ScandAsia South East Asia - June 2015

JUN 2015
Malaysia
Indonesia
Philippines
Vietnam
Cambodia
Laos
25 years with
Norwegian trained
Filipino seafarers
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European International School
Ho Chi Minh City Summer School 2015
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Where: EIS
When: starting on Jun 15, 08:30 – 17:00
The EUROPEAN International School Ho
Chi Minh City is pleased to announce that
registration is now open for Summer School
2015. The Summer Programme will run from
15th June – 3rd July and is available to all children
Malaysian Danish
Business Council:
Breakfast Dialogue
Where: Danish Residence
When: Mon, June 15, 7:30am – 8:30am
Breakfast dialogue with Assoc. Professor
Henrik Vindt - Experience how Danish
Engineering Students can bring new
knowledge and resources into your company.
from 2 to 17 years of age. If you would like to
register your child to the EIS Summer School or
you would like to receive further information,
please email to info@eishcmc.com or call
(+848) 7300 0257.
European Chamber
of Commerce of the
Philippines: Annual
General Meeting
2015
Where: 2015 @ Bahia Function
Room, Intercontinental Manila
When: Jun 19, 08:00 – 10:00
This is to inform you that we will have our
ANNUAL GENERAL MEMBERSHIP meeting
on June 19, 2015. Participation in the event is
FREE to official representative(s) of member
companies as listed in the Philippine European
Business Directory 2015.
Nordic Business Council Philippines:
Speed Networking Night
Where: t.b.c
When: Jun 16, 18:30 – 21:00
Speed networking is a fun and efficient way
to make new connections, in a coordinated
and structured manner. We advise you to
bring plenty of business cards, and get
ready to meet everyone in the room.

News Brief
Norway’s Prime Minister Solberg and Indonesia’s
President meet in Jakarta
On 14 April 2015 Norway’s Prime
Minister Erna Solberg met Indonesian
President Joko Widodo in Jarkarta, for
talks on climate and forest cooperation, maritime
cooperation, business and human rights. This was
the first official visit to Indonesia from Norway
during his presidency.
Both countries agreed to work as quickly as
possible towards a platform for extending their
climate and forest partnership. Norway expresses
concerns over Indonesia’s resumption of the use
of the death penalty.
On the agenda for the visit was:
• Consolidate and develop the good
bilateral relations between Norway and
Indonesia, and to strengthen the Norwegian
engagement in the region through dialogue
with one of Asia’s most influential countries.
• Highlight the work of the UN Secretary
General’s MDG (Millennium Development
Goals) Advocacy Group and the dynamic
climate and forest cooperation between
Indonesia and Norway.
• Promote stronger economic ties and
encourage the CEPA-negotiations.
(Comprehensive Economic Partnership
Agreement) between Indonesia and EFTA
(European Free Trade Association - Iceland,
Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) to
be resumed.
• Open doors for Norwegian industry, and
facilitate and strengthen business relations
between Norway and Indonesia.
‘Norway and Indonesia enjoy longstanding
and good relations. As maritime countries, we
have a great deal in common. We cooperate in
a large number of areas, including climate change
and deforestation, energy, trade, democracy and
poverty reduction,’ said Erna Solberg.
President Widodo and M Solberg agreed to
strengthen the extensive cooperation between
Norway and Indonesia on climate and forests.
They will ask the relevant ministers in their
governments to agree as quickly as possible on
a platform for extending the climate and forest
partnership.
Norway has provided longstanding support
for Indonesia’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, combat forest crime and promote
economic and social development. Topics
discussed included Indonesia’s new maritime
strategy, business cooperation, renewable energy,
and efforts to combat climate change. Indonesia’s
President commended Norway for supporting a
pilot project on the island of Sumba, which aims
to ensure a transition to 100 % renewable energy
use by 2025.
Ms Solberg praised Indonesia for the
improvements that have been made in the
country’s human rights situation since it became
a democracy in 1998, but expressed concerns
over Indonesia’s resumption of the use of the
death penalty. Norway‘s PM raised concerns over
indications given by the Widodo administration
that it will continue to make use of the death
penalty.
