Francesca Sannazaro and Pablo Pérez Assume Presidency and Secretary Roles of the Maritime Institute of Iquique’s Business Advisory Council

Francesca Sannazzaro, AGUNSA's Regional Manager for Arica-Iquique, and Pablo Pérez, AGUNSA's Area Manager for Arica-Iquique, took on a new professional challenge on August 9 after being elected President and Secretary, respectively, of the Business Advisory Council of the Almirante Carlos Condell Maritime Institute.

This partnership aims to strengthen the connection between the educational sector and the productive industry, generating mutual benefits for both parties. While students develop skills aligned with industry demands, companies gain access to local talent prepared to address the sector's challenges.

In this way, the region strengthens its growth potential in strategic areas such as port operations, logistics, and mining, fostering an ecosystem where education, experience, and opportunities contribute to the sustainable development of Tarapacá.

According to Francesca Sannazzaro, “This new challenge reaffirms AGUNSA's commitment to the education, development, and employability of young people in our region, strengthening the link between technical and vocational education and the real needs of the maritime, port, and logistics industries.”

In her role as President of the Business Advisory Council, she noted that AGUNSA seeks to contribute its industry expertise by bringing students closer to the working world and promoting learning opportunities, professional internships, and greater exposure to the operational areas that make up the industry.

In this context, companies across the sector face the challenge of continuing to foster more inclusive workplaces capable of attracting and developing diverse talent, creating professional growth opportunities for all individuals.

The participation of women in the maritime and port industry has shown steady growth in recent years, particularly in areas that have historically had lower female representation. This progress contributes to enriching work teams and strengthening an organizational culture based on diversity, collaboration, and respect.

For students of the Almirante Carlos Condell Maritime Institute, this reality opens up new development opportunities within a dynamic and constantly evolving industry. Career paths span multiple disciplines, including port operations, logistics, technology, maintenance, risk prevention, management, and maritime services, enabling new generations to build long-term professional careers with significant growth potential.

For his part, Pablo Pérez highlighted that, in addition to these initiatives, “we will continue to promote visits to our operations, expand professional internship opportunities, deliver employability workshops, and carry out activities focused on fostering a culture of respect and safety. We will also continue developing the Meet AGUNSA and Its Subsidiaries program, recognizing technical talent, and implementing new initiatives that may emerge through collaboration with the Business Advisory Council and its working groups.”

Strengthening the relationship between educational institutions and businesses creates more and better opportunities for future generations. By developing local talent, it is possible to build a specialized workforce capable of supporting the growth and competitiveness of the region's key industries.

Sannazzaro concluded: “Our purpose is to help students develop their skills, discover new opportunities, and envision their professional future within the region, generating local talent for the industries that drive the development of Tarapacá.”