It’s time for the latest instalment of Nor-Shipping’s An Industry for All series! This is our opportunity to showcase some of the amazing individuals helping steer shipping to a more diverse, inclusive and sustainable future.
Today’s star of the show is Maiten Kase Corona, Technical Superintendent at
Höegh LNG.
Maiten speaks multiple languages, has an Argentinian/Norwegian background, and is one of just a handful of female technical officers catering for this increasingly important shipping segment.
Her role with Höegh LNG sees her maintaining high standards for the company’s floating terminal solutions, helping to deliver energy security and enable society’s transition to clean energy.
Take it away Maiten:
What is your current role and how long have you had it?
I’ve been Technical Superintendent with Höegh LNG since February this year, so it’s still quite a new role.
How did you get involved in the maritime industry?
Through my studies. I studied marine technology at NTNU in Trondheim.
Why do you believe people should consider a future within the maritime industry?
There aren’t many industries that are as international as shipping, and that opens up real opportunities for both travel, and meeting and working with many different cultures. I find that hugely fulfilling.
The maritime industry is also in development. That creates a wide range of challenges to be solved, but also significant opportunity, especially within the energy transition.
There are so many possibilities and so many different fields you can work within. I firmly believe the industry has something for just about everyone.
What key lessons have you learned during your time in the industry, or what advice would you give to others?
I’ll go back to the scale of the opportunities. There’s so much more than ships in shipping. You can more or less work within any field; be it finance, legal, technical, or research.
In terms of advice, I think that building your network is absolutely crucial. This is a people business, and meeting the right ones could be the key to success.
You never know what doors might open for you, and who could help open them.
What do you think are the industry’s key strengths and weaknesses – how would you like to see it evolve?
It is a very traditional industry, and in some respects there’s still a lot of room for development.
To give one example, there is still a significant amount of paperwork on board vessels that is not digitalized, with handwritten documents that need to be filled in every day.
This is not only inefficient, but also creates room for human errors. So, I’d definitely like to see further digital developments.
However, a strength is that the industry is open to change. The traditional approaches are evolving, we just need to accelerate that process.
What do you like best about your current role?
That I work with many nationalities and get to use different languages. Also, there’s no question that it’s challenging, and that provides real motivation for me. The feeling of accomplishment I get when understanding complicated systems is incredibly satisfying.
I also have to mention all the great people I work with, who are always helpful, friendly, and just so talented.
What are your professional ambitions for the next five to ten years?
I’ve really just started this role, so my focus is on building understanding and developing my skill base. In particular, I want to fully understand the systems on board the ships we operate, and how these systems are interconnected.
Nor-Shipping wants to help support greater participation in shipping, creating the fair, welcoming, and thriving industry we can all benefit from.
If you know of any talented individuals that are making a name for themselves in the industry – showcasing ambition, diversity and inclusion – please do get in touch (Glenn Løvberg, Head of Communication & Marketing, gl@nor-shipping.com) and nominate them for An Industry for All.