On the death penalty issue, the statement
released after the visit simply says:
“The PM let Indonesia know that Norway is
opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances.”
Prime Minister Solberg, who co-chairs the
UN Millennium Development Goals Advocacy
Group together with Rwandan President Paul
Kagame, also raised the issue of global education.
Indonesia has worked systematically to meet
MDG 2 on universal primary education.
MASBA visit to SKF
Bearing
On 12th May 2015, Tuesday at 2.30pm,
MASBA conducted a company visit to
SKF Bearing Industries (Malaysia) Sdn
Bhd located in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan.
It was a great opportunity to explore the
worldwide leading Swedish manufacturer and
supplier of bearings and units. SKF in Nilai is a
world class manufacturing facility that has been
operating in Malaysia since 1991.
MASBA takes the opportunity to thank Mr.
Dario Cardone and his team, Mr. Gerard Pinto
and Ms. Isabella Chong for the arrangement.
4 ScandAsia.South East Asia • June 2015

First oil from Lundin’s Bertam field in Malaysia
News Brief
Lundin Petroleum announced in early April
2015 that its wholly owned subsidiary
Lundin Malaysia BV (Lundin Malaysia)
has achieved the first oil from the Bertam field.
The Bertam field:
• Has commenced production from four predrilled
development wells. The remaining
production wells will be drilled sequentially
and put on stream through the remainder
of 2015, with the field’s gross plateau rate
of 15,000 barrels of oil per day expected to
be achieved by late 2015.
• Located on Block PM307, offshore the
eastern side of Peninsular Malaysia. Lundin
Malaysia is the operator with a 75 percent
working interest and Petronas Carigali is
partner with a 25 percent working interest.
• Developed with a wellhead platform
adjacent to a spread – moored FPSO in
a water depth of 75 metres. The Plan of
Development was approved by Petronas in
September 2013, with first oil having been
achieved within 18 months from approval
of the Plan of Development. Through
excellent collaboration with all stakeholders,
the project has been delivered on time and
on budget, amounting to approximately
USD 400 million gross.
This is Lundin Petroleum’s third project
to be put into production over the last four
months and with the Edvard Grieg Field coming
on stream during the fourth quarter 2015, the
Company remains on track to achieve a 2015 exit
production rate of in excess of 75,000 barrels of
oil equivalent per day.
Ashley Heppenstall, President and CEO of
Lundin Petroleum comments: “Bertam is our
first development project in Malaysia and as
such we are very pleased to have achieved first
oil safely, on schedule and within budget. The
Bertam project is an excellent example of how
fast-track projects can be developed through
close collaboration between us, Petronas Carigali,
Petronas and our contractors.”
Lundin Petroleum is a Swedish independent
oil and gas exploration and production company
with a well balanced portfolio of world-class
assets primarily located in Europe and South
East Asia. The Company is listed on NASDAQ
Stockholm (ticker “LUPE”). Lundin Petroleum has
proven and probable reserves of 187.5 million
barrels of oil equivalent (MMboe).
June 2015 • ScandAsia.South East Asia 5

News Brief
Yang Berhormat Dato’ Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, Minister of Communications and Multimedia; His
Excellency Mr Bengt G. Carlsson, Swedish Ambassador; Todd Ashton, President of Ericsson Malaysia &
Sri Lanka at Ericsson’s 50th Anniversary Celebrations in Malaysia and Launch of New Office Location
Yang Berhormat Dato’ Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek,
Minister of Communications and Multimedia during the
plaque signing ceremony to officiate Ericsson’s New
Malaysian Office
Ericssson marks 50 years in Malaysia with the opening
of new office
Todd Ashton, President of Ericsson
Malaysia & Sri Lanka giving his
speech at Ericsson’s 50th Anniversary
Celebrations in Malaysia and Launch
of New Office Location
In 2015 the world-leading communications
technology and services provider Ericsson
celebrates its 50th Year Anniversary in Malaysia,
and has marked this milestone by launching a
brand new office location in The Pinnacle, Sunway.
