When Ecuadorian Nathaly Albán takes command of the Celebrity Xploration catamaran, she’ll become the first woman captain in the Galápagos, according to Celebrity Cruises.
With a dozen years of experience sailing throughout the Galápagos, Albán has worked on several ships in the region, joining Celebrity in 2006 as third officer on board the 100-passenger Celebrity Xpedition.
Albán becomes the second woman captain at Celebrity, following Celebrity Summit’s Kate McCue.
‘Empowering strong women and elevating them to deserved leadership roles is a cause that is close to my heart, and one that Celebrity Cruises truly values,’ said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, president and ceo. ‘When the opportunity presented itself to promote Nathaly—who radiates passion and love for her job and for Celebrity—to captain, the decision was easy.’
Albán was one of six women in her graduating class at La Escuela de la Marina Mercante Nacional in Ecuador. Prior to graduating, she held a variety of roles in the maritime industry, most notably serving in the FLOPEC tanker fleet of the Ecuadorian Navy. Following her graduation, Albán worked on several ships in the region, including Celebrity Xpedition.
Celebrity’s Patrik Dahlgren, svp global marine operations, said Albán was ‘the ideal candidate for the job, and we believe in celebrating and advancing our brightest talent.’
He added: ‘Our goal is to attract, develop and retain the best people from many different regions of the world and backgrounds. Our industry has typically been very male-dominated, yet we believe in inclusiveness and opening up opportunities for all.’
Albán called her appointment a ‘great honor and privilege,’ adding: ‘I told my family many times that I would be wearing white one day and be the first woman to serve as a captain of a ship in the Galápagos. Now it’s happening and I’m committed to delivering the very best experience for all guests on board.’
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Source: TravelPulse Canada
