Meet Project Engineer, Nirmalya Roy

To celebrate International Women’s Day, we have developed a series of interviews featuring some of our incredible colleagues, celebrating their jobs and their contribution to the Maritime industry.

The objective of this campaign is to raise awareness around diversity in the industry, and to inspire women to consider the maritime industry as an exciting career prospect, with a multitude of opportunities.

What’s your name and job title? 

Nirmalya Sohan Roy – Project Engineer

Please explain your job in three sentences

Driving V.Group’s Safety Management project, which is to improve the Group’s Safety content management system by enhancing user engagement, both onboard and ashore.

How long have you worked for V.Group?

Since 2018

What led you to choose a career in shipping?

I come from a family of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers with a family business in Maritime Consultancy, so it was very natural for me to pursue a career in the maritime industry. After my Master’s degree, I decided to join the V.Group Global Graduate Programme because I wanted to explore different roles within the Shipmanagement sector.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt in your career?

I learnt how important it is to upskill and to prioritise investing in myself. I had to get out of my comfort zone of doing what I was good at, in order to explore other areas of expertise. The process taught me there is an opportunity to learn and grow from every experience, whether it is positive or negative.

Would you encourage other women to work in the shipping industry?

I don’t think women shy away from working in male dominated industries anymore. There is so much potential for change within the shipping industry, so I would encourage women to pursue roles that make them feel empowered and tailor to their growth. Its inspiring when I see women being appointed to senior leadership positions and that is something I’d like to see more often.

What has surprised you most about working in the sector?

There is a lot of resistance to Change when it comes to  innovating and adopting  new technology. It can sometimes feel like we are decades behind compared to other industries, which can be very unattractive to the younger generation.  However, it can be very interesting for experienced professionals who come from other industries to implement new ideas.

What’s your favourite destination?

I’ve travelled to over 30 countries, worked in 4 different countries, and my favourite destination incorporating both so far has been the Philippines.