Meet Gabi Wuister, Office Manager, ABL South Africa
Give us a glimpse into your day-to-day life at ABL. What keeps you on your toes?
At ABL, no two days are ever the same, and that’s exactly what keeps me on my toes. As the Office Manager, I’m constantly juggling a mix of responsibilities.
My daily tasks are very divergent, admin, HR, emissions, project set up and management, HSE etc.
Can you tell us about your journey at ABL – from how you started to where you are now? What have been some key moments along the way?
From humble beginnings in very small offices near the Cape Town Harbour (then still Braemar Technical Services), where I held the position of accounts/everything person, we grew into Aqualisbraemar, then to ABL South Africa, with a staff of 10.
The path has been challenging but interesting! Initially, one of the most interesting parts was “meeting” (via email or teams), various colleagues from every office all over the world. Particularly the UK offices at the beginning. Relationships were forged out of need and sometimes desperation to learn new systems and adapt to our growing entity. The support was incredible!
A key moment for me was attending training in Dubai many years ago and meeting the team there. A wonderful experience I will never forget!
Can you tell us about an exciting project you are working on right now?
I believe our next new “project” will be growing our Namibian office. It’s exciting to be part of the growth of this new region. Dying to get up there!
What’s one lesson you’ve learned over the past decade that has shaped your career?
One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned over the past decade is the importance of agility/adaptability. The more you learn the more you have to offer and the more interesting your job becomes.
Beyond the work, what’s your favourite part about being part of the ABL Group team in South Africa?
A particularly fun time I recall was one of our year-end functions, where we all became pirates for a night on the Jolly Rodger. Great fun dressing up and sailing through Table Bay and watching the sun set!
In celebration of South Africa’s Women’s Month, what message or inspiration would you like to share with women pursuing leadership roles in the industry?
To woman stepping into leadership, I would say: Your journey will come with challenges, but lead with strength and empathy. Each step forward paves the way for others. Believe in yourself and your worth and never underestimate the power of resilience!
More about Gabi
Position: Office Manager
Office: ABL South Africa – Cape Town
Hobbies: Horse Riding, reading, gardening, walking my wonderful dog Titan (Rhodesian Ridgeback)
ABL brings together the deepest pool of multi-disciplinary expertise to support all areas of shipping, from early advisory and technical due diligence, navigational planning, early engineering, vessel design and modifications, through to operations, with surveys, inspections and audits as well as world-class marine warranty survey, to supporting in the minimising of losses with marine casualty management, salvage and wreck removal, and expert witness work.