In a glass-walled conference room overlooking Singapore’s harbor, a $300 million ship financing deal is being finalized. The lead banker structuring this complex transaction? A woman navigating an industry where female executives hold less than 8% of leadership positions.
Ship finance is a massive yet invisible industry that keeps global commerce moving. This $500+ billion sector facilitates the financing of ships that carry 90% of world trade, from the tankers delivering oil to the container ships bringing products to your doorstep. Yet despite its critical economic role, ship finance remains one of the most male-dominated corners of the financial world. Women comprise less than 2% of the maritime workforce overall, with only 5-8% reaching C-suite positions in maritime finance.
This underrepresentation isn’t just a fairness issue, it’s a business problem. Research from McKinsey shows that companies with gender-diverse executive teams are 25% more likely to achieve above-average profitability. As the shipping industry faces a $100+ billion green transition to meet climate targets, it desperately needs diverse perspectives and innovative thinking.
The visibility crisis perpetuates itself: if you can’t see role models, you can’t imagine yourself in their position. That changes today. Despite formidable barriers, a powerful cohort of women aren’t just participating in ship finance, they’re leading it, reshaping industry practices, and mentoring the next generation.
**The Trailblazers: Women Leading from the Top**
These executives control billions in maritime assets, advise on industry-defining transactions, and set the strategic direction for global shipping finance, all while breaking barriers in boardrooms from London to Singapore.
**Christine Novakovic: The Sustainability Pioneer**
As Co-Head of Shipping, Energy & Commodities Finance at ING Bank, Christine Novakovic oversees a staggering €10+ billion ship finance portfolio. But her most significant achievement extends far beyond any single transaction. In 2019, Novakovic co-signed the Poseidon Principles, committing over $150 billion in shipping finance to climate alignment, the maritime industry’s most significant environmental pledge to date.
“This wasn’t just symbolic virtue signaling,” Novakovic explains. “The Poseidon Principles created the first framework for measuring and disclosing the climate alignment of ship finance portfolios, fundamentally changing how banks evaluate maritime lending.”
With over 20 years navigating ship finance through multiple boom-bust cycles, Novakovic has pioneered green ship financing frameworks that prove environmental leadership and profitability aren’t mutually exclusive. Her sustainability-linked loans, where interest rates are tied to environmental performance metrics, represent the fastest-growing segment in ship finance. Remarkably, these green deals show lower default rates while meeting increasingly stringent ESG mandates from institutional investors.
Novakovic demonstrates that technical expertise paired with forward-thinking strategy can reshape entire industries. She’s a regular speaker at Marine Money and Capital Link conferences, sharing insights that influence how billions in capital flow toward sustainable shipping.
**Stephanie Lowe: The Crisis Navigator**
When market chaos strikes, leadership reveals itself. Stephanie Lowe, Chief Financial Officer of International Seaways Inc. (NYSE: INSW), proved her mettle when she steered the publicly-traded tanker company through the 2020 market crash. Managing $1.5 billion in assets across more than 50 tanker ships, Lowe operates in a uniquely demanding environment.
“As CFO of a publicly-traded shipping company, you face quarterly earnings pressure and Wall Street scrutiny,” Lowe notes. “It’s a proving ground that demands both sophisticated financial acumen and crisis management skills.”
During the pandemic-induced market volatility, she executed over $500 million in strategic refinancing while maintaining investor confidence and liquidity. What sets Lowe apart is her rare combination of skills. Her previous investment banking experience at Wells Fargo Securities equipped her to speak Wall Street’s language fluently while understanding the operational complexities of managing a global tanker fleet. This bridge between capital markets and maritime operations is invaluable, and uncommon.
Under her financial leadership, International Seaways optimized its capital structure, reducing the debt-to-equity ratio by 15% while positioning the company for fleet renewal and technological upgrades. In an industry where timing is everything and market cycles can make or break companies, Lowe’s strategic financial management creates sustainable competitive advantage.
**Monica Kelly Blum: The Legal Architect**
Ship finance deals don’t happen without expert legal infrastructure, and Monica Kelly Blum has built the frameworks enabling billions in maritime transactions. As a Partner in the Maritime Finance Practice at Seward & Kissel LLP, Blum has structured over $15 billion in ship financing across more than 500 ships during her 30+ year career.
“This isn’t merely transactional work,” Blum explains. “Our precedent-setting deal