Women in Marine Networking Lunch – Ocean Business

09 April, 2025

This event will be held during Ocean Business at the NOC. You must register for Ocean Business to attend this event.

Wednesday 9 April | 11:45-13:00 | Seminar Room, Level 4, NOC | Lunch will be provided

An engaging networking lunch celebrating women in the marine industry. Hear from inspiring speakers as they share insights on leadership, innovation, career journeys and the future of maritime. Connect with like-minded professionals, gain valuable perspectives and enjoy a relaxed lunch in great company. Free to attend.

Breaking Waves: Empowering Women in Maritime Leadership through innovation and new ways of working

Speaker: Claire Budden, Deputy Director, Navy Commercial

Promoting from Head of Procurement to Deputy Director of Navy Commercial in 2024, Claire is a commercial, procurement and governance lead with twenty years experience as a solicitor (now registered non-practising). In these roles she leads projects and procurements across the public and private sector from initial concept through delivery to long term relationship management.

People and Culture

Speaker: Catherine Jennings, People & Culture Director, Scientific Management International (SMI)

Catherine is a driven and enthusiastic HR Director with over 25 years’ experience leading HR functions for a wide range of businesses encompassing SMEs and large complex matrixed organisations. Her experience includes talent acquisition, learning and development, coaching, engagement, compensation and benefits, HR information systems (HRIS) and financial planning of the department, delivering change initiatives and major projects. Catherine formulates personnel systems and culture strategies appropriate to the SMI’s mission and vision, providing strategic counsel on all people matters. She is also providing oversight and direction for diversity & inclusion and our ongoing commitment to the Women in Defence Charter.

A Chartered professional with a developed network of peers, Catherine ensures that SMI’s People practices are current and industry leading. She has conducted benchmarking activity to ensure that SMI is an employer of choice and provides a top-class employment environment.

From Palaeo-climate Nerd to UXO expert

Speaker: Dorthe Erbs Hansen, Owner and Advisor, Ceridwen

Dorthe Erbs-Hansen, owner and advisor at Ceridwen is a geophysicist and UXO subject matter expert. She has a PhD in Geology from Aarhus University and has 13 years of experience within the offshore renewable industry, focusing on early project development, site investigation and UXO Risk mitigation Strategy. Dorthe has initiated and participated in several research projects seeking to improve the knowledge about UXO in the marine environment for the renewable industry and she is co-founder of the Society for Underwater Technology’s UXO Special Interest Group.

Marine Biology Masters to the Future

Speaker: Vanda Czene, Masters Student, Marine Biology, University of Southampton

Vanda Czene, a recipient of the SUT’s Educational Support Fund, is a final year Marine Biology Masters student at the University of Southampton with a passion for safeguarding marine ecosystems. Her industry experience is on marine species identification with a focus on epifauna in UK waters. Vanda’s MSci thesis is researching the impact of nutrient limitation on the coral-Symbiodiniaceae relationship and how this affects coral bleaching. She has a deep interest in the biology of reef corals.

Passionate about the marine environment, with the ability to demonstrate extensive knowledge of marine organisms and marine ecosystems as well as physical and chemical oceanography, her interests extend to multidisciplinary research in marine science from field sampling, laboratory and field work, including boat work; Vanda looks to the future of Marine Science and her career.

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