Seaspan Appoints Three
Seaspan has named three new Vice Presidents to its Senior Leadership Team, announcing the appointments of Linda Wortman as Vice President, Finance & Accounting; Catherine Chick as Vice President, Business Services & Technology; and Shawn Chylinski as Vice President, Health, Safety, Environment & Quality.
As Vice President, Finance & Accounting, Linda is responsible for strategic financial oversight of the marine division and corporate services. She is a key advisor to the CFO and Executive Leadership Team and ensures information and metrics are available to inform value added business decisions.
Linda joined Seaspan in 2008 as Controller, Marine and was appointed to the role of Vice President, Finance & Accounting in January 2016. She completed her Bachelor of Commerce Degree, specializing in Accounting from the University of Calgary and holds a Master of Business Administration. She also holds a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA–CMA) designation.
As part of the Senior Leadership Team, Catherine provides vision and leadership for developing and implementing information technology initiatives in support of the company’s short and long term business strategies. Catherine joined Seaspan in 2012 to establish internal project management capabilities to manage the delivery of enterprise process and system improvement projects. In 2013, her role expanded to include the management of IT Operations and in January 2016, she was appointed to Vice President, Business Services & Technology.
Catherine has a background in management consulting, technology strategy and program management. She has worked in a broad range of industries including technology, higher education, financial institutions and retail. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from the University of British Columbia and a Master of Business Administration from McMaster University.
Shawn joined Seaspan in June 2013 as Director, Safety & Environment and was appointed to the role of Vice President, Health, Safety, Environment & Quality in March 2016. As part of both the Seaspan Marine and Seaspan Shipyards Senior Leadership Teams, Shawn provides strategic leadership and direction for all HSEQ management systems throughout Seaspan. Additionally, Shawn will be the driving force behind a culture of safety, environmental stewardship, quality and efficiency throughout the company.
Shawn brings more than 20 years experience leading health, safety and environmental performance in the forestry and utility sectors. He has been a leader of success in HSEQ and has led change in Seaspan’s safety culture that is positioning the company to achieve its zero workplace injury goals. Shawn completed his Bachelor of Forestry Degree from Lakehead University, and has since gone on to complete an Integrated Leadership Development Program from Simon Fraser University, as well as a Leadership Program from the Schulich School of Business.
“Seaspan’s leaders represent the very best-of-the-best in the marine transportation, shipbuilding, and ship repair industries, and I am thrilled to congratulate Linda, Catherine and Shawn on their new and well-earned roles on our world-class team,” said Jonathan Whitworth, CEO – Seaspan ULC. “Thanks to these appointments, Seaspan continues to bolster its Senior Leadership Team with a wealth of diverse experience and expertise as it re-writes shipbuilding and marine transportation history on Canada’s West Coast.