Mara DuVernois
Mara DuVernois is a dedicated maritime professional serving as Tender Manager at Resolve Marine, where she oversees complex salvage, wreck removal, and offshore operations worldwide. She has been working professionally in the maritime field for about six years since graduation, with nearly a decade of experience including undergraduate internships. Mara began her career as a naval architect, focusing on engineering, but naturally expanded into estimating, commercial work, and contracting, leading to her current role. Her work spans from engineering office planning to site visits around the globe, including Africa, and contract negotiations in London. She has contributed to high-profile projects such as the Baltimore Bridge collapse salvage operation and Antarctic tanker resupply missions, gaining firsthand experience with marine operations on every continent.
A graduate of Webb Institute with a Bachelor of Science in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, Mara is currently pursuing her MBA at the University of Florida - Warrington College of Business, further enhancing her leadership and strategic capabilities. Over the past year as Tender Manager, she has led teams in navigating technical, logistical, and commercial challenges, blending hands-on engineering expertise with strategic project oversight. Her work emphasizes safety, efficiency, and innovative problem-solving, reflecting a holistic approach to global maritime operations.
Mara is deeply engaged in the maritime community, serving as Education Committee Chair for the American Salvage Association, Florida Regional Coordinator for Webb Institute, and an active member of WISTA USA. In December 2025, she was honored as a Top Woman in Maritime by Marine Log, a milestone highlighting her leadership and impact within the industry. Passionate about mentorship and professional development, Mara combines technical expertise with strategic insight to drive excellence in maritime operations worldwide.
• Forklift Certification
• Transportation Worker Identification Credential
• OSHA 40 Hour HAZWOPER
• Advanced Marine Firefighting
• Basic Marine Firefighting
• First Aid and CPR
• Open Water Diver
• Merchant Mariner Credential
• Webb Institute - BS, Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
• Top Woman in Maritime - December 2024
• WISTA (Women's International Shipping and Trade Association)
• SNAME (Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers)
• Webb Institute Alumni - Regional Coordinator
• Women's International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA)
• American Salvage Association
• Women Offshore
What do you attribute your success to?
I think that to boil it down to one thing, it would be just drive, essentially. Just waking up and having the work ethic, coming in as the first one in the office and the last one to leave, and just wanting to soak up everything as a sponge. I mean, I think it's just the drive to want to improve and learn from those around me. I received some advice before I even started my professional experience that said, you know, be the first one in, be the last one out, ask the questions, and you don't necessarily need to speak up and always offer your opinion, but be there, be present, and just take it in, essentially. There's a limited amount of time in the day, but be there and take it in as much as you can.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best piece of advice that I received was basically show up and be present. I received some advice before I even started my professional experience that said, you know, be the first one in, be the last one out. Ask the questions, and you don't necessarily need to speak up and always offer your opinion, but be there, be present, and just take it in, essentially. There's a limited amount of time in the day, but be there and take it in as much as you can.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell them to just be a sponge. Just take advantage of every opportunity that you have and learn things that maybe you didn't wake up that morning thinking that you were going to learn about a certain piece of equipment or a certain side of the business. I think you're always surrounded by incredibly knowledgeable and experienced people, and just be a sponge, take it in. Even if it has nothing to do with your job, you're gonna take a lot out of learning everything you can.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I would say the biggest challenge is definitely bringing up the next generation. My industry is very old-fashioned, or maybe a few decades behind would be another way to put it, but the challenge is to bring up the next generation and empower them with all these tools that take a lot of time to develop and are really experience-based. As for opportunities, I think there's an incredible opportunity in maritime to grow because there's such a variety of problems and challenges in the industry every day. I think that there is a great opportunity for a driven person to just find something and go, be incredible and be the expert at it. When you look around and you see there's 10 salvage naval architects in the entire world, you can be the best at something. You can take something and really run it, and I think the opportunity's really there for driven people to prove themselves and take their own initiative on whatever may come up.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I think there's a million values that could be important. Of course, commitment is a massive one. You also have to hold yourself to integrity, but at the end of the day, I think above all, it's the teamwork value. Valuing that side of things is gonna always drive you to do better and make your team better and strive for doing that. Trust is massive, especially in the maritime industry where people's lives are at risk. We've got fires and dangerous situations. If I can't trust the team, and if the team can't work together, then you don't have much to go off of, that's for sure.