“I’d like to try has always been a driver to me”
In secondary school, it was a bit of a struggle that he couldn’t sit still.
Since then, that restlessness has served Jesper Høj-Hansen well, and when he reached his 10-year anniversary as CEO of NorSea Denmark on 1 May, he could look back on a working life where the driving force has always been the next challenge:
“I am easily excited. When I trained as a blacksmith, I wanted to develop the products I was working with. I became an engineer so I could design them – and from there, I became interested in building the production around the products. I’ve always been curious and driven by a ‘that’s something I’d like to try’,” he says.
It looks difficult – I’m in
Part of that curiosity is a desire to challenge the status quo. When Jesper Høj-Hansen was tasked with closing a radiator valve production facility in Aarhus and moving production to China, he optimized operations so significantly that the company both kept the factory and built a new one in China.
There was no shortage of opportunities to challenge the status quo when Danbor called regarding a vacant position as COO and a task to industrialize and modernize the company.
“We had to transform a business where pen and paper were the preferred tools, and where an ultra-hierarchical leadership style was the starting point. It looked difficult, so I accepted the job,” he says.
The hierarchies were not easy to break down, but when a disastrous annual result and a dissatisfied customer base prompted the Norwegian owners to act, they placed Jesper Høj-Hansen at the head of the table.
“I was given the opportunity to form a new management team, and I persuaded Anders Aalund and Kenneth Hansen to join. The ambition was simple: We wanted to do better; we wanted to be customer-oriented, and it should be safe and enjoyable to go to work,” says Jesper Høj-Hansen.
Transparency, dialogue, and trust
Ten years on, NorSea’s executive management still consists of that same leadership trio. But much else has changed:
“Culture is probably the biggest shift we’ve made. We’ve created a culture where wellbeing, trust, and development are priorities – where people grow through their responsibilities,” says Jesper Høj-Hansen.
This shift did not simply happen.
“We wanted a fundamental change. That change included some prominent profiles and cultural carriers in the organization – not every profile fitted the journey going forward, and there were many difficult decisions in the early years. But we kept our eyes on the ball and stayed committed to our vision,” he says, adding:
“We wanted a company built on transparency, dialogue, and trust.”
NorSea in new markets
Alongside the cultural transformation, NorSea has, over the past ten years, established itself in several new markets and industries, including Wind and Defence. This ongoing transition aligns well with the CEO’s underlying curiosity.
“We have developed because we are good at identifying and seizing opportunities – and, not least, capable of delivering on them competently, safely, and efficiently. I’m pleased that we have established a strong presence and relevance in growth markets, and that we are able to take NorSea to new and exciting places successfully. That is the reason why our owners allow us to reinvest what we earn into new development and new opportunities. That never stops being motivating,” says Jesper Høj-Hansen.
