Engineer Ilya Espino de Marotta took office today, Monday, September 7, 2026, as Administrator of the Panama Canal for the 2026–2033 term. The ceremony formalized an orderly leadership transition and marked the beginning of a new administration leading the institution. With more than four decades of service, Espino de Marotta becomes the first woman to hold the Panama Canal’s highest executive position. “Forty-one years ago, I came here to learn. Today, it is my turn to lead, but my conviction remains exactly the same; to serve Panama with honesty, discipline, and profound respect for this institution,” Espino de Marotta said. “My commitment is to remain focused on efficiency, transparency, and ethics, because every dollar we manage at the Canal belongs to Panama, and that is how we will treat it,” she added. “I accept this appointment with a profound sense of duty and with absolute confidence in the people who make it possible to run the Canal every day.” Espino de Marotta assumes the role of Administrator following a career spanning the Canal’s technical, operational, and executive areas. She began her career in 1985 as a marine engineer and the only female engineer at the shipyard of what was originally the Industrial Division. She later worked in the Engineering Section of the Dredging Division, the Mechanical Engineering Section of the Engineering Division, and the Accounting Division, where she served as a valuation engineer. She also served as coordinator of the Maritime Operations Department’s Investment Program and was a member of the Canal Master Plan Coordination Team. She also worked in the Program Development Office and served as executive manager of Resource Administration and Project Controls. Later, she served as Executive Vice President for Engineering and Program Management where she played a key role in the execution and completion of the Panama Canal Expansion Program, which is one of the most significant engineering and management undertakings i