Marine Queensland elects first female Vice-President

2:53 AM Wed 15 Apr 2009 GMT

'Marine Queensland Vice-President Sharon Russell.' Denby Browning Click Here to view large photo

Riviera Syndication co-founder Sharon Russell has been elected Vice-President of Marine Queensland.

Sharon is the first woman to be elected to the Board of the State organisation and the first in Australia.

Marine Queensland President Barry Jenkins said: 'I am delighted that Sharon has been elevated to the position of Vice-President of Marine Queensland.

'Having contributed so much over the past years, there is now an opportunity to make her mark and bring a feminine perspective to the business.

'It's an honour for Queensland to have the first woman in Australia to be elected to this post in the recreational marine industry. Teaming up with re-elected Chris Grice in the role of Treasurer and working closely with MQ CEO Don Jones, I'm sure there will be great outcomes delivered by Sharon.'

Sharon has been involved in the boating industry for the past 10 years but has been involved in boating since she was a teenager. She comes from the Waggott family, well known for high-performance engine building. Not surprisingly, her early boating experiences revolved around racing.

'I qualified for a boat licence on my 17th birthday and received a boat racing licence the next day so that I could enter my first race,' says Sharon.

As Marine Queensland Vice-President, Sharon is working to bring the industry issues to the attention of State Government Ministers.

'I believe a woman may have a real opportunity to cut through to get action on a range of issues that face our industry,' she says.

Her other priority will be to raise the profile of women working in the marine industry.

Sharon began work with John Russell at John Crawford Marine in 1995 and the couple founded Boatshare in 1999. In 2007 they formed a joint venture with Riviera to launch Riviera Syndication.

Sharon was elected as a director to the board of what was then the Queensland Boating Industry Association in 2006.

Sharon and John Russell have been married for 10 years, have six children, with four still living at home.

'And life is very busy,' she says proudly.

More information: www.rivierasyndication.com.au

by Denby Browning

Newsfeed supplied by

#News #Sailing #Boating

Marine Queensland elects first female Vice-President

Sports/News

Weather Forecasts & Live Reports

Buy & Sell/Classifieds