A career with the sea at its core

He has been with NorSea on the journey from traditional base operations into new industries. “NorSea is a driver of value creation along the coast, with the sea as its starting point,” says John Olaf Næsheim.

“I started in the company as the manager of a new cargo boat terminal, which was established at the oil base in Tananger in 1998. The mission was safe and efficient operations and winning more contracts in the new market. Later, I became the base manager in Tananger and then the operations director for the bases in both Dusavik and Tananger.”

In 2005, John Olaf became the CEO of NorSea AS, also responsible for the company’s property business in the Stavanger region. “NorSea was the first fully Norwegian-owned service company and has been a pioneer from day one. A curiosity is that the company was established 4 years before Phillips discovered oil. It was an honor to be part of the NorSea when we celebrated the company’s 40th anniversary, the same year I was appointed director.”

After a few years, the temptation to try something else arose, and John Olaf went to Swire Oilfield Services as the CEO of their operations in Norway.

John Olaf is married and has three grown children. He prefers to spend his spare time outdoors, both by the sea and in the mountains. He grew up in Haugesund. After high school, he attended the officer’s school and the army’s war college to become a professional officer. He also studied transport economics in Molde. His military background was a perfect fit when NorSea secured a major contract with the defense in 2015, and John Olaf found his way back.

Today, he is involved in business development, overseeing various companies under the NorSea umbrella. “It is a privilege to work a bit outside our core business – to look at new things we can use our expertise and bases for. For example, together with good colleagues, I have been involved in the development of Polar Algae in Hammerfest, and we have just submitted an application to establish a land-based post-smolt facility at Polarbase. It has also been rewarding to be a part of Westport since the company was established, in recent years as the chairman. I am also engaged in meetings with stakeholders, particularly regarding the company’s focus on wind power.”

“NorSea provides an excellent platform for truly utilizing your expertise while also giving you the opportunity to “jump in the deep end” if you take on a challenge. The company thinks long-term, and I think it’s great that we invest so many resources in other maritime industries beyond oil and gas! NorSea takes responsibility for activity and jobs in Norway.”