Testimonials

The Louis Dreyfus Armateurs Group joins the Cluster Maritime Français (CMF) and the Association Elles Bougent  to celebrate women on the occasion of this World Ocean Day 2020 and through the operation “Les ELLES de l’Océan“.

This special operation aims to promote the place of women in the maritime sector and to make young women aware of career opportunities related to the sea.

Discover now the interview by our colleague seafarer Marie Sciboz.

Interview

1 / Could you introduce yourself?

My name is Marie Sciboz and I have been working as a Hydrographic Surveyor for Louis Dreyfus Armateurs since 2014.

2 / Where does your interest in navigation/the sea/the merchant navy come from? Why did you make this career choice ?

My father owns a wreck research and underwater expertise company – unsurprisingly, I have been involved in the maritime environment from a very young age. I started to learn sailing as a child and I have taken a liking to navigation over the years.
Accustomed as I was to out-of-sync family rhythms and the pleasure of travelling, I was looking for a job that could combine both and the merchant navy provided it.

3 / What did you study ? What is your academic background?

After my French baccalaureate diploma, I looked for a training in the maritime sector outside metropolitan France as I was keen to travel. I took a training course at the University of New Caledonia and got a scientific and technical degree in Marine Geoscience.
I then enrolled at the well-respected CNAM Intechmer Institute (National Institute for Marine Sciences and Technologies) in Cherbourg, the only French school providing training to marine technicians. This school was in my opinion the best option to combine navigation and oceanography and I got a Bachelor’s degree in Ocean Exploration & Surveying.

4 / What do you like most about your job?

I really enjoy the ever-renewing aspect of this job : each boarding is different from the previous one. There is always an initial phase where we have to get familiar with the ship and other crew members and everything after that is a different experience.
I also like the fact that life on board and life on land are neatly separated. When we go on a mission for two months, 100% of our time is spent at our workplace, which becomes our living place and a space for some time off as well. We do not have to deal with anything else.
When we spend a two-month vacation on land, the same principle applies : we can dedicate our full time to ourselves and our families.
As restrictive and challenging this rhythm can be, it allows us to be 100% available for our families during the time spent on land.

5 / What do you think of the representation of women in the maritime sector?

It has been growing – perhaps as part of a fashionable trend – but remains very low in proportion.
Although the merchant navy seems to be recruiting more and more women out of school, the biggest effort, in my opinion, resides in keeping women in their seafaring occupations over time: the percentage of women with a long-term experience at sea is still very low.

6 / What advice would you give to young women to make them aware of the career options offered by this sector?

As a mother-of-two (soon to be three), I would like to say to all women who work at sea that this should not be an obstacle to family life, and vice versa.

It is not always easy but you should not give up, because being able to combine your dream job with a fulfilled family life is something to be proud of.
Many experienced, male seafarers are also fathers, so why could it not be the same for mothers ?!

****

Thank you Marie for this interview !

Interview

1 / What has been your career path so far ?

I studied mechanical engineering at Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and later spent a year at Polytech Marseille (France) in the field of energy mechanics. After I graduated from university in Rio, I worked at Subsea 7 as an engineer in ship maintenance, installing pipelines for the oil and gas industry. After a few years, I decided to come back to France to resume studies in marine renewable energies and complete a specialized Master degree at ENSTA Bretagne. In March 2019, while still studying, I joined the LDA Group as a last year Master Graduation intern and signed a permanent contract.

2 / What motivated you to join the LDA group ?

I was interested in the Group’s maritime activities and its global experiences with ships carrying out a variety of missions. During my internship, I saw a true team spirit within the LDA Group and it strengthened my intention to continue my career at LDA. The management’s approach to innovative projects, and the marine renewable energies missions I have been able to work on, were determining factors in my decision.

3 / What is your job about ?

As an Offshore Project Engineer in the new LDA Engineering Department, I assist in the development and installation of new equipment, the development of specifications and discussions with clients before, during and after the project, while ensuring safety in all of our missions. My main goal is to use my previous experiences to support all projects managed by the Engineering Department.

4 / What do you like most about your job?

There is a possibility to work for different projects at the same time, with different partners, and to learn from each mission. Just as an example, we can work within the same day on the conversion of an old ship and the construction of a new vessel.
I also appreciate being able to go onboard different ships to develop our ongoing projects.
And last but not least, I find it very rewarding to have experienced sailors in the office and technical experts who you can talk to and who can share with us the challenges and special moments they have had onboard.

5/ What are the 3 essential qualities to do your job?

• Resilience, that is the ability to adapt to changes in specifications and difficulties we may encounter at the last minute.
• Safety and respect for the environment, to ensure that our operations are run in the most efficient way with minimum risk to people and the environment.
• In-depth collaboration between the people onboard and the office departments, so that we can find the most effective solutions.

6 / What are you passionate about ?

Sharing personal and professional experiences with people, both in and outside of the office
Cycling, swimming (and triathlon, a new-found hobby)

7 / Sea or land ? France or Brazil ?

The sea, undoubtedly. I love France for its language, culture and history. When I left Brazil, I wanted to be part of a strong company with a wide experience in maritime activities (and marine renewable energies) and I am glad I have found LDA. But…there is no country as incredible as Brazil!

8 / What is your motto?

Greetings and smiles cost nothing, feel free to share them!

***

Thank you Pedro!

