Cruise line appoints its first female first engineer
P&O Cruises has appointed Leanne Robertson, aged 31, as its first female first engineer.
Robertson, from Alexandria in Scotland, is taking up the role initially on Azura.
"I’m incredibly proud to be P&O Cruises’ first female engineer and hope that my success will inspire and motivate other women to achieve their dreams," she said. "It just goes to show that if you study and work hard, you can succeed, even in a career such as engineering that is traditionally male dominated."
P&O Cruises senior vice president Paul Ludlow said: "Everyone at P&O Cruises is absolutely delighted that Leanne has achieved her promotion to first engineer. This is such an important milestone in our company’s history and I look forward to seeing more women taking on similar roles over the coming years."
Reporting to the staff chief engineer, Robertson will be responsible for the management of the 90-strong engineering team in maintaining the main propulsion machinery and engine room auxiliaries in a safe and reliable working condition.
Robertson started her career in marine engineering in January 2005 and qualified as a third engineer in December 2007 and as a second engineer in April 2013. She has spent the last five years working on Azura and Ventura with a brief spell on Cunard’s Queen Mary 2.
She aims to obtain her chief engineer’s license in 2019.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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