Officiated by Yang Berhormat Dato’ Sri Ahmad
Shabery Cheek, Minister of Communication and
Multimedia, this office launch was held to shine
a spotlight on the company’s pivotal role in the
history of Malaysia’s telecommunications and
ICT industry since it first set up operations in
1965. Ericsson’s first contract in Malaysia was
to supply, install and commission Malaysia’s first
crossbar exchange, or electro mechanical switch,
by Jabatan Telekom Malaysia. Since then Ericsson
has seen tremendous growth within the country’s
local industry.
“The solutions and services Ericsson
provides are able to assist the telecommunication
operators in Malaysia to embark on a network
transformation journey. We hope that through
communication, people and society can be
empowered to move forward. Technology has
enabled us to stay connected with one another
at anytime and anywhere without the concerns
of physical boundaries. I am proud to say that
Ericsson has played an important role to make
this happen,” said the Minister of Communication
and Multimedia.
The company has established many firsts
in the history of the local industry. These key
milestones in Malaysia include:
Deploying the first analogue mobile system
network in 1984, the first of its kind in Asia Pacific
Incorporating Ericsson Mobile
Communications Sdn Bhd in 1997, Malaysia’s
first mobile phone manufacturing company and
Ericsson’s first in South East Asia
Bringing the first live demo of the 3G
technology and concept to Malaysia in 1998.
First to showcase a live international, 3G
mobile-to-mobile call between Kuala Lumpur and
Hong Kong in 2002
Enabling telecommunication operators
in Malaysia to offer 4G or LTE, a wireless
communication service with high-speed data for
smartphone users
Over the past five decades, Ericsson has
successfully forged a strong partnership with the
local industry in realizing its vision of a Networked
Society.
Todd Ashton, Head of Ericsson Malaysia and
Sri Lanka, says: “As the first telecommunications
company to establish operations in the country,
Ericsson’s continuous success is through
collaborations with the government of Malaysia,
local companies and the society at large, to
empower people, enable businesses and connect
societies. We aim to continue our vision of building
a Networked Society where every person and
industry is empowered to reach its full potential.”
With approximately 650 employees, Ericsson
deems its new 49,000 square foot facility better
suited for faster response times and closer
collaborations with our industry players. It
represents Ericsson’s continued commitment to
investing in the development of our local physical
facilities alongside the continuous investment in
people. It also accommodates training facilities
whereby Ericsson provides Malaysian operator
employees with ICT technology training.
6 ScandAsia.South East Asia • June 2015

Book authored by Danish architect
B.M. Iversen’s daughter
By Joakim Persson
News Brief
The daughter of the pioneering Danish
architect B.M. Iversen, Ruth Iversen Rollitt,
has released a book, co-written with Law
Siak Hong of the Perak Heritage Society, named
‘Iversen – Architect of Ipoh and Modern Malaya’.
Ruth Iversen, 76 today, is an Ipoh girl at heart and
she has continued to return to Malaysia again and
again after she moved abroad. She spent most of
her childhood in Ipoh, before sent to Denmark
for her education. During her school years she
came back on holiday all the time.
Her father, Berthel Michael Iversen designed
and built many landmark buildings in Ipoh, Kuala
Lumpur and Penang during the almost four
decades — between 1928 and 1966 — he
was in this country. He designed the awardwinning
Federal House, Kuala Lumpur’s iconic
Loke Yew Building and at least 38 cinemas, icons of
Malaysian Art Deco and Modernist architecture.
His firm Iversen & van Sitteren helped foster a
generation of modern Malaysian architects.
The book is a tribute to her father and his
architectural achievements in Malaya. It was
launched in Penang on 18 March, followed by
Ipoh on 22 March. Khoo Salma, a fifth generation
Penang peranakan and a writer, publisher and
heritage advocate encouraged to Ruth to write
the book by promising to publish it.
