The annual Women in Marine Panel and Networking Event, sponsored by DF Capital, LA Marine and Haven Knox-Johnston, brought together over 130 attendees, making it the largest Women in Marine event held to date at the Southampton International Boat Show, on Wednesday 24 September.
The event took place at the Quarterdeck Bar & Restaurant overlooking the purpose-built marina. It included a panel discussion that featured contributions from women and men across the marine sector. Topics on the table included leadership, representation, career progression, and the issue of Imposter Syndrome, which was debated in terms of its origins and strategies for addressing it.
Lesley Robinson, CEO of British Marine, opened the session by welcoming attendees, thanking sponsors, and introducing Charlie Scott, major gifts associate at Room to Read. Scott spoke about the charity’s work to support girls’ education and life skills, accompanied by a short film. Women in Marine continues to support this initiative alongside its sister event, Women in the Marine Industry International, scheduled for November at Metstrade.
Nicky Vaux, known as ‘The Boat Princess,’ chaired the panel, which included Captain Claire Thompson (commanding officer, HMS Queen Elizabeth), Sarah Donohue (marine stuntwoman, powerboat champion, conservationist), Claire Abraham (Navico Group, Brunswick Corporation) and Kate O’Sullivan (joint managing director, ADPR). The panel shared perspectives on leadership, representation and personal experiences within the industry.
Reflecting on the session Donohue commented: “It was a privilege to share my journey and to engage with so many passionate people in the audience. The discussions highlighted the importance of resilience, self-belief, and the value of diverse leadership within traditionally male-dominated industries.”
Vaux added: “It was an honour to work with such a fantastic panel of women and to share the stage with leaders whose stories and experiences resonate so strongly. The marine industry offers amazing opportunities, but also unique challenges, and by coming together in conversations like these we can help break down barriers, inspire new voices, and create lasting change.”
Audience members also responded positively. Jazz Turner from Project Fear remarked: “The panel gave such valuable insight – from naval leadership to entrepreneurship – all of it felt relatable and empowering.” Chantelle Norman, who works in the marine finance industry, said: “It was brilliant to network with so many people, women (and men), who are committed to driving change and supporting each other in this industry.”
Lesley Robinson, CEO of British Marine, commented: “This year’s Women in Marine event was our biggest yet, which highlights the growing appetite for conversations around leadership, representation, and creating more opportunities across our industry. The energy in the room was fantastic, and it was inspiring to hear such honest and powerful contributions from our speakers. Events like this remind us how important it is to connect, support, and champion diverse talent across the marine sector.”
The programme also included additional daytime talks covering sailing, powerboating, training and boatbuilding. Speakers included Hannah Diamond, Hannah Brewis, Hannah Mills OBE, Lauren Eatwell, Jazz Turner, Fiona Morgan, Heather Prentice, Judy Evans, Rose Lores, El Rutherford, Jemma Horwood, Emily Pike, Charley Hewett, Belinda Joslin, Thalia Battersby and Lola, a rigger from Swallow Yachts.
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