Group CEO Global Virtual Roadshow

TEXT: ULRIKE HAUGEN

Chief Communications Officer Ulrike Haugen tells us about the background and planning of the Group CEO’s Global Virtual Roadshow.

“I know that Remi is passionate about meeting customers and colleagues around the world. That’s why he travels a lot. With planned trips, meetings, and events cancelled, and international travel almost impossible, we realized that it could take several months before Remi could visit customers and colleagues in other locations and countries again. We came up with the idea to send him on a Global Virtual Roadshow instead,” says Ulrike Haugen.

Like most colleagues in DNV GL, Remi Eriksen continued his activities through video meetings when travel restrictions kicked in. The Group Communications team proposed to plan a Global Virtual Roadshow to allow our Group CEO to continue to be close to customers and employees and to show that COVID-19 would not stop him from representing DNV GL around the world.

Ulrike gave us some insights into the planning. “Within a few days and through a collaboration between Group Communications and the CEO office with Maria Gullhav and Ellen Beck Pedersen, we managed to set up a plan for Remi to visit one country per week until the summer and beyond. Remi was of course also part of our planning meetings. He will ’visit’ a new country each week and meet with customers and DNV GL colleagues.”

The team has set itself a goal to arrange at least 2-3 customer video meetings, one virtual roundtable with the Country Chair and regional managers, and one video meeting with a group of employees each week. The advantage of the virtual roadshow is that Remi will be able to visit more countries than he could have visited under normal circumstances.

Ahead of his first stop in China Remi Eriksen said: ”I usually spend a significant part of my time joining colleagues for meetings with customers. This gives me the opportunity to support the organization in building close relationships with key customers at senior level, and it gives me important insights about changing customers’ needs. I don’t know when I will be able to join meetings and helping to connect Remi with customers and colleagues.

customer visits in person again, so I am looking forward to my virtual roadshow.”

So far he has “travelled” to Singapore, Germany and Greece. If you want to find out which countries he will visit next, please follow Remi on Yammer. He will share insights from each trip on Yammer and refer to some of his meetings in his CEO videos.

I usually spend a significant part of my time joining colleagues for meetings with customers. This gives me the opportunity to support the organization in building close relationships with key customers at senior level, and it gives me important insights about changing customers’ needs.

Group President & CEO Remi Eriksen

The team would like to thank the Country Chairs, Regional Managers and colleagues around the world for setting up supporting our Maritime customers in China and around the world, and recent joint achievements with key customers in China. Other speakers included Hu Jintao, the Director of Science and Technology in SDARI and Chairman of DNV GL Greater China Technical Committee, Director of China COSCO Shipping Group and Chairman of DNV GL Greater China Committee Sun Jiakang, and DNV GL – Maritime Regional Manager Norbert Kray. Remi witnessed virtually the ceremony at which DNV GL and Nantong CIMC Sinopacific Offshore

INSIGHTS INTO DISCUSSIONS WITH CUSTOMERS AND COLLEAGUES IN CHINA, NORWAY AND SINGAPORE

CHINA: At his first destination of Global Virtual Roadshow, Remi Eriksen met (via Teams) important Chinese maritime executives at the first Maritime VIP Workshop held on 21 April in Shanghai. Remi talked about DNV GL’s response to the COVID-19 crisis, how we are

& Engineering Company (CIMC SOE) signed an agreement for classification of 3+2 LPG carriers for German shipowner Hartmann.

The regional managers shared the general sentiment from their BA, from the external customers’ perspective and from colleagues. They noted that colleagues are happy to be back in the offices and that business is approaching normal activity.

”My visit to Shanghai was very positive. It was good to see and hear that things are approaching normal, sales and revenue generation are good, and that there are plans for picking up what we have lost during the lockdown. This all gives me hope for life after COVID-19. Thank you and keep up the good work!” said Remi Eriksen.

NORWAY: Remi Eriksen joined virtual meetings with customers in Norway during the second week of his roadshow. The customers are very pleased with our deliveries, especially our digital capabilities and our ability to find good solutions to key issues. A Maritime customer talked about normal operating conditions, except for challenges related to change of crew. An Oil and Gas customer reported increased costs to keep the wheels turning – these were costs related to infection control measures. On top of that, the earnings are a lot lower because of the significant oil price drop. At the same time, there is increased activity in offshore renewables, and they are actively seeking opportunities there.

SINGAPORE: The next stop on the virtual roadshow was Singapore. Remi Eriksen met with the regional managers of all five business areas and discussed the market situation, and the actions being taken to mitigate the potential drop in revenue. They said that our customers are also facing tough times. Most, if not all, are challenged on their cost of operations, so they are challenging service providers too. But there are also new projects coming up and we are well positioned to win them. We get positive feedback on our expertise, which can add value if applied in the right way. So, we need to be even clearer on how we can add value for customers – it is not only about cost.

A highlight of the visit was the presentation of the Singapore Floating Power Hub project, which will meet the increased energy demand and power fluctuations, as well as the drive to be greener. The project is doing a technical and economic analysis of a potential 2GW floating power hub with solar + hydrogen to complement gas as the energy supply. This project is a very good example of cross-BA and cross-regional cooperation, as well as how partnering with other companies is giving us new and exciting opportunities.

GERMANY: In Germany Remi Eriksen “met” with five customers, including MV Werften, Reederei Hartmann, E.ON, RWE and EnBW. For his insights on these customer meetings please take a look at his Yammer posts.

I don’t know when I will be able to join customer visits in person again, so I am looking forward to my virtual roadshow.