Bio: Birgit Liodden (37) has for years been among the most profiled young female shipping executives globally, and fronted the first public global #MeToo discussions in shipping. She’s also known for her keynote and moderator roles, including profiles and arenas such as President Barack Obama, Saudi Arabian Fahd Al-Rasheed, the Norwegian Ministers of Finance, Trade & Industry, OECD, IMO and International Chamber of Shipping.
With more than 20 years experience from the private sector, she has spent the past 13 years in shipping, advocating the next generation, diversity, sustainability and the need for change across the global maritime industry.
Liodden holds board roles in The Norwegian Society for Sea Rescue, RS Sea Rescue Academy, renewable energy company GreenStat, environmental NGO Bellona Foundation, WISTA Norway and is Working Chair of the Norwegian Organization for Electric Boats. She is on the Executive Committee of Polytechnic Association, and advisory council to REV Ocean and Southern Africa Norway Association.
She is the first female Director of Nor-Shipping, Founder & first Secretary General of YoungShip International. Her maritime background includes 5 years at Wilh. Wilhelmsen corporate head office, working as global project manager on HR&IT projects, and 4,5 years as entrepreneur, working with a.o. YoungShip, Nor-Shipping, OECD, Wilhelmsen Maritime Services and Sea Trucks Nigeria. She developed the first young entrepreneur award in global shipping and co-established the first female mentorship program.
She has figured on a number of leadership rankings, was awarded Shipping Name of The Year in Norway (2012), several consecutive years at Kapital business magazine´s Most Powerful Women, Top10 Bridgebuilder on E24 100 leader talents and was a finalist for World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders 2018. For 2019, she is among 10 nominees to the International WISTA Personality Award.
Liodden is currently on leave from her position as Director of Sustainability, Ocean Industries & Communication in Oslo Business Region, and initiator of their project to realize Oslo’s potential as the world’s capital for ocean entrepreneurs. She developed and ran the business program for Oslo as European Green Capital 2019, and is currently building her own venture – The Ocean Opportunity Lab – while exploring a personal degrowth journey to consume less resources.
She’s Norway’s first private owner of a hydrogen car, lives partially in a houseboat and is a keen explorer of circular & alternative forms of living more sustainability.
For 2020 she has made a personal commitment to support the youth climate strikes, with #FlightFree2020. She will spend the year exploring alternative tech & transportation solutions for leaders who work globally, and how corporates will react on employees in roles requiring travel, who ban flights for environmental/ethical reasons.
TradeWinds, March 2018: Making Fair Play Pay
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- “Who would hire John Fredriksen today?” I challenge the industry to invest in young outsiders with practical and entrepreneurial skills and think outside the box when hiring people, in my first column for the new Norwegian web paper http://www.maritime.no, launched by media house Schibsted. October 2014
Live studio interview on national Norwegian evening news (NRK Dagsrevyen) 14. May 2014, on the lack of visible female leaders in business (and the maritime industry), and my views on how to change this moving forward.
Norwegian business magazine Kapital, featured in the list “Women in the wind” (female Norwegian leaders who nearly made the 100 Most Powerful Women list), May 2014.
Sjöfartstidningen, Februar 2014
Portrettintervju i Kapital juni 2013; De nye businesstalentene
Provoking and challenging the industry, and attracting attention all the way down under. June 2013, Lloyd´s List Australia
Stirring things up at the IMO (United Nations´International Maritime Organisation) Ship Safety Symposium to mark the Titanic 100 year anniversary. Featured in BIMCOs global newsletter. London, June 2013. Quoting the article; “Inevitably the most disruptive presentation of the afternoon came from the youngest person, Birgit Liodden, founder of Norway´s YoungShip and campaigner for the next generation involvement in an industry she fears is failing desperately behind in the race to secure the talents it needs.”
Profile interview in the Maritime Professional magazine, Q2 2013, in connection with the CMA 2013. Stamford, Connecticut.
VG juni 2013; Blant Norges 10 viktigste kvinnelige rollemodeller for fremtiden
E24.no, mai 2012; WISTA Leadership Award 2012
FN/IMO 2013; Blant frontfigurene i kampanjen Women at the Helm
Featured in Lloyd´s List Next Generation issue, May 2012. Ranked among 17 young global leaders in the “On our radar” section, profiling selected young talents without family ties to the industry, who are considered central leaders for the future.
VG Mars 2013, Kronikk
E24.no, juni 2012; WISTA Leadership Award, Bølgen & Moi Tjuvholmen
Paris, October 2012: WISTA International Conference
Lloyd´s List March 2013, CMA 2013 Stamford / N.Y.
Lloyd´s List 2012, Column published
Lloyd´s List, December 2013: New generation of media
Navigare (Sjøfartsdirektoratet), Juni 2012: WISTA Leadership Award
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