As we celebrate International Day for Women in Maritime this Sunday 18 May, we’re excited to kick off a new leader spotlight series with esteemed leader Louise Sara, Fleet Captain and Director of Maritime Standards at Carnival Corporation.
Louise Sara
Louise and her team are crucial in enhancing maritime standards and safety across our fleet, which are essential in maintaining the high standards we’re known for and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of both crew and guests. The department’s remit is vast, covering everything from the correct implementation of Global HESS procedures onboard to bridge and engine room resource management standards and the promotion of best practices.
Strong partnerships with onboard teams are key to their success. Fleet Captains, Fleet Chiefs and Fleet Support Officers share extensive data with Louise and team, which they rely on to find trends and identify areas of focus when doing onboard ship visits. This data helps update and inform the messaging that should be shared during the Maritime Standards team visits, ensuring consistent standards are applied across the board.
The team also develops case studies and other reference materials for onboard teams to facilitate discussions and enhance safety culture, leadership and the way we look out for our own and each other’s personal safety onboard. Finally, the team works closely with other departments such as MP&A and CSMART, regularly aligning with the application of procedures and keeping up to date with any changes to curriculum, policy or statutory requirements to ensure consistency.
Leading by example and setting the highest standards when onboard are the keys to success in the Maritime Standards team, who strives for excellence during every visit and helps inspire that same spirit in everyone they encounter on our ships.
Championing Women in Maritime
Louise is not only a leader in maritime standards but a passionate advocate for women in the maritime industry. She has been instrumental in the establishment and growth of the Women Officers Network, an initiative that provides a platform for female maritime officers to network, share knowledge and support each other.
Since its launch in 2023, the network has become a pivotal platform of engagement for women officers – including deck, technical, environmental officers and cadets – across our fleet, increasing visibility across our brands for women to connect with women in similar positions across the fleets and more readily seek advice from others on things like navigating their career growth or balancing growing a family while building a career at sea.