She Goes Offshore launches in Guyana with support from First Lady Arya Ali

Following its launch in Mexico, She Goes Offshore has taken its next step in Guyana. The event brought government, employers, training providers and women working in the industry into one conversation about increasing female participation in the offshore sector.

Support from the First Lady

In her keynote address, First Lady Arya Ali expressed her support for opening more offshore career opportunities to Guyanese women. Drawing on her connection to the industry, including her role as godmother to four Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels, she highlighted her ambition for women to become active participants and leaders in Guyana’s energy sector. “I wish to commend Atlas NextWave and its partners for championing this important initiative,” she said. Her message reinforced the purpose of She Goes Offshore: helping women see a place for themselves in the industry and understand how to take their next step.

Connecting local talent with industry

The programme explored women’s participation from several perspectives. Michael Munroe addressed women and local content, while David Alejandro Díaz Barrionuevo, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Mexican Embassy in Guyana, spoke about support for women’s initiatives. Martin Cheong, Country Manager of SBM Offshore Guyana, addressed creating an inclusive environment for women in oil and gas. Abbigale Loncke, CEO of SisPro Inc. Guyana, brought the perspective of Guyanese female operators, while Laura McFalls shared initiatives and opportunities through the Women Offshore Foundation. Shikema Dey of OilNOW contributed a wider view of industry challenges and opportunities. Together, these contributions connected the ambition to increase female participation with the employers, networks and local expertise needed to support it.

Hearing from women in the industry

Two panel discussions gave space to both company perspectives and personal experience. Moderated by Atlas NextWave’s Lourdes Landa, the first brought together representatives from AA Maritime, Noble Drilling and MODEC to discuss women in oil and gas. The second, She Shares Her Experience, featured Joawanna McKenzie of Noble Drilling, Kenisha Springer of Saipem, Cadet Officer Gaitree Chetram of AA Maritime & Offshore Training Institute Guyana, and Aquinnah Hartman of MatPal Marine Institute. These conversations brought individual career journeys into the discussion, giving participants the opportunity to hear directly from women pursuing careers in the sector. Questions and answers, followed by networking, provided further opportunities to connect.

Building a wider community

She Goes Offshore is part of Atlas NextWave’s ambition to make offshore careers more visible and accessible to women. Each event is shaped around its local market, bringing together professionals, employers and industry networks to share knowledge and build connections that can continue beyond the day itself. For employers, this also means engaging with a broader pool of talent and helping more women understand where their skills could take them. The Guyana event marks another step in building that community.

Interested in getting involved as a participant, speaker or industry partner? Discover She Goes Offshore.