Commanding Change: Ann Pletschke on Safety, Sexism and Leadership at Sea

At four years old, Ann Pletschke had already decided that she would one day command a ship. By 16, she was at sea, beginning a career that would take her across deep-sea cargo ships, North Sea offshore operations, passenger ferries, polar waters, autonomous shipping, vessel inspections and command.

In this candid conversation with Women in Maritime host Julia Gosling, Ann examines what it actually takes to build a career at sea, lead with credibility and challenge the parts of maritime culture that continue to place women at risk.

From career specialisation and lifelong learning to failure, resilience and psychological safety, Ann shares the experiences that shaped her approach to leadership, including what one difficult departure from Grimsby taught her about humility, further training and the danger of pretending that command means having every answer.

At the centre of the conversation is a difficult but essential question: does placing more women onboard automatically make women safer?

Representation matters, but numbers alone cannot replace accountability, confidential support, meaningful male allyship and leaders who create an environment in which people can speak up without fear. Ann and Julia discuss sexism, harassment and sexual violence at sea, the isolation experienced by many seafarers, and why support information must reach people while they are still onboard.

This is not simply the story of one woman becoming a captain. It is a thoughtful examination of what safety, equality and professional respect should look like across the maritime industry, and why lasting change depends on culture rather than appearances.

Ann Pletschke, MEng, MSc, CMMar, CMarTech, is a Master SDPO, OVID and eCMID AVI inspector, master mariner and marine consultant.

This episode includes discussion of sexual assault, sexual harassment, discrimination and trauma.

SUPPORT AND RESOURCES
Safer Waves, confidential support and information for seafarers affected by sexual violence or gender discrimination:
https://www.saferwaves.org/

ISWAN’s Safe at Sea campaign:
https://www.iswan.org.uk/our-work/safe-at-sea-campaign/

SeafarerHelp, free confidential support for seafarers and their families:
https://www.iswan.org.uk/seafarerhelp/

YachtCrewHelp, free confidential support for yacht crew and their families:
https://www.iswan.org.uk/yachtcrewhelp/

Sailors’ Society Trauma Therapy Grants:
https://sailors-society.org/trauma-therapy-grants/

Prefer to read? Read the full editorial on Yachting News:
https://www.yachtinginternationalradio.com/yachting-news

ABOUT WOMEN IN MARITIME
Hosted by Julia Gosling, Women in Maritime brings together honest conversations with the women shaping shipping, seafaring and the wider maritime world, exploring leadership, professional barriers, safety, equality and the realities behind building a lasting career at sea.

Women in Maritime is an original Yachting International Radio series and part of Yachting Channel, available across all major podcast platforms.

Women In Maritime | Yachting International Radio

Discover more original shows, expert voices and maritime stories:
https://www.yachtinginternationalradio.com/shows

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https://www.yachtinginternationalradio.com/