Mirjam Waalboer - Shipbroker

What kind of work do you do?

I like to call myself the “head of miscellaneous affairs,” but I’m actually a shipbroker. I ended up in this line of work by chance. My employer was looking for a secretary at the time—and that was 29 years ago. I’ve since worked my way up to shipbroking.

We primarily deal in seagoing vessels in the broadest sense, but also other floating assets such as pontoons and dry docks. I handle all aspects of buying and selling, including some marketing and sales, and I also negotiate. For our own company, but sometimes also for third parties such as commercial shipping lines, and we’ve occasionally done work for the government as well. The ships we purchase are usually moored in our harbor in Ridderkerk. We always have a varied selection: cargo ships, tugboats, small tankers, and pontoons, and currently a dredger nearly 100 meters long. 

It’s quite unique that we purchase the ships ourselves, carry out any necessary work, and then sell them. We also have our own team that can get a boat up and running anywhere in the world. As a small brokerage, we do big things. I just sold two 20,000-ton vessels for one of our clients, and we also sell to buyers in all sorts of places around the world, such as Easter Island, Chile, and Suriname.

We helped someone convert a ship from dry cargo to cement transport and brokered the sale of a dry dock in South Korea. I flew there twice a month. You never know what will come your way next. You never stop learning. Recently, we sold the Nieuwe Diep, which involved classification work—every ship needs valid classification certificates, and the requirements for ships are constantly evolving. Since we don’t handle that kind of work very often, you still learn something new, even though we naturally know a thing or two about it. 

Does being a women play a role in your work?

I’m a certified shipbroker: I start somewhere and aim to get somewhere. I don’t often find that things go differently just because I’m a woman. Once people realize you know what you’re doing, it’s never a problem. Negotiation is a skill, and I’ve learned a lot from my employer, who’s very good at it. I know what I’m doing, what I need, and I communicate that very clearly. Of course, it helps that people need something from you.

I do sometimes notice that people find it interesting that a woman is joining the team. I think I’m treated a bit more like a guest. People are a bit more polite, send a taxi to pick you up... I’ve had times when the captain sent someone along with me to carry my things during a ship inspection. I’m happy to let them do that; I’m not going to rub anyone the wrong way. I do think people are more likely to tell a woman things; sometimes I hear something during a casual chat that I can use later. 

What do you like most about your job?

It’s never boring and very dynamic. I meet a lot of people and get to visit places all over the world that not everyone gets to see. The buying and selling aspect makes it fun, too—it’s the whole package. I’d really like to share that with the girls of today: it’s truly a blast, and there’s a lot to it. You have those skills and that technical know-how as a woman, too! You can do so many fun things, and it’s not necessarily a man’s world anymore. Let’s get to work, ladies!