She was born in in Batu Gajah in 1938. When
her first child was only five years old her first
husband, a planter, was killed. She then went to
live with her parents in Ipoh again between 1963
and 1966. They then moved back to Denmark.
After marrying (for the second time) the British
diplomat Philip Rollitt in 1969, she joined him
on various postings, living in London, Singapore,
Islamabad, Bonn, and Tokyo before retiring to
London.
The book came about when she once met, at
a reception for the British Malaya Society at Asia
House in London, the widow of a well-known
architect in KL who suggested Ruth should give
a talk at the Badan Warisan in KL because of
all these photographs she had of her father’s
buildings. She held two public presentations
and when she visited Ipoh her friend Lau Siak
Hong, the chairman of Perak Heritage Society,
organised a brainstorming meeting of architects,
art historians and Khoo Salma. Thus the idea for
the book was born.
June 2015 • ScandAsia.South East Asia 7

25
years with Norwegian
For a quarter of a century, Norwegian Training Center Manila (NTC)
have been training the majority of the roughly 25.000 Filipino seafarers
that work on Norwegian ships around the planet. With a NOK 30 million
investment NTC is preparing to take a step further and train sailors for
professions that are now inaccessible through Filipino schools.
By Lasse Henriksen
8 ScandAsia.South East Asia • June 2015
At first glance, there seems to be
not much Norwegian about the
Norwegian Maritime School located
in the middle of traffic paralyzed
Manila, Philippines. A Norwegian
flag is flapping lazily in the wind in front and when
you enter, you find only two Norwegians working
full time at NTC, the School’s Managing Director
Captain Erik Blom and the cadet course leader
Captain Jordan Nostvik. But this is where almost
all of the Filipino seafarers that are employed on
Norwegian ships are being trained. The training
center was started 25 years ago by Norwegian
Shipowners’ Association (NSA). Serving as a
seafarer on a Norwegian ships demands a change
to a bit more Norwegian mindset.
“We try to teach them to share their opinion.
It can be a disadvantage that Filipinos generally
are avoiding conflicts. They don’t always say what
they mean, just ‘yes sir’ or ‘no sir’ instead of sharing
their opinion. It’s our wish to change that culture,”
Captain Blom says and adds that it is essential that
the communication is direct and that no-one tries
to hide anything, when handling a ship.
Every year some 10.000 hopeful Filipinos
apply for NTC’s 4 year education to become
a maritime officer, the cadet program, only 3,5
percent of the applicants will make the cut. 7-8000
of the applicants will be tested, around 2000 will
pass the test and be interviewed by individual
shipping companies. In the end only 350 will be
accepted to the school, all of them will know
which company they will become trainee and
eventually be employed by. One of the reasons for
the popularity is that students do not only receive
a scholarship from NSA, but are also guaranteed a
job at the company that takes them in as trainees.
Considering the amount seafarers that are
passing through the training center every year,
the school seems rather small, consisting of three
beige buildings that are no higher than a three
stories apartment block and equipped with
four meter high pumps, welding stations, a ship
simulator the size of a small house and of course

trained Filipino seafarers
more traditional classrooms.
At the moment the school offer 80 courses
and have programs in everything from cooking to
crane operating. The courses in the training center
vary in length, from 1 day to 6 months, while the
education of the cadets is a 4 year bachelor
with one year as a trainee at the company that
has chosen to give the student an opportunity
through the scholarship program.
Two nations of seafarers
Filipinos are sought after as crewmembers on
ships around the world. NTC have tried and
failed training sailors in Vietnam and China and
Captain Blom believes Filipino’s are generally
good seafarers and have three main explanations
as to why.
“First of all they come from an archipelago
of 7000 islands, so they are born with saltwater
in their veins. Secondly their behavior generally
matches Scandinavians well, and then their English
skills are very good,” Captain Blom says.
But local politics have also played a role as
to why other projects have failed. NTC had an
experience were the students did good at a
school in China, but once they had graduated the
Chinese government ordered the cadets, whose
education was paid for by Norwegian Companies,
to serve on Chinese ships.
