Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association visits Port of Colombo

Monday, 1 December 2014 02:16 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA), which was launched on 3 July 2014 in Sri Lanka, made a special visit to the Port of Colombo on 21 November 2014, to give their (WISTA) members an educational insight into port activities and related developments, which covered almost the entire area of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority. This half a day port tour was organised by WISTA with the participation of around 50 ladies who are involved in shipping and shipping related sectors. WISTA is an international networking organisation for women at management level in maritime transportation business and related trades and is acknowledged as a professional and highly reputed shipping organisation. WISTA has over 1,800 members in 33 countries. WISTA President Shehara Jayawardena Director of Mclarens Group said that one of her objectives by launching WISTA in Sri Lanka was to attract highly qualified women to the industry and improve levels of competency through focus on education and knowledge sharing to its local members. WISTA Secretary Diruni Chanmugam – Director Sales and Marketing of Shermans Logistics Ltd; confirmed that the objective of the visit is to enhance the awareness and grasp the importance of all the activities carried out at JCT, SAGT and the other conventional berths, including the latest addition which is CICT and Colombo Dry Docks. The membership consists of ladies from various sectors of the shipping and logistics trade; it was a informative and rare opportunity for the ladies to visit and learn about the port operations and the busy terminals such as JCT, SAGT and CICT, said Dilkushi Rajapakse – General Manager Shipping Agency Services Limited.

According to several members of WISTA Sri Lanka, the objectives of facilitating training and mentoring female staff already employed in the fields of shipping logistics and trading, and also the aim of creating work placements/vacancies for women in these fields had been very attractive reasons for their enrollment to the association. The WISTA Sri Lanka main objective is always to guide their membership to fall in line with their vision which would enable their membership to be active and a voice in the shipping trade in Sri Lanka and worldwide, WISTA members were fortunate to visit the Colombo Dock yard which was very interesting as the ladies got a chance to also witness ship building and repairs carried out by Colombo Dock Yard. More details of WISTA can be found by logging into the website http://www.wista.net/. Marketing and Business Development Chief Manager Upul Jayatissa representing the SLPA accompanied the WISTA ladies, explaining the JCT terminal operation and conventional berth operations as well as the Port expansion projects. The WISTA ladies were also welcomed by SAGT (South Asia Gateway Terminals), Colombo Dock Yard and CICT (Colombo International Container Terminals Ltd). The President Shehara Jayawardena on behalf WISTA Sri Lanka thanked the Chairman Dr. Priyath B. Wickrama of Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Managing Director of SLPA Capt. Nihal Kepptipola, Harbour Master Capt. Ravi Jayawickrama – SLPA, Deputy Harbour Master Capt. Ahtula Hewawitharana, Chief Manager (Marketing and Business Development Upul Jayatissa SLPA, Ted Muttiah Chief Commercial Officer of South Asia Gateway Terminals Ltd, Dashma Karunaratne – Marketing Manager and the Management of SAGT, Darshana Chandrasekara Head of Marketing, Ship Repairs of Colombo Dock Yard Plc and the management, Catreona Jayasundera – Assistant General Manager Commercial and Marketing of Colombo International Container Terminals Ltd and the management for briefing the WISTA ladies of the day to day operations at the most busiest hub – Port of Colombo. Upali De Zoysa – Director (Operations) of SLPA and W. Nimal Jayatissa – Chief Manager (Operations) SLPA also joined the occasion of the visit of WISTA at the Port of Colombo.