NEW MAN AT THE HELM

Korssjøen feels privileged to be stepping down at a time when everything is running so smoothly for KONGSBERG. Meanwhile, he immediately shares the credit. "Our achievements are a result of the hard work of many talented employees over many years, combined with their willingness to strive for continuous improvement, and positive market trends. The fact that large parts of our advancement are not entirely market driven means that our success is likely to continue", comments Korssjøen.

Exciting and challenging future

The new CEO is both eager and excited about the tasks before him and, like Korssjøen, he firmly believes the Group will continue to make progress.

"Things have gone smoothly for the Group for a long time. Inasmuch as markets will invariably fluctuate somewhat, ultimately, our underlying expertise and professionalism will determine our long-term possibilities. KONGSBERG rests on a strong foundation and is well positioned for further growth. Our strong results are supported by a long history featuring the development of technology, world-class products and a fantastic competence base. Combined with the seasoned international sales networks KONGSBERG has in different markets, I believe we have laid the foundation for further progress", maintains Qvam.

Strongest growth abroad

Both Korssjøen and Qvam point out that relative growth in terms of sales and staff will be strongest outside Norway.

"We have become far more international in recent years. A growing percentage of our value creation has been moved closer to our customers, enabling us to strengthen customer relations further.

"In the years ahead, I believe an even greater share of the value chain will be distributed. We will do more in more places. A prime example is the production of the PROTECTOR Remote Weapon Station (RWS). We have set up production lines in Johnstown, Pennsylvania (USA). We see this as a proactive move to provide faster customer service, at the same time as we are positioning ourselves relative to future opportunities in the world's largest defence market.

"Asia has been another geographical focal point for us in recent years. The strategy is the same: proactive positioning relative to the world's largest shipbuilding market. Accordingly, it is profoundly important and right that we continue to internationalise the Group. This will contribute to KONGSBERG's long-term development trend, benefiting our customers as well as our employees", underlines Korssjøen.

"I agree with Korssjøen that it is absolutely essential that KONGSBERG's operations be distributed across different locations. We must be close to the action to pick up signals from customers and markets if we are to maintain our position as a technological leader. Technology is developing more rapidly than before and new solutions are often developed in cooperation with the customer. Moreover, increased globalisation is leading to the development of global resource centres and KONGSBERG may also benefit from being associated with them", Qvam points out.

Combining technologies

"I believe that innovation and product development must invariably rest on two very robust platforms: We must have the best expertise and technical knowledge, and our products and systems must always be developed with the market and the customer in mind", remarks Qvam. "We must constantly search for new areas of application, for new ways to add value for the customer and for new and smarter models for cooperation", he adds.

Korssjøen agrees completely. "KONGSBERG is a user of technology. We possess a wide range of technologies, and our strength lies in our ability to take knowledge from different sources and combine it to make products that meet market needs", continues Korssjøen.

"The very definition of innovation involves taking an idea and developing it into a commercial product which generates revenues. Many companies stumble and fall before achieving commercialisation. KONGSBERG is good at this, however. In fact, I suspect that very few, if any, Norwegian technology enterprises are better at this than KONGSBERG", says Qvam.

Important to have leaders who take responsibility for processes

"Those who work for knowledge enterprises must be involved in the development of the enterprise and they have a great deal to contribute. An inclusive style of management is therefore a prerequisite for dealing successfully with the challenges facing KONGSBERG. This is not merely a question of recruiting the right employees. We also want to retain the talent we have, and ensure that employees feel they are developing better with us than they could with other companies. KONGSBERG has done well in this area so far, and I know that it has been a high priority for the Group. The competition for talent is becoming keener, so we as leaders must devote as much attention to this area as to sales and projects. I am confident that we will find solutions together", concludes Qvam.