I PROFILE INTERVIEW I
Meet Cecilie Heuch LIN B. KARSTEN
© DNV GL
ABOUT YOURSELF IN BRIEF I live in Jong, Sandvika, but am originally from Høvik. I am married and have two children, who are not really kids anymore: the youngest, Jørgen, is in the military in Kirkenes. He has not yet decided what he will do after military service. Nora, the oldest, is studying economics in London and has lived in England for the past four years. So, right now, I suffer a little from what I tend to call ”empty nest syndrome”, when your children have left home. It’s been a transition. I visited Nora in London recently, and it was a very pleasant experience. I have also studied and worked abroad for 11 years, before I joined DNV GL. WHAT KIND OF PROFESSIONAL SKILLS AND WORK EXPERIENCE DO YOU HAVE? It started when I took my second year of high school in France and learned the language quite well. It came in handy when I later studied economics and political science in Paris for four years. After that, I took a master’s degree at
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the London School of Economics, and then started working for Norsk Hydro, where I worked with economics, marketing and strategy. I worked in Norway for the first six years and then transferred to Italy, where I was responsible for business development in the Italian fertilizer market. During that time, I worked with development of new products and agronomic services, together with the research and production units. I became line manager for the first time as a 27 year old, and I have headed units and projects ever since. I started to work for DNV GL in 2004. My first job in DNV GL was as an internal consultant in the Learning unit. I worked with strategy development for several business areas, and with HR projects related to management training and competency mapping. It was through my work in Learning that I built a large international network, which I’ve benefited greatly from over the years. In May 2006, I was appointed the Chief HR Officer, the role I have in DNV GL today.
WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU ARE NOT AT WORK? I try to exercise a few times a week. Last year, I ran my first marathon, but I think from now on I’m going to settle for slightly shorter distances. I regularly sign up for different runs. The next one is Råskinnet which is a cross country race, both for highly trained runners and for people like me whose goal is to finish. It is a race that involves a lot of mud and cold water. I have also participated in the Fornebuløpet, which I ran together with several people from DNV GL. In addition, I meet colleagues in Sørkedalsløpet and Sentrumsløpet, and I have also participated in DNV GL teams in the Holmenkollstafetten relay race. I also like to travel, especially with my family. And, when time allows, I like to read, pretty much everything except crime, both nonfiction and fiction. I also try to read and maintain the languages I learned when I was in France and Italy. Attending concerts is also something I like to do – from opera to rock.