Kathy J. Metcalf

Kathy Metcalf was appointed the President and CEO of the Chamber of Shipping of America (CSA) in June 2015.  Prior to that time, she served as CSA’s Director of Maritime Affairs from 1997 to 2015.  CSA is a maritime trade association which represents a significant number of U.S. based companies that own, operate or charter oceangoing tankers, container ships, and other merchant vessels engaged in both the domestic and international trades.  CSA represents maritime interests before Congress, federal and state agencies and in international fora.  Prior to coming to the Chamber of Shipping, Kathy served in various positions in the energy industry including deck officer aboard large oceangoing tankers, marine safety and environmental director, corporate regulatory and compliance manager and state government affairs manager.

Kathy is a 1978 graduate of the US Merchant Marine Academy (BS in Marine Transportation and Nautical Sciences) and a 1988 graduate of the Delaware Law School (JD).

What is your current role in the shipping industry? 

I am currently the President and CEO of the Chamber of Shipping of America, the US national shipowners’ association.

Can you describe your role as the President and CEO of the Chamber of Shipping of America?

Aside from the traditional role of a Chief Executive (leadership, financial management, administrative issues, management of employees), my principal role is to assure we are meeting the needs of our member companies by providing information and counsel to members relative to current and future compliance issues with legislation and regulation at the national and international levels.

What are your primary responsibilities and focus areas, and how do you prioritize them on a day-to-day basis?

As previously noted, meeting our members expectations and needs is paramount.  Our focus areas range across a number of areas including environmental and safety matters, in order to provide our members the information they need to understand and comply with legal requirements.  Prioritization can be tricky as member requests can change the plan for each day based on the nature of the request e.g. emergencies vs general questions.

What initially drew you to the shipping industry, and how did you get your start in this dynamic field? 

My initial plans were to attend the US Military Academy at West Point, NY and become a physician in the Army followed by a medical career in private practice.  Unfortunately, I was born too soon as women were not accepted into West Point until 1976.  Although I received a nomination to West Point from then Senator Joe Biden, he called me and asked if I would be interested in attending the US Merchant Marine Academy which was going to accept women in 1974.  I accepted this nomination and entered in the first class of women in a US national service academy in 1974 and graduated in 1978.  Upon graduation, I sailed as a deck officer on tankers for a number of years and then came shore with an energy company as the health and safety director.  Shortly after coming ashore, I entered law school (evening division) while still working full time as the safety and health director, graduating from law school in 1988.  After working a few additional years with the energy company in the corporate compliance department and government affairs, I left the company to accept the Director of Maritime Affairs position with the Chamber of Shipping in 1997 and accepted the President and CEO position in 2015, a position I still hold.

What key experiences or decisions led you to where you stand today?

I’d like to say I had my career path all planned out leading to where I am today, but that is far from the truth.  I learned early on that you need to have a plan, but it needs to be flexible since your ultimate career path is also controlled by people and situations around you over which you have no control.  I have had wonderful mentors and a support system that allowed me to try new things, learn from the experts and move forward one step at a time.  So I would say my key experiences/decisions are having the good luck to have good people with which to work and acknowledging the need for flexibility in your career plan.

The Chamber plays a vital role in advocating for the U.S. maritime industry. What are the most pressing issues currently facing the industry, and how is the Chamber addressing them? 

The most vital issues the industry is facing (among many others) are (1) the decarbonization of the global maritime industry and (2) the need to promote the recruitment and retention of seafarers.  The Chamber works with a number of entities including other trade associations (domestic and international e.g. ICS, BIMCO), governments (US and non-US) and the International Maritime Organization to understand the issues and find suitable solutions to achieving the necessary goals.

How does the Chamber work with other industry stakeholders, such as government agencies, shipowners, and operators, to shape policy and regulations?

What role does the Chamber play in promoting the U.S. maritime industry’s growth and competitiveness on the global stage?  We work in a variety of forums to shape policy and regulations.  Our goal is to work with legislators and regulators before any text is drafted to understand their goals in promulgating any new requirements so we can provide input on the best way forward to achieve their goals and minimize the impact and cost on the maritime industry.  We also work with our industry partners including other trade associations to create an industry wide position on issues which we can then provide to the legislators/regulators.  We also provide input (formal comments filed to the dockets) during the formal legislative and regulatory process.  As regards promoting the US maritime industry’s growth and competitiveness, keep in mind that our members are shipping companies with a US base of operations so we represent members that have both US flag and non US flag vessels so our promotion efforts are more focused on the maritime industry as a whole and its interaction with the US maritime system.

As an advocate for the U.S. maritime industry, what are the biggest challenges you face when lobbying for policy changes or regulatory reforms? 

The biggest challenge we face when lobbying for policy or regulatory changes is the lack of knowledge about the maritime industry (commercial and technical issues) relative to the legislators/regulators that will be involved in the process.

How do you see technological advancements, such as digitalization and automation, impacting the future of U.S. maritime operations? 

