Photographer: Gina Tamer Saad ©
Make-up artist: Sharmila Vooren
AYOP
The future is more unpredictable than ever. The energy transition requires new solutions, collaborations ánd steps to be taken that we cannot fully define yet. So we must become comfortable with a higher degree of uncertainty than we might have been used to, when it comes to defining the right solutions for the future. We should embrace diversity and divergent thinking as a source of inspiration to make the bold choices that enable change. I believe amplifying female representation and traits is the key to unlocking these innovations and collaborations!
Sylvia Boer
Director at AYOP
About
“Not only making sure that everyone knows the maritime industry, but also making it more diverse is Sylvia’s mission in life. Sylvia has spent her whole life close to the maritime industry and feels it is important to share her enthusiasm for the sector by emphasizing its richness and vitality. This, she feels, is best achieved via the promotion of innovation and diversity in the industry.
Sylvia’s maritime career started in 2007 at Holland Marine Equipment where she worked as an Export Manager. After which she became a Policy Advisor in Export & Finance at Holland Shipbuilding Association (‘Netherlands Maritime Technology’ nowadays).
In 2012 Sylvia started as a Marketing Manager within Damen Shipyards and from September 2016 until the end of January 2020 she was their Head of Communications. She started as Director of AYOP in 2020, an association of companies, local authorities, and knowledge institutions in the North Sea Canal region that delivers future-proof solutions for the offshore energy industry.
Sylvia mentors female students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) for the Librea network from the Technical University Delft. Sylvia was also proud of WISTA the Netherlands from 2018 – 2021. Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA) is a dynamic and international networking organization of women in management-level positions in the maritime industry. WISTA unites over 4,000 members in 52 countries.
Before sailing off to the maritime industry Sylvia got her Master’s Degree in Business Administration at the RSM Erasmus University (RSM). She also joined the Leadership in a transition program at INSEAD.
In 2020 Sylvia founded Maritime Sisters together with her sister Marjolein, as they are on a mission to propel the transition to a sustainable maritime future.”
What do you think is important that Role Models need to be visible?
“Because you can’t change what you can’t measure and the same goes for role models. You can’t become who you don’t now!”
Interview
Tekst interview