Maersk Area Head of Finance UKI, Nishat Neelay Deshmukh changed her relationship status many years ago – or as she says so herself: “I married Maersk before I married my husband.”


My tryst with logistics happened very early in life. Joining the family as a little girl at my father’s small spare parts trading shop in Dubai, we helped him hand-pack engine spark plugs, watching them get sorted on to cartons, pallets and loaded into a 20-foot container.

That one container determined our livelihood. Even at playtime, I would prop up a ship on our family bed and pretend to sail the world with goods to sell. My strongest memory is a board of teddy bears, being presented an impressive fictious set of sales and financial charts at my make-believe company. In hindsight, this was perhaps the most definitive sign of the true adventures that lay ahead.

Best in class

Life as an expat family was hard. We did not make much and I could not wait to make myself capable enough to improve our lives further as a family. Like many who would grow up in such realities, I worked with a passion through school, earning scholarships and putting myself through a coveted University we could otherwise never afford.

In my spare time I worked a part time job in Carrefour. I would access the supermarket through the loading bays, fascinated by the operations that kept it going 24/7. In many ways this was a continuation of my childhood experiences helping my mamma and papa.

Young love

People say women often end up marrying a version of their father. It was no accident then that nearing my graduation, a new but familiar love came knocking. Maersk pulled me further into the enticing world of shipping and logistics and empowered me to create a life experience I had only dreamed of growing up. In other words, it was instant attraction.

Besides the comfort of familiarity; financial stability and the opportunity to travel the world were what first drew me to Maersk. For a while, my vision of success was very individual – young and unexperienced, my way of thinking was: “What do I get?”

But things got serious as I got challenged with one assignment after another. As I took on more responsibilities, I felt part of a cause much bigger than myself, which made it easy to put aside the desire of personal victory and instead work for a mutually rewarding relationship.

Couples therapy

Certainly, no relationship is without its challenges. There have been moments of conflict, feelings of being misunderstood and let down. Those were the real moments of growth, where I learned the importance of interpreting and aligning values. It is also through those moments of conflict that I am still learning when to listen and when to speak up.

But why go at it alone? I feel immense gratitude for the extended family. The many colleagues, mentors and friends – and dare I say, couples’ therapists – who bring out the best in me, even on my worst days. They are distinct in the way they think. They provide an opportunity to reflect and broaden one´s perspective – in my case from “What do I get?” To “What do I give?”

This mindset switch from getting to giving is perhaps the sticking point of why any relationship survives and grows against all odds.

The other guy

It was at our UAE office I met Neelay - my other big love and my actual husband. 17 years on I continue to draw parallels between our marriage and my union with Maersk. Starting with an attraction, then an emotional connection, to a sense of comfort, safety, compromise – all worth the ups and downs.

It’s only logical to do a temperature check on any long-lasting relationship - an assessment of what it’s been like so far and what the future holds - so why stop with our personal relationships? I have found it truly rewarding to treat my career in Maersk with the same level of care and respect, and I pride myself in having not only one but in ways two successful marriages.

Improving life

Part of compromising is sometimes tough choices. I am ridden with guilt each time my daughter falls ill when I go traveling - which is every time! But watching her beaming face as she settles into my office chair and pretends to be a full-time employee becomes a beautiful depiction of the circle of life.

This is when our revitalised purpose of ‘improving life for all’ truly resonates with me. It makes me know that I chose right. And it transports me right back to the 1-bedroom apartment, which I shared with my family growing up. I am reminded of the purpose-driven work ethic and resilience I saw in my parents. Work hard for the obvious perks in any relationship but work even harder for the purpose it exists.

Today, looking around our beautiful family home in Chester, England, I know that integrating yourself with others – in ways, the world – truly can improve life. Everything happens for a reason, and I am lucky my reason was Maersk… and of course Neelay!

无论您需要什么,我们都可以随时为您提供帮助

解决方案

解决方案

我们满足从供应链一端到另一端的客户需求。
联系我们

联系我们

我们的专家团队随时为您服务。
查询价格

准备好运送货物?

查询航运及内陆运输费率。
关注最新动态
注册订阅马士基新闻与洞察
收取直接发送至您收件箱的有关供应链趋势的宝贵信息,在业内保持一路领先

提交此表,即表示我同意通过电子邮件接收 A. P. 穆勒-马士基集团及其关联公司接收物流相关新闻和营销信息更新。我了解我可以随时通过点击退订链接,取消接收此类马士基推送信息。如需查看我们会如何处理您的个人信息,请查阅隐私公告

感谢您注册
您现在已经注册接收新闻通讯。您很快将收到一封电子邮件,其中将说明如何对该新闻通讯进行偏好设置。
已订阅
您可以随时取消订阅。