group.
Our Committees - Chairs & Members
Proud to introduce the current assignments with aim to advancing the objectives of each of the Committees.
Diversity Committee
Katie Lea
Events & Marketing
Sponsorships Committee
Sarah Haidar
Events & Marketing
Marketing & Digital Content
Mae Marie Guarino
Trading Committee
Zina S.
Events & Marketing
Coordination of Events
Sheren Khalil
Events & Marketing
PR & Coordination of events
Charlotte Fernandes
** Dear Members,
Please reach out directly to the Chairs if you wish to join a Committee.