Technological advancements will have a tremendous impact on the global maritime industry as a whole with nothing unique specifically to the US.  Smart implementation of new advancements will ultimately result in a more efficient and streamlined maritime industry and supply chains due to the real time provision of information critical to the decision making process, both ashore and afloat.

What strategies does the Chamber employ to support the workforce within the maritime industry, especially regarding training, education, and workforce development? 

We are engaged at the national and international levels on development of future training, education and workforce development necessary to create the next generation of seafarers.  This work includes discussions within the IMO structure e.g. STCW review and revision and ongoing work with national labor unions and training facilities to ensure new requirements and skill sets are included in their training protocols.

As the leader of the Chamber, what has been the most rewarding part of your tenure so far? Can you share a moment or accomplishment that stands out to you? 

The most rewarding part of my tenure and my entire maritime career are the fantastic people with which I have had the honor to work and collaborate.  I really can’t identify one particular moment/accomplishment in these over 40 years of work in this wonderful industry.

How do you see the U.S. maritime industry evolving over the next decade, and what changes do you foresee in terms of operations, policy, and international collaboration? 

My perspective relates to the global industry and the US maritime industry.  The major changes I see in terms of ops/policy/international collaboration are changes related to decarbonization, digitalization and the need for a properly trained workforce capable of implementing these changes.  International collaboration will become even more important as new and more complicated regulations are finalized by IMO.  International collaboration will also be important to minimize if not eliminate regional/national requirements different or more stringent than the IMO requirements e.g. EU ETS vs IMO.

Looking forward, what are the key goals for the Chamber in the coming years, and what initiatives are you most excited to lead or support?  

While I will be retiring in mid-2025 (I will stay on as a consultant through the transition which will take a year), the key goals for our organization remain to strengthen our relationships with all maritime stakeholders (government, private sector) and build our own membership.

What motivated you to stay at the Chamber for 28 years? What aspects of the roles or organizations kept you committed and prevented you from exploring other opportunities during that time? Is it loyalty, a preference for stability, or something else that influenced your decision to stay? 

Loyalty to the Chamber and to the maritime industry in general.  Although through the years, I was offered other opportunities, my loyalties remained with the members of the Chamber and the maritime industry in general.  It’s been a great ride and I look forward to CSA’s future which will be led by my most capable replacement.

What being female, mean to you personally and professionally? How did it shape your leadership approach?   

As background, I entered the US Merchant Marine Academy in 1974 and graduated in 1978 in the first class of women graduates.  With that background, my approach to success throughout my maritime career had nothing to do with being a female and everything to do with competency.  My leadership style from my perspective did not change because I was a female and was focused on earning the respect of my co-workers both on board the vessel and when I came ashore.  While I fully support diversity in all career paths, I think too much focus is on personal characteristics over which we have no control e.g. race, gender, ethnicity and too little focus on assuring that the work environment is fair and equitable for all workers and competency to do the job for which you are hired.  Certainly all organizations need of program by which harassment can be reported and acted upon , regardless of the basis of harassment.  There will always be those (hopefully) few individuals that are still living in the dark ages, and protections against them are key for all workers.

What skills or experiences do you think are essential for someone in a leadership role in the maritime industry, and how did you develop these skills? 

This is a tough question as I think leadership style is unique to the individual and the work environment as well as to co-workers you are expected to lead.  I think the key ingredient is the ability to develop the leadership style which results in the maximum results by the work team.  So, I guess I would say that flexibility in leadership styles appropriate to the situation is the most important.  I developed this skill by watching and learning from my mentors and peers.

What educational background or specialized training would you recommend for someone aspiring to excel in this sector? 

Another tough question as the skill sets needed across the maritime industry widely vary depending on position.  If focused on gaining sailing experience with a future goal of coming ashore in management, it is absolutely essential to sail on board vessels on your seaman’s document, whether unlicensed or licensed.  Ideally, one sails long enough to advance their license at least one level, but elevating to Master or Chief Engineer is probably the most desirable.  An advanced degree in an appropriate area (business/management, law, logistics) obtained when one finally comes ashore is most helpful as it shows your employer that you are bettering yourself to provide better value to the organization as a whole.

How do you maintain a healthy balance between your professional and personal life? 

Maintain a healthy support structure in both your personal and professional lives and be sure each support structure understands the importance of having a healthy balance.  Keep as much control over your personal and professional schedules as possible.  Only you can ensure an adequate balance.

Throughout your career, what are the most valuable lessons you’ve learned? 

Work hard and respect people.

What drives your passion for the shipping, and how do you stay motivated in such demanding roles?

The dynamic nature of the global shipping industry is what drives my passion at this late point in my career.  When entering the industry from the US Merchant Marine Academy, the ability to travel to distant places was my first attraction.

What one piece of advice would you offer to someone aspiring to take on a leadership role within the maritime industry or a maritime association? 

Have a plan but be flexible.  What you see as your career path at time 0 may change drastically as time moves forward.  Failure to be flexible could mean a lost opportunity!

Looking back, what advice would you give to your younger self?  

Stay young….it’s tough getting old (er)!!!