WISTA International elects Bogerd Martin CEO Céline Mortier as president

Céline Mortier, chief executive of Belgian maritime navigation services provider Bogerd Martin, has been elected president of WISTA International, taking over from Elpi Petraki after the latter's four years at the head of the global association.

The handover took place at WISTA's annual general meeting and conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, held from October 28 to 30. Mortier previously led WISTA Belgium, the organisation's national chapter, before stepping up to the international presidency.

Her election coincided with the association's continued expansion. Four new national associations — representing the Bahamas, Egypt, Montenegro and the Philippines — were admitted during the AGM. That brings WISTA's network to 64 national associations and more than 6,500 members worldwide.

Who is the new president?

Mortier runs Bogerd Martin, a Belgian provider of maritime navigation services, giving her an operator's perspective rather than a purely associative one. WISTA — the Women's International Shipping & Trading Association — was founded in 1974 and promotes women's participation, professional development and leadership across the maritime, trading and logistics sectors.

"I am delighted to take on the role of President of WISTA International at a time of continued growth for our global network and undertake to work with purpose to advance WISTA's mission and impact," Mortier said after her election.

The quote is short on specifics — no targets, no named initiatives, no metrics for what "impact" will mean in practice. What is concrete is the organisation she inherits: a 64-country network with consultative status at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the UN body that sets global shipping regulation.

What changed at the Kuala Lumpur meeting?

Beyond the presidential vote, the AGM reshaped WISTA's executive committee. Maryana Stober, Diruni Chanmugam and Amsha Gengan joined the committee, with Gengan taking over as secretary general — the body's top administrative post.

The conference itself drew more than 250 maritime professionals to Kuala Lumpur. WISTA Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore jointly hosted the event, a reminder that the association's centre of gravity is shifting toward Asia's growing maritime clusters alongside its traditional European base.

The organisation also presented its Corporate Diversity Award to Mercantile Marine Management during the gathering.

What legacy does Petraki leave?

Petraki was first elected president in October 2022 and served two consecutive terms — a four-year span during which WISTA strengthened its international standing. Under her leadership, the association built on its IMO consultative status and expanded initiatives aimed at increasing women's representation in shipping.

The organisation does not publish membership growth figures for the period, so the scale of that expansion is difficult to verify independently. What is measurable: the network stood at 64 national associations and more than 6,500 members at the close of the Kuala Lumpur AGM, with four countries added in a single meeting.

Where does WISTA go next?

The calendar is already set. The next WISTA International AGM and Conference will take place in Brazil from October 27 to 29, 2027, with Istanbul selected to host the 2028 gathering.

For a 51-year-old association that has spent recent years converting its IMO consultative status into policy influence, Mortier's task now is to turn a growing membership base into measurable gains for women in shipping — a test the Kuala Lumpur mandate has set, but not yet quantified.