Hamilton’s journey illustrates the magnetic pull of the shipping industry. “I entered the industry some years ago in sales. I remember someone saying to me early on,‘You will either fall in love with shipping or you will hate it so much that you will leave and never come back,’” she recalls. After seven years, she did leave, but the industry’s hold proved stronger than expected.“Even though I was gone, I was never really gone. I was always trying to find out what was happening in the industry.” Johnston provides crucial support for Hamilton’s leadership at Jamaica Freight. “She’s doing a great job. She’s had to hold her own,” Johnston observes, adding context about the challenging environment: “She’s in a very male-dominant industry.”This mutual support between the two female CEOs creates a powerful dynamic in Jamaica’s shipping sector, where women increasingly drive innovation and growth. FROM PANDEMIC GROWTH TO MODERN CHALLENGES The COVID-19 pandemic produced unexpected results for Jamaica’s shipping sector. “What was surprising—well, I don’t think it was surprising—most companies in the shipping industry saw significant 22 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 12, ISSUE 06
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