FONASBA – the Federation of Associations of Ship Brokers and Agents – has announced that young ship agents and brokers working for non-member companies may now compete in its prestigious award competition.
The main purpose of the Award is to develop professionalism among young people in ship agency
and shipbroking and to encourage them to be actively engaged in the industry.
The competition will take the form of a written paper of between 5,000 and 10,000 words that is submitted to a Review Committee.
Previously, the FONASBA Young Ship Agent or Ship Broker of the Year Award (YABA) has been limited to employees of companies in Membership of FONASBA national associations. For 2022 however, that limitation has been lifted and the Award is open to anyone working in the ship agency or ship broking sector under the age of 40 at the time of submission of their completed paper to the Review Committee, latest 25th August 2022.
2021 Winner
The 2021 winner was Ana Ruiz Garcı́a de los Rios, of Bergé Logistics, who is based in Madrid. Her paper was entitled “The Impact of Technologies in the Maritime Sector from the Ship Agent’s Vision”. That paper can be downloaded by clicking the link.
Her paper explores the the impact of the new technologies in the maritime sector, how automation and technologies are changing maritime transport into a more efficient industry and how that will affect ship agency services. The technologies examined included automation, big data and blockchain.
Ms Ruiz is both the first female winner of the Award and the first winner from Spain. She commented: “I am extremely honoured to have been awarded first prize, and by doing so, becoming the first woman to win the FONASBA Award. I am earnestly grateful for the recognition that the paper has received. I would like to thank FONASBA for hosting the Young Ship Agent or Broker Award, as it encourages professionals from all over the word to expose different points of view from within the same industry. I truly hope that everyone enjoys reading the paper as much as I did writing it”.
FONASBA Past President and Honorary Member Gunnar J. Heinonen, who was a member of the judging panel, commented that “the introduction of new technologies will have a profound impact on the way ship agents work. Ms. Ruiz’ paper provides a clear and comprehensive overview of how current and anticipated developments will drive changes in working patterns and procedures. It covered a range of subjects, clearly explaining each one in detail. My Review Committee colleagues and I congratulate Ms. Ruiz on an excellent entry”. Mr. Heinonen also expressed FONASBA’s gratitude to prize sponsors BIMCO and ITIC for their ongoing support for the Award.