working life - Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics

RunE GiSvOLd
Strategist detail freak deliverer Loves surprises
Managers need to know where the money flows are
coming from and where they are going. Our job is to
manage and coordinate the strategic process being
evolved by our folks in the field, our customers and the
external world.”
What does he view as the most important steps
needing to be taken over the next eighteen months?
“We must not lose sight of the fact we are actually
developing five products within two business areas at the
same time. One business area is our Ocean Services, which
is all about asset managing three billion dollars worth of
floating vessels that need to always be in the right place
at the right time. Our other business area, encompassing
terminals, technical services and inland distribution procurement,
is about cost management and more of a nickel
and dimes business with millions of small transactions,
many with low value and low margins.
“The biggest challenge now is managing these
“My business
philosophy very
much encompasses
the notion
that it is better to
‘under promise
and over deliver’.”
Evolution of
a numbErs guy
norway’s Vikings carved a
ferocious image for themselves.
So what would they have made
of Rune Gisvold playing the distinctively
non-aggressive game
of cricket in England?
“I was working for a Norwegian
company in northern England.
I thought it vital to get to know
English culture, so I joined the
company’s cricket team!”
Such ‘out of the box’ thinking
is integral to Rune’s approach to
life. For example, after getting a
Bachelors Degree in Business Administration,
the travel bug bit him.
“i decided to travel the world
as an assistant purser on a
Norwegian cruise ship. It was
such fun I decided to go around
again, but the only job available
was as a lowly utility hand.”
Back ashore, Rune returned
to university in the USA, getting
his MBA in 1981. He worked for
several well-known companies
in various parts of the world and
even ran his own successful
business for a time before joining
WWL in 2002. Rune says
he has never regretted making
that decision.
two businesses in parallel successfully. We are moving
in the right direction but there is still a huge need for
managers who can handle both cost management and
asset management at the same time.”
Rune stresses the need to balance cost management
with huge investments.
“If we cannot do that we will
not succeed with our strategy for
the reason that we will not make
money any other way.
“My job is to make sure we have
control of the resources available
to move with the world, so that
our assets and services can be in
the right place at the right time
with the right capacity and ability
to deliver on our promises to our
customers.”
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