By Dennise Williams, Staff ReporterCORAH ANN Robertson-Sylvester is passionate about the Caribbean shipping industry. When speaking about this topic, her face lights up, she leans forward and gesticulates grandly when making a point. And it is this passionate enthusiasm that has taken her to the very top of her profession.
This month, Mrs. Robertson-Sylvester has been elected the first female president of the Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA) and she has been appointed CEO of Seaboard Freight & Shipping (Ja) Ltd, replacing Grantley Stephenson who is now managing director of Kingston Wharves Ltd. Deeply in love with her chosen profession, she was warned by her first boss, Stephenson that once she entered the shipping industry she would never look back. That was in 1989. Fourteen years later, at the top of her game, the proud mother of three shared with the Financial Gleaner her joy of shipping. "I am equally excited about both promotions. Really, I was thinking of moving to Montego Bay where my husband works, in fact, I had put in for a transfer to Seaboard's MoBay office. The next thing I know, I am offered the position of CEO. It was a complete shock. I am very excited." Interestingly, shipping was not her first choice for her career. "I first came to work at Jamaica Freight and Shipping in May of 1989 as a sales agent. I was biding time until September when I could begin work as a teacher. But Grantly Stephenson said to me once you get into shipping you will never leave. (Laughing) He was right." But perhaps her career in shipping was inevitable as her father is a retired cargo ship owner and Robertson-Sylvester states that, "Shipping is in my blood. I love my job with a passion. Moving goods is a fascinating thing. Newport West is the heartbeat of the country." But Slyvester's dreams of shipping extend beyond the boundaries of Newport West. On October 15, in Montego Bay, Sylvester gave her inaugural address at the 33rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the CSA in Montego Bay. There she outlined her objectives for the CSA. Specifically, she wants to make the voice of the Caribbean shipping industry integral to the trade negotiations that will be taking place in the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) and the Caribbean Single Market Economy (CSME). At the CSA, she stated, "This single initiative, the FTAA, will ultimately turn the entire Western Hemisphere into a single trading bloc. Any effort at trade development must involve the shipping industry. In the changing shipping environment we in the Caribbean must unite to tackle the challenges of the times. Let us exploit the strength that comes from unity." The CSA was established in 1971 to facilitate the development of a dynamic Caribbean shipping industry. The CSA represents its membership in regional hemispheric groupings, associations and organisations. It represents private and public sector interest across the entire Caribbean area. The CSA membership includes 12 national shipping associations and over 100 individual member entities, including port authorities, terminal operators, shipping agents and others.
Sylvester tells the Financial Gleaner that her term as president of the CSA is for one year, with the possibility of being voted in again for a final two-year term. She states, "The maximum term that I can serve is three years." However, she is undaunted by the short time frame and is determined to take on of the biggest challenges the Caribbean shipping industry faces at this point security. "In July 1, 2004 the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) will come into effect. It's a body who puts in place regulations. All the ports in the world must have similar levels of security. It will be similar to the security requirements for airports. Our association has put on the forefront of the agenda the need for member states to be up to standard. The IMO affects countries in the most fundamental way. If the ports are not certified then the ship line and truckers cannot do business with you. Vessels will not call to your port and then there will be no trade.
WELL ON THE WAY
"Thankfully, Jamaica is well on the way. The Port Authority has been very pro-active and will beat the deadline. But the smaller Caribbean states are having trouble funding the upgrading of their ports and the CSA is helping them to find such funding." And so, her plate is full. She will not only have to juggle the responsibility of being CEO of a shipping company, but the direction of the Caribbean shipping industry will be in her hands for at least one year. But despite this heavy load, she is able to maintain the balance of work and family life with two secret weapons. One, employers that understand the importance of her involvement in the shipping association and two, a supportive family.
Sylvester states, "I have very supportive parents, husband and in-laws. They are wonderful and they have helped me to be where I am today." She is dismissive of the notion that because she is a woman she has done something impossible. "The fact that I am a woman just is. The key to success in the shipping industry is hard work, no matter what your gender."
