Suzanne Williams has been chosen Personality of the Year 2010 by WISTA-UK

WISTA Personality

Top crisis management expert and maritime hostage negotiator Suzanne Williams has been chosen Personality of the Year 2010 by WISTA-UK, part of the Womens International Shipping & Trading Association.

Ms Williams has been an active contributor to the UK governments crisis response process in critical incidents such as abduction, hijackings, piracy, sieges and kidnap. Many of these incidents evolved in the media spotlight whilst others progressed covertly. All of them involved a danger to life.

A qualified hostage negotiator since 1991, Ms Williams runs her own company, London-based Sue Williams International, She was chosen by a panel of judges appointed by WISTA-UK (including non-WISTA members) covering a wide field of expertise.

Sue Williams undertook intensive training with many agencies including the FBI. She retired from the Metropolitan Police after 32 years service in 2008. For the last five years of her law enforcement career, she was head of the Hostage Crisis Negotiation Unit based at New Scotland Yard. Her sustained involvement with preventing maritime violence began in 1992.

At the request of the British Coroner, she was asked to investigate the death of Capt John Bashforth who, it was alleged, had been murdered by his own mutinous crew, while sailing through the Malacca Straits. Her thorough investigation overturned the conclusions of the Indonesian authorities, and a verdict of unlawful killing by unknown pirates was officially recorded by the Coroner.

The knowledge and experience gained during that investigation began an 18 year commitment to matters of piracy, concern for seafarers and promotion of worldwide awareness of the growing problem. Her strategic advice has been sought by numerous governments and global maritime organisations. She has travelled to pirate hotspots with the International Maritime Organization and conducted regional workshops on detection and intelligence gathering.

She believes passionately in safety for all seafarers; she strives tirelessly for enhanced knowledge and security skills within the maritime industry. In recognition of her extensive experience and personal commitment to the fields of kidnap, negotiation and saving of life, Sue Williams was awarded the Queens Police Medal in the Queens Birthday Honours in 2003. Her voluntary work includes assisting kidnapped aid workers overseas and acting as a trustee for Hostage UK, an organisation that assists victims of international hostage taking.

Maria Dixon, president of WISTA-UK, said: This year, once again we had nominations for impressive candidates for the accolade of WISTA-UK Personality of the Year. The panel of judges told us that it was very difficult to choose the winner. Suzanne Williams is a WISTA-UK member very much involved in negotiating safe outcomes for ship owners and seafarers in challenging piracy cases, which have been such a scourge of the industry in recent years. We all learnt much from her fascinating and moving address to the 2009 WISTA International Conference in London.

One of the WISTA judges commented: An advocate for Corporate Social Responsibility, Suzanne is making a meaningful impact on the life of seafarers. She shows commitment in striving for a good groundwork for security within the industry. Her sense of responsibility and volunteering to help is admirable. It shows that she is not only thinking of economic gain but is committed to corporate citizenship and has proven that the decisions made by business have an effect on the wider community.

Suzanne, with her international profile and her background in working with governments is very well suited to talk to governments, but the Somali government does not have a real cabinet and departmental support to rely on, and therefore situations call for direct negotiation with the pirates. Suzanne has proven to have the ability to do just that.

Such negotiations can be very frustrating, and only a small group of people possess the ability to carry them out. It is admirable to see a lady holding this incredibly high level of expertise.

Pirates have widened their field of attack, and this puts an enormous pressure on the shipping industry. People with the ability to face these challenges are few, and Suzanne is one of them. Her work in this field is not only of benefit to the shipping companies and operators but also to the seafarers, their families and relatives.

The panel member added: The award of WISTA Personality of the Year should not be just a beautiful speech and a few pictures and handshakes. It requires the presence of the person on the scene. It requires that the person who is holding this prestigious title be visible and contribute to the causes which are of concern and of interest to the shipping industry. In my opinion Suzannes passion for the work that she is doing for this industry goes far beyond the call.

As WISTA-UK personality, Suzanne Williams will be nominated to enter the International WISTA Personality of the year 2010 at the next WISTA Conference, in Athens from September 29 to October 1.

Source: shiptalk