Born in Minneapolis and raised in South Florida, Shani Atapattu grew up watching her father, Ron, lead and manage Overseas Cargo, Inc. (ShipOCI) from a distance.   After double majoring in business/marketing and finance and receiving her Masters of Arts in International Administration from the University of Miami, Shani finally had the opportunity to join her father at ShipOCI in 2008 where she started as an analyst. She has since worked her way up to become Vice President, joining the ten percent of women in the logistics sector in top management positions.

As vice president and head of the Miami office, Shani manages many of the day-to-day business operations including overseeing production, projects and sales, assuring quality customer service, reaching company benchmarks and monitoring the progress of employees. Shani is an advocate for women in the workforce and plays a personal role in ensuring young women’s success at ShipOCI.

As a woman in a predominantly male industry, Shani brings a unique perspective to the company, which helped her develop ShipOCI’s distinctive software for the processing and tracking of purchase orders. Shani has also had a hand in the creation of sister brands, TruckOCI, Astar Suppliers and Star Warehouse, to expand and diversify the company’s business portfolio for a multifaceted approach.

As the second generation leading ShipOCI, Shani believes that a positive work atmosphere is vital to employee long-term happiness and ShipOCI’s success.  She ensures that the company culture is open minded, in which an employee idea can springboard the next company initiative.  Shani also takes the time to organize potluck lunches to celebrate holidays and bring employees together. When Shani isn’t working she enjoys traveling and boating with her family, which includes her beloved dog Biggie.