On 2 December 1974, a handful of women brokers involved in the tanker market from Germany, the Netherlands and the UK met for a Christmas lunch at the Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese in London UK.
In 1981, the first conference of “Ladies in Shipping” took place in Hamburg.
In 1984, when the conference was held in Stockholm, it was decided to change the name to Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association, WISTA.