Oystein Kalleklev enjoys a dynamic, lean working environment and the ability to make quick decisions.
His career has seen him employed by what he would describe as “self-made shipping men” who have fostered this kind of business culture.
Kalleklev got his first brush with LNG while working as chief financial officer at Jens Ulltveit-Moe-controlled services and renewables company Umoe, which is Knutsen OAS Shipping’s major shareholder.
After a brief stint at Clarksons, he joined Trygve Seglem’s Knutsen to help with the initial public offering of its master limited partnership in early 2013.
It was at Knutsen that he encountered the original incarnation of Flex LNG in 2006, at one of the start-up’s first investor meetings.
Kalleklev joined Seatankers about a year ago when he returned to Oslo and was asked to take on the chief financial officer’s role at Flex as the company moved to finance its first two vessels.
He describes himself as a “straight-shooter — I tell it how I think it is. I don’t do that corporate bulls**t.”
Kalleklev says he likes to be creative and find new solutions. He also prefers meeting people and talking to them than sending emails.
“I have been a consultant in an oil company and that was quite boring,” he explains, adding that he is not keen on being stuck in meetings all day, producing a mass of reports. He prefers to be able to take quick decisions and be hands on.
He clearly enjoys the open-plan landscape of the Oslo headquarters and the Frontline Management culture.
“We don’t have a lot of bureaucrats,” he notes, describing his group colleagues as “experienced”, “down-to-earth” people who have little time for office politics. “People know what they are doing and we don’t spend a lot of time discussing.”
Kalleklev initially says he has no spare time for other interests outside work apart from trying to run a little, before being gently reminded that there is something he does all the time.
“I am a prolific reader and read a lot about a diverse set of topics, since I find it stimulating, relaxing and fascinating,” he says.
