Host: Annik Sobing

Guest: Laura DiBella, Chair, Federal Maritime Commission
Published: May 2026
Length: ~27 minutes
Presented by: Global Training Center

From Resilience to Maritime Leadership

Annik Sobing sits down with Laura DiBella for a deeply personal and inspiring conversation about leadership, resilience, and the path that brought her to the Federal Maritime Commission. Laura shares how her upbringing as a first-generation American, her family’s financial hardships, and the loss of her brother shaped her values and her drive to serve. The conversation also explores her career journey through real estate, economic development, ports, and maritime leadership, as well as what the industry needs now to move forward with clarity and support.

Who This Episode Is Valuable For
This episode is especially valuable for young professionals who are still figuring out their path and want to hear how resilience, adaptability, and being open to unexpected opportunities can shape a career. Laura’s story is also meaningful for leaders in her position or anyone at a senior level, because it offers a reminder of where they came from and how personal experience can influence the way they lead, serve, and make decisions.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Laura’s early life
Laura talks about her Sicilian family background, the example her parents set, and how watching her father build a business from nothing shaped her understanding of hard work and perseverance. She also opens up about the hardships her family faced during the early 1990s recession.

How adversity shaped her path
The episode explores how personal loss and financial instability influenced Laura’s outlook on life and service. She explains how running, school, and later work became ways to channel that energy into something productive and meaningful.

Career growth across industries
Laura traces her path from real estate into economic development, then into port leadership, maritime work, and ultimately her current role at the FMC. Her story shows how one opportunity can lead naturally into the next when you stay open to learning and growth.

What maritime needs now
Laura gives a clear message that the maritime industry needs coordinated support, policy clarity, and real follow-through. She emphasizes that maritime priorities should not be stalled by politics and need urgent attention because of their impact on economic and national security.

Why her story resonates
The conversation is honest, thoughtful, and personal, making it one of the most memorable episodes of the show. Laura’s openness about her past and her willingness to keep showing up for the industry make this a powerful listen for anyone in trade or logistics.

Credits
Host: Annik Sobing
Guest: Laura DiBella
Presented by: Global Training Center

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