There are around 100 maritime schools in
the Philippines. According to Captain Blom every
year some 80.000 students start on a maritime
education in the Philippines, of this large number
First of all they come from
an archipelago of 7000 islands,
so they are born with saltwater
in their veins. Secondly their
behavior generally matches
Scandinavians well,
and then their English skills
are very good
only 5,400 will get a diploma and in the end
around 4000 will get a job. This is one of the
reasons why Captain Blom has a bit of pride in
his voice announcing that around 80 percent
of NTC’s cadets come out with both job and
diploma.
Upping the game
When NTC opened in 1990 and in the following
years started the cadet program, they were
setting the benchmark for maritime education in
the Philippines. Now in 2015 several schools offer
similar programs of the same if not higher quality.
To once again become a leading figure among
maritime educations in the Philippines NTC are
making a NOK 30 million upgrade in 2015. The
investment will enable NTC to add educations
that are not available anywhere else in the
Philippines. This means higher educated Filipinos
filling out professions that have traditionally been
operated by Norwegians only.
“We haven’t had problems with unions in
Norway. It is a fight that have been fought long
time ago, and people have realized that Filipinos
or other foreigners are here to stay. They place
the blame political system in Norway rather than
the individual sailor,” Captain Blom says.
The new courses will mostly focus on
advanced offshore related jobs. For instance, at
the moment there are no Filipino captains on
advanced anchor handling vessels used offshore,
but with the upgrade that will be the new reality.
“We think this is the way the world is
developing, especially with the low oil prices.
Shipping firms and oil producers will be even
more focused on costs,” Captain Blom says
and adds that Norway has a very developed
and refined maritime educational system, and
NTC’s task is just a question of transferring the
competences to the educational facility in the
Philippines.
June 2015 • ScandAsia.South East Asia 9

Danish SOS Agent
meets challenges every day
Text & Photo Louise Bihl Frandsen
Handcuffing a tourist who believed
he was Jesus, bringing back
injured trekkers from the wilds or
handling a tsunami. Michael Schulz
has been dealing with a variety of
emergencies in his time as SOS agent in Thailand.
But especially one type of cases is still the biggest
challenge.
“I am never nervous, but I am always aware,”
Michael Schulz says.
He is sitting in his office at Sukhumvit soi 39
in Bangkok. For exactly 20 years now he has been
10 ScandAsia.South East Asia • June 2015
the regional manager of SOS International a/s in
Thailand. He never had a business plan or a plan
for his life for that matter, and yet, his company
has become the second biggest SOS office in the
world today.
“I see the job, talk to people and get ideas
from that. I may have had a talent for throwing
away bad ideas instead of keep boxing around
with them,” he says.
A good intuition together with a strong local
network is what Michael believes has been the
key to the company’s success.
SOS International provides services to
Scandinavian insurance companies, but the clients
are from all over Europe. They are presented
both in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and
Myanmar.
In 2010 SOS International had around 8,000
cases. Today that number is more than 10,000.
Most of the cases are easy to handle, but especially
one type of cases is a major challenge.
Jesus without pills
Every year, SOS International has more than 200

Very often you experience
that hospitals have been
carrying out a lot of
unnecessary tests and
scans to make more money
on the patient. Especially
if they can see that the
patient is insured by a
Scandinavian company
doctors and nurses from Scandinavia coming to
pick up patients. The most challenging cases, the
company deals with, concerns psychosis.
Some years ago Michael got a call from a
Danish doctor, who happened to be on vacation
on the same island where a young tourist had
lost his mind.
“He was walking around on the Island, burning
himself and saying he was Jesus and the emperor
of the island,” Michael tells.
Michael prepared a team of two nurses
with an injection needle and a borrowed pair
of handcuffs from the local police to pick him
up and have him admitted. Although, they
succeeded to bring the man safe home to Europe,
Michael admits that this is one of the more
tricky cases.
“How do you corporate with a person that
does not want to listen?”