The Louis Dreyfus Armateurs Group joins the Cluster Maritime Français (CMF) and the Association Elles Bougent  to celebrate women on the occasion of this World Ocean Day 2020 and through the operation “Les ELLES de l’Océan“.

This special operation aims to promote the place of women in the maritime sector and to make young women aware of career opportunities related to the sea.

Discover now the interview by our colleague seafarer Marie Sciboz.

Interview

1 / Could you introduce yourself?

My name is Marie Sciboz and I have been working as a Hydrographic Surveyor for Louis Dreyfus Armateurs since 2014.

2 / Where does your interest in navigation/the sea/the merchant navy come from? Why did you make this career choice ?

My father owns a wreck research and underwater expertise company – unsurprisingly, I have been involved in the maritime environment from a very young age. I started to learn sailing as a child and I have taken a liking to navigation over the years.
Accustomed as I was to out-of-sync family rhythms and the pleasure of travelling, I was looking for a job that could combine both and the merchant navy provided it.

3 / What did you study ? What is your academic background?

After my French baccalaureate diploma, I looked for a training in the maritime sector outside metropolitan France as I was keen to travel. I took a training course at the University of New Caledonia and got a scientific and technical degree in Marine Geoscience.
I then enrolled at the well-respected CNAM Intechmer Institute (National Institute for Marine Sciences and Technologies) in Cherbourg, the only French school providing training to marine technicians. This school was in my opinion the best option to combine navigation and oceanography and I got a Bachelor’s degree in Ocean Exploration & Surveying.

4 / What do you like most about your job?

I really enjoy the ever-renewing aspect of this job : each boarding is different from the previous one. There is always an initial phase where we have to get familiar with the ship and other crew members and everything after that is a different experience.
I also like the fact that life on board and life on land are neatly separated. When we go on a mission for two months, 100% of our time is spent at our workplace, which becomes our living place and a space for some time off as well. We do not have to deal with anything else.
When we spend a two-month vacation on land, the same principle applies : we can dedicate our full time to ourselves and our families.
As restrictive and challenging this rhythm can be, it allows us to be 100% available for our families during the time spent on land.

5 / What do you think of the representation of women in the maritime sector?

It has been growing – perhaps as part of a fashionable trend – but remains very low in proportion.
Although the merchant navy seems to be recruiting more and more women out of school, the biggest effort, in my opinion, resides in keeping women in their seafaring occupations over time: the percentage of women with a long-term experience at sea is still very low.

6 / What advice would you give to young women to make them aware of the career options offered by this sector?

As a mother-of-two (soon to be three), I would like to say to all women who work at sea that this should not be an obstacle to family life, and vice versa.

It is not always easy but you should not give up, because being able to combine your dream job with a fulfilled family life is something to be proud of.
Many experienced, male seafarers are also fathers, so why could it not be the same for mothers ?!

****

Thank you Marie for this interview !

Interview

1 / What has been your career path so far ?

I studied mechanical engineering at Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and later spent a year at Polytech Marseille (France) in the field of energy mechanics. After I graduated from university in Rio, I worked at Subsea 7 as an engineer in ship maintenance, installing pipelines for the oil and gas industry. After a few years, I decided to come back to France to resume studies in marine renewable energies and complete a specialized Master degree at ENSTA Bretagne. In March 2019, while still studying, I joined the LDA Group as a last year Master Graduation intern and signed a permanent contract.

2 / What motivated you to join the LDA group ?

I was interested in the Group’s maritime activities and its global experiences with ships carrying out a variety of missions. During my internship, I saw a true team spirit within the LDA Group and it strengthened my intention to continue my career at LDA. The management’s approach to innovative projects, and the marine renewable energies missions I have been able to work on, were determining factors in my decision.

3 / What is your job about ?

As an Offshore Project Engineer in the new LDA Engineering Department, I assist in the development and installation of new equipment, the development of specifications and discussions with clients before, during and after the project, while ensuring safety in all of our missions. My main goal is to use my previous experiences to support all projects managed by the Engineering Department.

4 / What do you like most about your job?

There is a possibility to work for different projects at the same time, with different partners, and to learn from each mission. Just as an example, we can work within the same day on the conversion of an old ship and the construction of a new vessel.
I also appreciate being able to go onboard different ships to develop our ongoing projects.
And last but not least, I find it very rewarding to have experienced sailors in the office and technical experts who you can talk to and who can share with us the challenges and special moments they have had onboard.

5/ What are the 3 essential qualities to do your job?

• Resilience, that is the ability to adapt to changes in specifications and difficulties we may encounter at the last minute.
• Safety and respect for the environment, to ensure that our operations are run in the most efficient way with minimum risk to people and the environment.
• In-depth collaboration between the people onboard and the office departments, so that we can find the most effective solutions.

6 / What are you passionate about ?

Sharing personal and professional experiences with people, both in and outside of the office
Cycling, swimming (and triathlon, a new-found hobby)

7 / Sea or land ? France or Brazil ?

The sea, undoubtedly. I love France for its language, culture and history. When I left Brazil, I wanted to be part of a strong company with a wide experience in maritime activities (and marine renewable energies) and I am glad I have found LDA. But…there is no country as incredible as Brazil!

8 / What is your motto?

Greetings and smiles cost nothing, feel free to share them!

***

Thank you Pedro!