Women in Maritime Happy Hour Featuring Maria Ciliberti, President, Vopak Americas

Over 80 women and some men networked, enjoyed the sponsor exhibits and the guest speaker at the Port Bureau’s Women in Maritime Happy Hour event at the East River Studios on July 17. Maria Ciliberti, president of Vopak’s U.S. and Canada business, which includes nine marine terminals and five joint ventures, was the featured speaker.

Ciliberti’s key messages to the audience were:

• Do what you are passionate about! As a part of a family of doctors, Ciliberti studied chemical engineering.
• It's OK to be different; be yourself.  
• Never stop learning. Ciliberti changed industries later in her life and found the change stimulating as well as rewarding.
• No regrets. When questioned about any regrets in her career, Ciliberti indicated she sometimes considers a role with Pepsco she didn't take but likes how her career journey advanced. 

Although Ciliberti’s family were all in the medical profession, she chose the field of chemical engineering, earning a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from Ohio State University.   Her professional experience spans over 30 years in the petrochemical industry and includes roles in manufacturing, R&D, commercial and business management. She worked at The Dow Chemical Company, Columbia Gas of Ohio, and Container Corporation of America in the U.S. Ciliberti also spent more than a decade in global leadership roles in Europe – with Celanese, General Electric Plastics (SABIC), and Borealis. Prior to Vopak, Ciliberti was the commercial vice president for Borealis’ Global Specialty Solutions business.

Vopak provides storage and infrastructure solutions for vital products for everyday life. These products include liquids and gases that provide energy for homes and businesses, chemicals for manufacturing products, and edible oils for cooking. For all these products, Vopak’s worldwide network of terminals supports the global flow of supply and demand.

Winners of the Port Bureau's September Commerce Club tickets were: Jinet Pichardo, HMM America Shipping Agency and Kiana Jackson, Rose Cay Maritime.

The Women in Maritime Happy Hour is a valuable event for women of all ages in the industry to learn and network. The Greater Houston Port Bureau is delighted to support it, and we thank our sponsors below as well as our door prizes donors: Jones Executive Business School-Rice University, Houston Maritime Center & Museum, Suderman & Young Towing Co., WIMO Association and Vopak. Their contributions make events like the Women in Maritime Happy Hour possible, allowing us to continue our mission of educating and promoting diversity within the maritime and logistics industry.