Mentally ill people, who need assistance
from SOS International, are cases the company
experiences very often. Besides assisting Jesus,
Michael also has had a case with a naked tourist
dancing around at Sukhumvit.
Since the local hospitals are not really
geared for these illnesses, Michael’s best option
is to bring them back to Europe. But the service
SOS International provides depends on what is
included in the specific insurance.
“Pre-existing illnesses for example, are not
covered by the travel insurance, but can be
covered by a health insurance,” he explains.
Deadly waves
Michael did not start from scratch 20 years ago.
His former job as tour manager in Thailand since
1980 gave a great network across the country
and a good feeling with, how things work.
His network has always been helpful in all
types of emergency situations, especially the
extraordinary ones.
December 26, 2004 was one of them. Michael
got a call early in the morning from a friend living
in Phuket telling him that some waves had hit
Patong Beach, and that people had been thrown
up onto the land some hundred metres. Michael
called SOS in Denmark right after and told them
to prepare their crisis team.
“Are you sure?” They asked him. “No, but
do it anyway,” Michael replied. It was first later
that Michael, SOS in Denmark and the rest of
the world realized how serious the situation
was. In total, 230,000 people were killed in 14
countries when the tsunami hit South East Asia
in 2004.
SOS International was the first international
team to arrive in Phuket that day.
Cost containment
On one side, SOS International provides
emergency services, which is everything from
taking care of a hospital bill to transporting
people out of a jungle. But another service has
become even more important during the years:
Cost containment.
When Europe became more expensive, and
Asia remained cheap: an influx of retirees went
to the South to settle down. Along with the
influx of retirees and the general growth of
European tourists coming to Thailand the prices
on treatment and services increased significantly
at the private hospitals.
“This development has made the Scandinavian
insurance companies much more aware of what
they pay for today than earlier,” Michael says.
To avoid overpricing, Michael travels a lot to
negotiate prices with local hospitals, and to avoid
overtreatment SOS International looks through
the hospital bills before approving them.
“Very often you experience that hospitals
have been carrying out a lot of unnecessary tests
and scans to make more money on the patient.
Especially if they can see that the patient is insured
by a Scandinavian company”.
However, SOS International never
compromises the proper and safe treatment of
their patients with the cost of treatment.
The unexpected
The emergency business changes all the times, but
it does not bother Michael at all.
“I could easily take 20 year more. I like my job.
SOS is one of those companies that develops all
the time, which makes my job very exciting,” the
58-year-old Dane says and continues:
“I still get these phone calls, where I am
standing in the other end of the line and thinking
‘What?’ Every time I am sure I have seen or heard
it all, a new case or situation appears”.
This year Michael Schulz will not only celebrate
20 years anniversary for SOS International a/s, but
also 25 years anniversary for his other company
“The Arrivals Company”.
June 2015 • ScandAsia.South East Asia 11

Sigve Brekke
new Telenor Gro
Telenor Group announced recently
that Mr Sigve Brekke, the former CEO
of DTAC, currently the Executive
Vice President and Head of Telenor
Group’s Asia operations, has been
appointed as its new Group President and Chief
Executive Officer.
Sigve Brekke joined Telenor in 1999 and has
held several executive positions in the company
since then.
He has been instrumental in establishing
Telenor Group as a leading international mobile
operator. Under Brekke’s leadership, Telenor has
added more than 100 million subscribers in Asia.
The value creation from Asia has been significant
and the region now represents more than 40
percent of the total enterprise value of Telenor
Group. Telenor is well positioned to monetise on
the next growth wave - providing internet for all,
writes the Norwegian telecommunications giant
in a statement.
Sigve Brekke is currently responsible for
Telenor’s operations in Asia (Executive Vice
President and Head of Telenor Group’s Asia
operations), a position he has held since 2008.
Earlier in his Telenor career he was the
Managing Director of its Singapore office. Then
a longer stint in Thailand followed as Telenor
developed and expanded its operation there. He
was co-Chief Executive Officer of Thai mobile
operator dtac from 2002 to 2005, and then its
CEO from 2005-2008.
