Dry bulk and unitised cargo shipping giant, Oldendorff Carriers has reported that nearly 125 female seafarers from across 17 nationalities now serve on the group’s vessels across 13 ranks. The group expects the number of females seafarers in its service will grow to 150 by next year.
“These results reflect our long-standing dedication to fostering fair opportunities for all, regardless of gender, nationality or background. Through our “Global Cadet Program: Embracing Diversity,” we are building structured pathways to train, support, and promote cadets into long-term officer roles based solely on merit,” the group said in a statement, adding that its commitment to inclusion extends across its global offices where Oldendorff maintains a near-equal gender representation across a workforce comprising more than 60 nationalities.
“This is not an altruistic effort but a strategic investment in our future,” said Patrick Hutchins, CEO of Oldendorff. “Bringing more women onboard expands the pool of highly capable leaders who can grow into key roles ashore. It is a natural step forward in strengthening our company”.
Oldendorff reports that its approach to building a more inclusive maritime environment has earned “growing recognition” across the industry. The group reports that it recently won gold at the ESG Shipping Awards in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion category for its Global Cadet Program. The program was also honoured with the 2025 Spinnaker HR Initiative Award in the Learning and Development category, the group adds.
About Oldendorff Carriers
Each year, Oldendorff carries about 380 million tons of bulk and unitised cargo between 15,000 port calls in 127 countries. On average, the group operates about 700 chartered and owned ships at any one time. The group employs about 4,500 people from 60 countries. As at early April 2025, the group operated (i.e. both owned and chartered) 128 vessels with with total deadweight of 32.3 million tonnes; 263 panamax vessels of 20m tonnes; 191 ultra / supramax of eight million total deadweight; 93 handysize vessels of four million deadweight; and 22 trans-shipment vessels of 700,000 deadweight. In total, in early April this year, it was operating 697 ships with a total of 65 million deadweight. In 2024, about 84% of Oldendorff’s fleet was operated on a time-chartered basis.
