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fundamental that buying provisions, fuel, and spare parts for our vessels,” she explains.

Harrison’s internal promotion from Director, Claims, Risk

Management to her current role as Vice President – Procure- ment is a clear step up and has taken her in a slightly differ- ent direction. That said; she brings much from the risk side to the equation to her new job, especially when it comes to preventing the kinds of claims that might otherwise come to fruition. And, the new position gives her a fresh perspective on

Crowley processes. She explains, “My legal and risk manage- ment experience certainly helps me identify potential trouble spots, and my relationships with our Risk Management and

Legal teams makes closer collaboration with those disciplines possible. Working together with those groups and having the bene? t of their input from the outset can make for a highly ef? cient and thoughtful procurement process.”

At the end of the day, Harrison insists, VP of Procurement isn’t really a long way from Admiralty Law.

“This role really isn’t unique to the waterfront – in part be- cause Crowley also has trucking, warehousing, fuel distribu- tion in Alaska, and other land-based service offerings. So in addition to fuel for the ships, vessel parts and equipment, we also buy many other items not destined for use on board the vessels. But because admiralty law encompasses nearly every other legal discipline, that background still comes in handy in this new role.”

Women on the Waterfront

According to Harrison, Crowley seeks out top talent wher- ever it can be found, regardless of gender. And, she insists, the company is committed to building a collaborative, high- performance workforce, and to providing training and career development for every employee each and every year. But, while the role of women in the maritime industry is growing, is not yet representative of the numbers of women profession- als in other business sectors. Harrison has her own thoughts on how this metric can be improved. “There are so many challenges, many of which are self- imposed. The ? rst is ignorance, by which I mean ignorance of this industry and of the vast professional opportunities it offers. The next is lack of self-assurance. Many women tend to be self-effacing to a fault when in fact they might be bet- ter served by taking ownership of their abilities and poten- tial. And, certainly, the old-boy network is alive and well. But 18-33 Q3 MP2015.indd 25 9/18/2015 9:45:38 AM