Furetank's First Female Captain Takes the Helm

Swedish shipping company Furetank announced its employee Therese Boman has taken the next step in her career, becoming a captain of the tanker Fure Vinga.

Boman started off as a chief officer when she joined Furetank two years ago. All the way from graduating school and joining her first ship as a junior officer, she has strived to grow the experience, knowledge and time at sea needed to reach the highest position of a ship.

"I always knew I wanted to become a captain. Since I started at Furetank, the management has continuously trusted me to step by step take on more responsibility. I enjoy being involved in all happenings on board, talking to everyone in the crew and finding solutions together for whatever dilemmas might appear. As a captain you are constantly learning, since no situation on is the same as a previous one. Also, it is great fun to maneuver the vessel!" Therese said with a laugh.

Her first mission as a captain was leaving the quay in Amsterdam, passing through the lock and heading toward Grangemouth, Scotland. 

"It was a a great feeling. Everyone on board is so supporting and happy for me, as well as the shore personnel. I have received many emails saying ’Congratulations!’ I find that the management has a very positive and inspiring attitude towards employees who want to develop. I truly appreciate that," she said.

About becoming the first female captain in the company, Boman doesn’t attach much importance to gender but still sees a positive trend in the business.

"Shipping has traditionally been a strongly male profession, so it is a great thing that more and more women are making their way here. And the more females there are in the industry, the more want to join. This is positive for everyone onboard: a mix is always the best," Therese said.

So, what is her next goal?

"I will continue to gain as much experience as possible. Furetank is building nine new vessels of the VINGA design in China and if I get enough experience, I might be able to bring home one of the ships as a captain. That could be my next goal. But for now I just want to keep going."