Members Spotlight: Danielle Rankin and Pranaya Chakraborty
This month, we’re pleased to introduce you to two young professionals who are members of the SNAME Canadian Atlantic Section and co-hosts of The Big Jib Draw Podcast, a podcast produced by the SNAME Canadian Atlantic Section (CAS) that explores the challenges and triumphs of young professionals in the marine industry.
Steered by curiosity and opportunity
For as long as he can remember, Pranaya Chakraborty has been fascinated by ships — those immense, complex floating machines that defy gravity and unite art, science, and engineering in perfect harmony. What began as youthful curiosity about how ships are built and stay afloat led to the study of Ocean Naval Architecture Engineering at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador and a career in naval architecture.
Today, Chakraborty serves as a Naval Architect Engineer at Fleetway Inc., where he is the Recoverability Lead for the Canadian Surface Combatant Project, one of Canada’s most ambitious and technically advanced naval programs. “You’re not just designing steel and systems,” he reflects. “You’re creating something that operates as one cohesive unit, capable of withstanding the harshest conditions at sea.”
Danielle Rankin shares a similar connection to the sea. The maritime world was always part of her life growing up surrounded by oceans in Burin, Newfoundland. Rankin’s grandfather would take her out fishing, and she was fascinated by the endless possibilities for careers related to the oceans. When Rankin was about 14 years old, she toured the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland Marine Institute in St. John’s and was enamored. She has now earned three degrees from the school and is pursuing a degree in post-secondary education to refine her skills in instructional design and delivery.
Rankin is now the training coordinator at SSI, where she is known for her passion for advancing shipbuilding through innovation, education, and mentorship. Drawing on more than a decade of real-world experience as a marine piping designer, she develops important training initiatives that empower shipbuilders to make the most of SSI’s powerful software solutions.
Finding community and mentorship via SNAME
Since joining SNAME as a student member in 2018, Chakraborty has found that the Society plays an essential role in connecting professionals across the marine and shipbuilding industries. “SNAME has benefited my career by connecting me with stellar professionals in the shipbuilding industry,” he explains. “Hearing their ideas and vision always helps paint a big picture — it pushes you to think beyond your own work and see where the industry is heading.”
Rankin joined SNAME about five years into her career as a piping designer.
“At the time, I didn’t know if I was ‘ready’ for professional groups like this,” she says. “But joining SNAME opened up a whole new world for me.”
Today, Rankin and Chakraborty serve as Young Professional Representatives on the CAS Executive Committee, advocating for the development of new talent and encouraging young professionals to explore non-traditional career paths in shipbuilding. Their work as co-hosts of Big Jib Draw has drawn recognition from SNAME because of their commitment to promoting dialogue, knowledge-sharing, and community within the Society.
Now in its second season, the show features conversations, insights, and stories that aim to inspire and inform the next generation of maritime professionals. The name Big Jib Draw reflects the team’s desire to celebrate East Coast culture. The phrase comes from a Newfoundland blessing meaning “May the wind always be in your forward sails,” a wish for good luck and smooth sailing. (We look forward to featuring the podcast in a future issue.)
Rankin and Chakraborty embody the curiosity, collaboration, and drive that define SNAME’s next generation of maritime professionals. Through their work, mentorship, and The Big Jib Draw, they represent the dynamic energy shaping the future of the CAS as well as the broader global maritime community.
You can find Big Jib Draw here.