29 May 2026, Hong Kong: Wallem Group, a leading global maritime partner, has won the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA) Maritime Diversity Award 2026, in recognition of its Women of Wallem (WoW) initiative and its commitment to the International Maritime Organization’s Adopt a Ship programme.
The Award has been given to Capt. Ceferino Leal, President of the Philippines-based seafarer agency Wallem-Westminster, in acknowledgement of his leadership role in both programmes.
The Maritime Diversity Award recognises Wallem as an equal opportunities employer which ensures the human rights of its seagoing and shore-based staff are protected, their dignity is respected and their voices are heard.
Women of Wallem (WoW) is a core element of Wallem’s diversity and inclusion strategy. The scheme is run by shore staff in collaboration with relatives of seafarers as a non-profit organisation to provide family members of Wallem crew with emotional and financial support while their loved ones are serving at sea.
WoW volunteers organise activities to help seafarers’ families build and maintain a support network based on meaningful interactions across nine chapters operating in various seafaring communities.
The Award recognised Capt. Ceferino Leal’s role as an active leader of the WoW scheme, whose close involvement in the Philippines has maintained a supportive environment for families by ensuring shore-based and seagoing personnel engage in open and friendly interactions.
“The WoW initiative gives seafarers peace of mind that their family members are being looked after while they are away, helping them to concentrate fully on their jobs,” Capt. Leal said. “This has a positive impact on the safety and efficiency of operations,” he added.
Capt. Leal has also taken oversight of Wallem Westminster’s partnering with the Adopt a Ship programme from 2023 as part of his dedication to advancing gender equality in maritime.
Adopt A Ship is a maritime awareness scheme endorsed by institutions including the United Nations (UN), the IMO and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS). It is tailored for elementary students aged 9-12 (Grades 4-6) to promote gender diversity and encourage more women to join the maritime industry.
Wallem’s share of female seafarers has almost doubled in the last decade, while women make up 45% of its shore-based teams. The group’s diverse and culturally inclusive seagoing workforce comprises crew members from India, the Philippines, China, Indonesia, Angola, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Russia, Bangladesh, Romania, Pakistan and more.
RINA’s Maritime Diversity Award is sponsored by BP to recognise the contribution by any individual, company or organisation to increasing equality, diversity and inclusion in the maritime industry.
A message from John Rowley, CEO, Wallem Group, on IMO’s International Day for Women in Maritime 2026
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