WISTA USA President Jeanne Grasso

摘要

For the next four months, Marine Log will be counting down the days to the International WISTA conference, "Raising the Profile, Reducing the Footprint," by featuring a series of interviews with WISTA members. WISTA, the Woman's International Shipping and Trading Association, got its start in 1974 when five women who worked in the tanker market went out for a drink at a London wine bar. Thirty-four years later, that meeting has spawned 27 international conferences, 20 National WISTA Associations (NWA's), and close to 1,000 members. WISTA's goal is to provide an organization where women in the maritime industry can network, relate to, learn from, and mentor one another. Priding itself as an "organization for women in management positions involved in maritime transportation business and related trades worldwide," WISTA held its first conference in 1981 in Hamburg, Germany. The organization's USA branch is presided over by the energetic and charismatic Jeanne M. Grasso, partner at Blank Rome LLP, who was recently elected president of WISTA USA in May at the Annual General Meeting held in New Orleans. She spearheads Blank Rome's Maritime Industry Team, one she considers to be a "terrific maritime practice," and the largest maritime and admiralty law practice in the U.S., serving all facets of the marine industry globally. Formed officially in September 2006-when Blank Rome combined with the international maritime firm of Healy & Bail-lie-the group meets every six to eight weeks, with subcommittees meeting more frequently.