SAFETY4SEA Log Issue 22

ISSUE 22 I January 2018 I SAFETY 4SEA log I 53 safety4sea.com CAREER PATHS Her side Basic Info Name: Dorothea Ioannou Position: Global Business Development Director, The American P&I Club Short Bio Dorothea Ioannou first joined SCB (Hellas) Inc as a Claims Executive when the office opened in 2005 and took on the general management of the office in Dec 2009, as well as Business Development Director for the region. Dorothea was named Global Business Development Director as of Jun 2015, making her the first woman to occupy a top level global executive position in the history of the American Club and its Managers, Shipowners Claims Bureau, Inc. How did it come about that you joined shipping industry? I researched my options based on my skills, interests and the market in Greece and, despite having no con- nections in the industry, I made a conscious choice that shipping was the answer to my search for a matching challenging career. What about your current job / role most excites you? There are many things that excite me, especially now that I am responsible for building our overall strategy for growth on a global level, which I absolutely love, but I think just as rewarding and exciting is having the opportunity to create the next talent pool of marine insurance professionals! What would you like to change in the current maritime landscape? I would love it if regulators actually brought more practitioners in, to research the issues thoroughly on a practical business level before passing regulation. Who is/was the most influential person to you and why ? I think I have to go back to the beginning and say it was my grandmother with my parents obviously playing a big role instilling in me my basic moral code and work ethic. Best piece of advice you’ve been given? My ongoing mentor, Vince Solarino, the President and COO of SCB, Inc, Managers of the American Club, embedded in me the mindset of being a problem solver: It is much more difficult and courageous to tackle the problem and try to pave the way to overcome the obstacles, instead of just complaining about them. If you could tell your 18-year-old-self one thing, what would it be? As you take each step, don’t forget to really experience and live each moment. Don’t pass over a moment as you seek your ‘what’s next’. What is your personal motto? First, be kind! Second, be generous! Third, always take one step at a time when looking for ‘what’s next’