Uniting a passion for ships with a positive-impact agenda. That is how the W•ESG project was born (Woman, Environment, Social and Governance), which will bring together 100 women executives, entrepreneurs and self-employed professionals on a cruise dedicated to discussing ESG (acronym for environmental, social and governance practices). The project designers, Patrícia Mantovani and Pâmela Florentino, spoke about the initiative on Portocast, a program of the National Port Industry Meeting (ENIP), in a conversation with CEO André Ursini.
"Every woman deserves a cruise"
Patrícia recounted that she worked for many years at Santos Port and at ports throughout Brazil and that she is passionate about ships, both cargo and cruise vessels. From there came the idea, summed up in a phrase that became the project's motto: "Every woman deserves a cruise".
The goal is to discuss how to generate positive impact on society, using ESG as a business indicator. The proposal covers the three pillars of the acronym. On the environmental front, the project counts on MSC itself, which according to Patrícia brings together major initiatives in the area. The social dimension is pointed out as the heart of the proposal. On governance, the companies participating in the project come in.
How participants were chosen
Pâmela explained that when the project was still just an idea, the organizers drew up a profile: executive women and leaders with a vision for positive impact and with projects led or co-led by women. Today, according to her, the idea has been realized, with 100 participants from "incredible companies" confirmed on board.
Onboard program
The cruise takes place from December 17 to 20 aboard the MSC Musica. The first meeting will be on the morning of embarkation, in the VIP lounge of the passenger terminal. Onboard, the afternoons will feature TED-format talks, panels, round-table discussions and dynamics, and the evenings will have themed dinners.
Among the confirmed topics are:
- the role of female leadership;
- artificial intelligence and the future of work;
- psychological safety for high-performance teams;
- women's emotional health;
- female longevity;
- governance.
An additional panel is still being formed, and the organizers promise surprises.
Manifesto and legacy
The project does not end at disembarkation. According to Pâmela, the organization will produce a manifesto with the learnings and indicators from the voyage. The measurement of the ship's carbon footprint will be handled by panelists, and the results will also be included in the document. The idea is that the event will be annual and that the manifesto will serve as a reference for people and companies interested in future editions.
Ursini classified the initiative as unprecedented and highlighted the importance of attracting more and more women to the port and logistics sector. According to him, the female presence is already a reality, but there is still much room for growth.
Career and purpose
In closing, Patrícia spoke about her career. An architect and occupational safety engineer, she was an executive manager at companies with highly complex operations, such as multimodal logistics, port operations and underground mining. She recounted facing the difficulties that many women encounter in positioning themselves in the market. "Technical competence is fundamental, but human skills make all the difference," she stated.
For her, the cruise gives visibility and recognition to women who are just starting out or already working in the sector, so they do not give up. It is also a space to discuss technical and complex topics and create connections among them. "This is the legacy we want to leave as a woman, as an executive, as an entrepreneur."
Learn more about W•ESG (Woman, Environment, Social and Governance) at @cruzeirowesg
```
