“The flat hierarchy makes us strong in intense situations”

"One of the really great qualities of ESVAGT is the culture of cooperation that permeates every part of the shipping company. We have a flat structure and a hierarchy where the distance from the youngest person to the top manager is very short. This has a big impact on how we share experience and ideas. You can feel that we are a company that has developed its own vessels and boats. That culture of incorporating our experience at sea in everything we do influences the entire organisation.

I am sure that the way we work together at ESVAGT is a major reason why we have become so good. We are used to giving and taking responsibility and we are used to cooperating and helping. This was absolutely clear during the ’Esvagt Aurora’ rescue mission in February 2015 when we retrieved an injured person from the sea. Our radio man pulled the person out of the water and our ordinary seaman took over the radio. That doesn't just happen by itself unless you encourage people to take responsibility and appreciate everybody's efforts.

As captain, I make sure that I share the decision-making process with the rest of the vessel's leaders and crew. The responsibility will always be mine, but no-one says that I am always the one with the best ideas. When we, for example, had a long period assisting on the Goliath field retrieving an offloading hose with an ROV, the input from my colleagues was invaluable. Together we found the solution we thought was best and completed the job to the customer's satisfaction."