Lasse Kristoffersen has taken over at car carrier giant Wallenius Wilhelmsen on Wednesday with a mission to boost decarbonisation and digitalisation.
The Oslo-listed company’s new chief executive left the top job at Norwegian shipowner Torvald Klaveness at the end of March.
Kristoffersen said he had been looking forward to joining his new organisation for a while now.
“I have spent the last few weeks building my knowledge about the company and will now focus on getting to know our clients and our people,” he said.
“It’s very important to me to get a good sense of our company culture as well as our clients’ needs now and in the future.”
This will help give him an understanding of the opportunities for growth and development, he added.
Kristoffersen plans to visit several company offices and clients in the coming weeks.
He worked for Klaveness for 15 years, the last 11 as chief executive. Before that, he was at class society DNV for 11 years.
Kristoffersen, from Askoy near Bergen, holds a Master of Science in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the Norwegian University of Sciences & Technology.
He is well known in the sector for his interest in and commitment to digitalisation and decarbonisation, and has worked to increase the number of women in shipping.
Shaping the future
“I am convinced that Wallenius Wilhelmsen can shape the future of shipping and logistics, both with regards to the application of technology and development of green and sustainable solutions,” he said.
“My main job is to mobilise all the talented people at Wallenius Wilhelmsen, to ensure that we create the solutions for the challenges of tomorrow.”
Wallenius Wilhelmsen chairman Rune Bjerke said the board is confident that Kristoffersen’s background and experience, and the company’s experienced team, will continue to strengthen its competitive advantage.
