At just 36 years of age, this Lake Maggiore operations captain rose up through the ranks to the apex of internal waters navigational office
At just 36 years of age Federico Suman has already reached the apex of his career, having risen rapidly through the ranks and taken on increasingly ambitious posts. “I joined Navigazione Laghi in 2016,” says Suman, “having worked for three years in a seasonal capacity and learnt the ropes in the usual way, on the ground, on the quay and at the ticket office. Once I had a regular contract, I worked my way up the ranks to deckhand and ticket officer and then got my helmsman licence, working as acting helmsman at both Arona and Intra, and then passed the theory and practical examination for the role of captain, the highest rank.”
It was an impeccable, obstacle-free journey that enabled Suman to measure up to, and learn a great deal from, various enthusiastic and expert crew member, many of whom have now retired. “The helmsmen, machinists and other people I worked with during my formative years gave me a great deal,” says Suman, “and I feel very lucky indeed for the opportunities working with these people gave me.”
Suman’s is a job which requires concentration, constant attention and a powerful sense of responsibility: no detail can be ignored, no distraction is allowable. In fact, a captain’s job requires an all-round vision in which technical skills must be interwoven with a further fundamental requirement, empathy. “Doing a good job requires paying attention to the human side of the job, pursuing synergy in the team. It is with the captain that ultimate responsibility lies but he or she can do nothing without the support of the rest of the crew, by which I mean the deckhand, the helmsman and the ticket officer.” It’s truly a privilege for Suman to be captain: the beauty of his lake workplace setting makes all the stresses and strains of the job worthwhile: “Setting my alarm at 3.40 am, working on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays – all this is certainly a sacrifice”, says Suman, who is married and has two children, “but with all these beauties around me I consider myself very lucky. And special thanks go to my family, too. It is also thanks to them that I’m where I am today.”