In September 2014 Sigve was once again
back to DTAC; appointed interim CEO Mr. Sigve
Brekke as Mr Jon Eddy Abdullah resigned from his
position as CEO of dtac.
Mr Brekke will succeed Mr. Jon Fredrik
Baksaas as Telenor Group’s CEO by 17 August
2015.
“Sigve Brekke has a solid track-record as
the Head of Telenor’s Asia operations and part
of Group Management since August 2008. His
leading role in our Asian success story combined
with his vast international experience and
leadership capabilities will be of great value as
the company continues its profitable growth
journey,” said Svein Aaser, Chairman of the Board
of Directors in Telenor Group.
“It is a great honour to be asked to lead
Telenor. Our company’s Norwegian and
international success is a result of Telenor Group’s
ability to provide digital communication services
that are valuable to our customers. Telenor’s
strategy, including our financial priorities, form
12 ScandAsia.South East Asia • June 2015

up CEO
New Norwegian
to head Telenor
Group in Asia
: Morten Sørby
a solid platform for value creation for our
shareholders and continued growth in
Norway, Europe and Asia. We are poised to
capture value from the opportunities arising
from strong demand for internet services
and I look forward to executing our strategy
together with our 33,000 employees,” said
Sigve Brekke.
Jon Fredrik Baksaas steps down after
13 years as the company President and
CEO. In September 2014, he extended his
tenure for another year, until the end of
2015. In preparation of Baksaas’ retirement,
Telenor’s Board of Directors initiated a
thorough process with a broad set of
internal and external candidates to find his
successor. Baksaas will continue as advisor
to the Board of Directors until the end of
2016 and will serve as Chairman of GSMA,
the global industry organisation for mobile
operators.
“Jon Fredrik Baksaas has internationalised
Telenor and transformed us into a modern,
world-class telecom company and widely
known consumer brand originating from
Norway. I believe Fredrik is one of the most
important industry leaders in Norway in
modern times,” said Svein Aaser.
Telenor has grown substantially both in
terms of number of customers, revenue and
market value. Telenor is a leading mobile
telecom company with mobile operations
in 13 markets and 192 million mobile
subscriptions worldwide. Revenues have
increased from NOK 49 billion to NOK 107
billion and market capitalisation from NOK
45 billion to NOK 270 billion during Baksaas’
leadership. A significant contributor to this
development has been the company’s growth
in Asia.
“To lead Telenor during a period of rapid
growth and major technological changes
has been both exciting and rewarding. In
Sigve Brekke, the Board of Directors has
found the perfect candidate to continue
Telenor’s growth and value creation. We
have worked closely for many years, and
his knowledge of the business, customer
focus and hands-on management style will
ensure a great future for the company,” said
Jon Fredrik Baksaas.
The Telenor executive Mr Morten
Sørby has been appointed as the
new Head of Region Asia in Telenor
Group, effective 1 June 2015.
Mr Sørby replaces Mr Sigve
Brekke, who is the upcoming President and CEO
of Telenor Group. Preparations are under way
ahead of Brekke’s start date in August 2015. Sørby
will assume all the responsibilities in overseeing
and running Telenor Group’s operations in Asia -
and joins Telenor’s Group Executive Management
team.
Morten Sørby, a Norwegian national, brings
significant operational and strategic mobile
telecommunications experience to the role
as Head of Region Asia. He joined Telenor in
1993 and has previously been a member of the
Telenor’s Group Executive Management team for
a number of years. He has served as the Executive
Vice President in charge of corporate strategy
and regulatory affairs in Telenor Group. Sørby was
also the Executive Vice President and head of the
Norwegian and Nordic mobile and fixed network
operations of Telenor.
In 2014, Sørby was CEO of Uninor, Telenor’s
wholly owned operations in India. During this
period, the company continued to strengthen,
both in terms of revenue and customer market
share. Sørby holds a Master of Science in Business
Administration from the University of Karlstad.
He has also completed additional education from
IMD in Switzerland and is a state-authorized
public accountant in Norway.
