When I switched to marine engineering. I just wanted to be by the water!

Ilya Espino de Marotta was appointed Panama Canal Deputy Administrator on February 15, 2019, and took office on January 1, 2020, marking history by being the first woman to hold this position.

She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Marine Engineering from Texas A&M University and a Master’s Degree in Economic Engineering from Universidad Santa María la Antigua in Panama City.

She participated in the Executive Development Program from INCAE Business School and in the Kellogg School of Management of Northwestern University and holds a Project Manager Certification from the Project Management Institute.

Mrs. Espino de Marotta began her Canal career in the Panama Canal in 1985 as the only woman engineer in the Industrial Division shipyard. She recently served as Vice President for Transit Business and as Executive Vice President for Engineering during the Panama Canal Expansion Program.

She decided to work in shipyards or ship design, and that’s what She did.

She said in the ex-interview that her original passion and major was marine biology and She had won a scholarship to study that. But back in 1982 in Panama, marine biology was not a career that would take her where She wanted to go.

added That’s when I switched to marine engineering. I  just wanted to be by the water! – that was my driving force. When I came back to Panama after graduation, I got a job at the Panama Canal in the shipyard, which was perfect as that’s exactly what I had studied. I worked in the shipyard for about four and a half years.

When Ilya Espino de Marotta moved over to head the operations of the Panama Canal, which is the biggest vice presidency She was the first woman to be Vice President for Engineering, the first woman to be Vice President for Operations, and then, since January of this year, the first woman Deputy Administrator

Her original inspiration was Jacques Cousteau. It was he that caught Her imagination. She started scuba diving when she was 16 and told everyone she wanted to be a marine biologist. Realistically marine biology wasn’t feasible as in Panama, but She found something that would keep her by the water. Besides Cousteau, Her parents inspired her with their work ethic, their dedication, and commitment.

that’s her pretty amazing and remarkable career as she said