Otiwaise: Marine Supervisor
Otiwaise (Otix), Marine Supervisor for the PNG LNG Marine Terminal is living proof that ambition and training can take you anywhere you want to go.
A typical highlands kid from Yasubi village amidst the Okapa ranges, Otix never thought he would end up in a senior maritime role responsible for loading LNG onto custom built LNG carriers.
As a child, Otix had a different perspective on things to his friends and believes that played a part in where he is today and sparked his interest in the marine world.
After graduating from Aiyura National High School in 1996, Otix was accepted to study Computer Science at the University of Technology but instead decided to apply for a Mooring Master Cadetship Program which he started in 1998.
A year later he completed a six-month basic seamanship training course at the PNG Maritime College, and then went to sea to complete his required sea time.
At sea he spent his time on product tankers and crude oil carriers that loaded in the Middle East and discharged on the east and west coasts of the US which included Los Angeles, San Francisco, Hawaii and Philadelphia.
A few years after that he returned to the Maritime College to complete a Certificate of Competency, Mate Class 3.
Between 2005 and 2011 he worked for two multinational companies where he conducted quantity surveys on the liquids discharged from the ships to the shore terminals in the different ports in PNG. He was also involved in the training and certification of tanker discharge officers.
One year later he joined ExxonMobil PNG as a Marine Technician before taking his current role of Marine Supervisor.
His advice to young people who have just graduated from school, college or university is to be flexible and ready to adapt to new roles and responsibilities.
He believes the most important thing in any role is to understand what must be done, how to do it and why it is done that way.