// PROFILES IN LEADERSHIP

Times have changed. There are so many more women in the industry who are succeeding beyond perhaps even their wildest dreams. We have many women leaders who have shaped and guided their company’ s growth by doing the job fairly, with compassion and strength.

BI: Advice for women in the industry with long-term career aspirations? NC: Don’ t give up. Don’ t let stumbles or slower-than-expected promotions discourage you. Don’ t be afraid to ask for a mentor, for help, for a job path. Don’ t be afraid to fail. Not everything you do will be a success. Own failure, learn from it and move on.

BI: What’ s been your # 1 strategy for professional development and continued success? NC: My strategy is to keep learning. I learn and stay current by attending conferences, trade shows and reading industry publications. One of the most important things I do is surround myself with people who are smarter than me. Learning is not something I have to do, but rather something I want to do. Boredom is never a problem; I’ m aware that there are so many things I don’ t know. I’ ve also learned that exposing myself to younger people has not only helped me grow but often helped them too!

As a leader since her early days, Nancy returned two years ago to her alma mater, Notre Dame, where she received an honorary monogram for her contributions in sports; she served as captain of the sailing team and rowed crew.

have been, in fact, mentoring. Several NMDA members have asked me to speak to new people, often women, about our industry. Some of these conversations have turned into long-term relationships that continue to this day.

There are few things more rewarding than seeing someone you’ ve mentored not only succeed in their job, but flourish!

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BI: What were the challenges you faced in the early phases of your marine industry career as a professional woman and how did you overcome? NC: We used to kid that in the past all the woman at the Miami Boat Show or IBEX would not even fill a whole table if we were to meet for dinner. The challenges included being taken seriously, earning respect for what we could do, and being seen as equals ― not just as women.

From my point of view, the way we overcame these stereotypes and challenges was to not only do the job, but to excel at the job. We proved ourselves time and time again by producing events that were successful. We showed the“ old timers” that we, as women, were not only capable of doing the job, but we were also capable of exceeding the expectations of those we were working for and with.

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2025

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