Julie Lithgow has been awarded an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the British New Year’s Honours List for services to diversity in the maritime sector.
Lithgow, director of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (ICS), is among several shipping names to be recognised in the 2020 list.
Lithgow, who is active in promoting diversity in shipping through industry groups, said: “This OBE was conferred for services to diversity. The Women in Maritime task force and the Women in Maritime Charter are the results of an army of women and men across our industry who are stepping up to an issue that goes from grass roots to boardroom and not shying away from looking at all the root causes, large and small, from PPE to parental leave.
Within this group of exceptionally hard-working, practically-minded and unfailingly enthusiastic people I found a place to express my worries, and a forum to have my own biases challenged, and a source of endless optimism for our industry.”
Also recognised in the New Year's Honours list are Alison Kentuck, receiver of the wreck for the UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency, who was given a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to salvage.
Dr Kevin Fewster, who handed over his position as director of Royal Museums Greenwich to former Euronav chief executive Paddy Rogers earlier this year, was given the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to maritime history.
