Award winning Grangemouth Port star Ashley is riding on the crest of a wave

Ashley, who comes from Larbert, won the prestigious Women in Industry prize at Centre for Engineering Education and Development Industry Awards 2020.

The senior harbour master is part of the marine team at Forth Ports which manages and operates an area of 280 square miles of navigable waters on the River Forth and the River Tay, including two specialised marine terminals for oil and gas export.

Through her role at Forth Ports and her vice president post with the UK Harbour Masters Association (UKHMA) – the first woman to ever hold the role – Ashley is helping to drive the change required to ensure a more gender diverse workforce within the maritime sector.

She said: “I am extremely proud to win this award and I hope it sets a positive example for other women in the maritime industry. I have progressed my career into areas and roles never previously held by women, challenging the standards and leading by example, fully supported by Forth Ports.

“Along with the current industry campaigns like Maritime and Me, there is now real momentum to deliver change and help inspire other women to excel and influence the development of the industry.”

Ashley and her two colleagues from the marine team have committed to supporting the Maritime and Me campaign launched recently by Maritime UK with the aim of encouraging women to join the industry which has been so good to her.

Celebrating the award success, Jackie Anderson, Forth Ports HR manager, said: “We are all thrilled for Ashley and we congratulate her on this well-deserved award. At Forth Ports, we are committed to building an employment culture that actively supports and celebrates gender diversity, at all levels, throughout our organisation and throughout our industry.”

Awards are nothing new to Ashley – she won a Scottish Engineering Hammermen of Glasgow Award back in 2016 for the part she played in managing the marine operations during the construction of the new Queensferry Crossing in the River Forth.