“Morten brings his vast experience from
the global mobile industry to the role as head
of our operations in Asia. Morten will continue
our growth story in this dynamic region and I
am confident that he will put his deep industry
insight into action together with our operations
in Asia,” says Jon Fredrik Baksaas, President and
CEO, Telenor Group.
June 2015 • ScandAsia.South East Asia 13

Swedish female DJ school
‘Femme Beat’ visits Hanoi
By Joakim Persson
The world of disc jockeys has up until
now been very male-dominated,
though female DJs have become
more common in recent years as
the electronic dance music scene has
invaded the charts the world over.
Previously, females were only the rare
exceptions to be seen ‘behind the decks’, and
“relegated” to being dancers and in the crowd at
clubs, venues and festivals presenting House and
Techno and similar styles of dance music.
The lack of of female DJ’s at clubs in Sweden
was the starting point DJ Linda Thomsgard to
start a DJ course. She kept on hearing that there
were no good female DJ’s for the clubs to book
and decided to do something about this notion
that there weren’t any none and to improve the
supply.
This was also the start of the he non-profit
organisation ‘Equalisters’ that she founded in year
2010.
“About as many guys as girls visiting clubs
today, but when it comes to who chooses the
music played is not as well balanced. Because
music is such an important part of the experience
at the club, it is important that power over the DJ
booth is distributed more equally,” writes Svenska
Institet/Swedish Institute (SI.)
And the initiative to train up female DJ
entertainers has been conceptualised into an
14 ScandAsia.South East Asia • June 2015
international tour, in collaboration with the SI., as
‘Femme-Beat DJ School’, which on 18-19 April
visited Hanoi in Vietnam.
The DJ school targeted Vietnamese women
interested in music and in building a network of
female professionals.
“We don’t require any prior knowledge of
DJ-ing, what we want is that you are driven to
learn and to help building the network. You have
to be over 20 years old to participate.”
The training was conducted by Swedish
lecturer Sanna Beer and the two DJs Maja Aspero
Lind and Casandra Cornelio.
Participants enjoyed lectures, practicing as
well as performing before a live audience at Hanoi
Rock City.
Equalisters (Rättviseförmedlingen in
Swedish) is aiming to correct the imbalances of
representation in the field of media, culture and
business, together with the Swedish Institute. The
aim of Femme-Beat DJ School is to encourage
more women to become DJs – offering a
practical course that provides the professional
tools needed in order to become established,
as well as creating connections and networking
opportunities in the music industry.
It all started with a fanpage on Facebook
where female DJs could register and resulted
right away in a list of over 200 names that Linda
Thomsgard later handed over to the clubs.
The project became a huge success grew
into a 70,000-strong network for female music
professionals.
“Equalisters work as a social service, utilizing
the powerful dynamics of crowdsourcing to work
towards a more democratic, fair, and equal society.
The organisation has successfully helped close to
a thousand companies, organisations and media
to change and work in a more equal and inclusive
manner.’’
“We believe that when it comes to including
competent women and people from other
underrepresented groups, excuses that claim
that ‘there just weren’t any’, is no longer good
enough.”
By spreading the DJ concept and finding role
models around the world the projects aims to
build long-lasting networks. Femme Beat is helping
young women get closer to the arenas they want
to operate on. The project is in collaboration
between the Swedish Institute, Equalisters and
the Swedish embassies around the world.

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til fællesskab, faglighed, seriøsitet og individuel talentudvikling.
Du får:
• En dansk uddannelse med et internationalt præg
• Grundskole, 10. klasse, studentereksamen (STX)
• Valget mellem to femårige forløb, GLOBAL og BIOTEK,
fra 8. klasse till studentereksamen
• Sport- og talentklasse fra 7. klasse
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• Enkeltværelser til kostelever
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Skan koden og læs mere på
bagkost.dk
Aldershvilevej 138 • DK-2880 • Bagsværd • Telefon: +45 44980065 • E-mail: bk@bagkost.dk
June 2015 • ScandAsia.South East Asia 15

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