Oldendorff and TradeWinds Host Diversity in Shipping Roundtable

We were delighted to host the Diversity in Shipping Roundtable in collaboration with TradeWinds during SMM in Hamburg this week. The event built on our Diversity Compass Partnership with BHP, extending the conversation around diversity and inclusion across the wider maritime industry. 

Titled “From Connection to Action: Closing the Equity Gap in Maritime,” the roundtable brought together around 130 industry leaders and professionals to address one of the maritime industry’s most important long-term challenges: its people.

The maritime industry has long demonstrated its ability to adapt to changing markets, geopolitical disruption and technological transformation. Looking ahead, another challenge will be equally critical: attracting and retaining the next generation of skilled and diverse professionals to futureproof our industry and better reflect the communities it serves.

With this in mind, the roundtable was designed to go beyond conversations about the importance of diversity and focus on what can actually be done to drive meaningful and lasting progress. Speakers and participants shared tangible actions, lessons learned from initiatives already underway, barriers encountered along the way and challenges that remain unresolved. Just as importantly, the discussions explored where greater collaboration across the maritime industry could help accelerate change.

The speaker line-up brought together perspectives from across the industry, including representatives from BHP, the German Shipowners’ Association (VDR), Hafnia, OSM Thome, IMEC, Leonardt & Blumberg Insurance, Spinnaker and TURTLE.

Across panel discussions and fireside chats, participants explored long-term strategies for advancing diversity, equity and inclusion, with a particular focus on translating commitments into concrete measures and measurable progress.

The response demonstrated the strong interest across our industry to engage with these topics. The roundtable was fully booked several weeks in advance and welcomed a truly international audience. Participants actively contributed their own experiences throughout the discussions, sharing approaches from their organisations, lessons learned, obstacles encountered and areas where collective industry action is still needed.

Discussions focused on four key questions:

• What is the biggest barrier to progress today?

• Which initiatives are delivering real results?

• What is one action every company could implement within the next year?

• Where is industry collaboration needed most?

We would like to thank all our speakers, panellists and attendees for contributing their experiences, perspectives and insights and, above all, for engaging so openly in the discussions.

No single initiative can close the equity gap in maritime. But by openly sharing what works, what does not and where we can work together, the industry can turn connection into action – and action into lasting progress.