Embracing a lifetime of learning at Maersk

Over two decades ago, I embarked on a career in exports documentation at Maersk, not fully comprehending the profound journey that awaited me. Recently, while celebrating my 26th year at Maersk, friends and family asked me: "How have you remained engaged with one organization for so long?" My response is simple: How could I ever get bored when each day presents new challenges, opportunities to grow, and the chance to make a meaningful impact?

I have gained so much from personal development and professional growth across the various functional teams during my time here – there is no time to get bored. I have been able to engage and make friends with colleagues around the world all driven by the same common goal: our customers.

Being adaptable and resilient has motivated me to tackle challenges head-on whilst optimizing the learning opportunities available. A highlight in my career was being awarded the Customer Experience champion for Southern Africa and Indian Ocean Islands Area for the work I did to enable a seamless and customer centric onboarding when becoming a Maersk customer.

My tenure has allowed me to grow with the organisation and my commitment to quality work has ensured that I am making a valuable contribution to Maersk’s integrator vision.

Having the opportunity to constantly grow and learn across functions as well has having awesome leadership to help me navigate and shape my career.

Turning Challenges into Triumphs

Over the course of 26 years, I've had the privilege of working in various departments within Maersk South Africa (Pty) Ltd, including Region Ocean Products, Trade and Marketing, Customer Service, and Sales.

I see challenges as an extremely important part of my job which has consistently been a part of my roles and my professional journey at Maersk. This is also one of the elements I love the most and one of the reasons why I am so excited to be on this new journey as Export Pricing Manager.

My roles at Maersk have consistently encouraged creativity and innovative problem-solving in response to industry challenges. Throughout my time at Maersk, I have had the privilege of engaging with internal stakeholders across the organization and building relationships with a wide range of customers. These experiences have not only provided invaluable lessons but have also allowed me to gain insight into the multifaceted nature of our industry.

One of the challenges I met was to get our customers from processing things manually to digitally by using our website. In my role, I worked daily convincing our customers to use our website, onboarding them and then walking the journey with them. Seeing the results was very rewarding, and I´m proud to say that we managed to go from overall Digital Adoption of 68% in 2020 to 92% YTD in 2023.

Engaging with colleagues from diverse backgrounds worldwide has had a profound impact on my work perspective. It fosters diversity, promotes cultural understanding and provides insights into global markets and challenges. In short, it infuses life with excitement by requiring daily interactions with a rich tapestry of people and cultures.

Reflecting on my 26 years at Maersk, I can identify numerous personal achievements and moments of pride. Among the most significant are my recent nomination as CX Champion for the Southern Africa & Islands area and my involvement in elevating our overall Digital Adoption from 68% in 2020 to a remarkable 92% year-to-date in 2023.