"Bjørn Erik is a master at seeing our customers needs and creating value for the them beyond what they even expected. However, what makes him unique is that he is a true Kinder-egg; he identifies an issue, he finds a solution and goes ahead and performs the job himself!"
- Nina Øglænd, Commercial Director
We are proud to congratulate our colleague Bjørn Erik with 10 years at SAR!
Read all about his career at SAR and why he has enjoyed working here for all this time.
When did you start your professional career at SAR?
It just so happens that I have been employed twice at SAR. The first time I was hired was back in 2010 and I was here for a year and a half before I left for six months. I then came back in 2012 and have been here ever since.
For the first few years I was employed at the department in Bergen, but from 2012 I changed to working as a project manager in the Business Development department in Stavanger. I mainly work from Hanøytangen in Bergen close to home, but I travel both to the main office and our customers sites. Right now I am on a project as a coordinator at Equinors Mongstad refinery.
Can you describe your typical workday the first year of your time at SAR?
It has always been project work for me and in the beginning we had several large projects going, including much offshore travels. When I returned in 2012, we had one of the biggest projects on tank cleaning in SAR history – the Anneleen Knutsen hired by Aker BP. We performed the first part of the tank cleaning in Stavanger before we spent 56 days in Gdansk to clean all the pipelines on the same boat on a shipyard there.
In comparison, how is your workday today?
In recent years, I have also worked as a safety consultant for hazardous waste and ADR that makes up part of my position. This involves visiting all of SARs operating departments twice a year making sure that routines and processes are in place and followed to ensure a safe environment for all parts involved. Also, it’s a challenging job, two days are never the same, there are always different situations and challenges to solve. There's no such thing as a routine in this job, and that suits me very well.
What do you like most about your job?
I absolutely value working on external projects with customers where we solve challenges on different facilities around the country. We’ve had large projects along the Norwegian coast from in Hammerfest in the north all the way round to Slagentangen in the east. I very much enjoy that type of work. It’s always exciting with new projects and different places because you have a start date and an end date and always the highest priority when it comes to time and resources.
Which qualities do you value most in a colleague?
I value that people are interested in solving problems and participating in projects. And of course, the fact that people are "yes people" and has a positive attitude. That is how I am, and it is good to be part of a team with colleagues of the same type where we all pull in the same direction
What are the main reasons why you have been at SAR for as long as you have?
Great colleagues, and challenges - no two days are the same. I think it's an exciting market we work in, most definitely.
What are you most proud of in relation to the job you have done?
I am proud of all our succsessful projects in SAR, such as described above where we have met all requirements in relation to quality, HSE and of course commercially.
It’s obvious that you are passionate about your job. But who is Bjørn Erik when he’s not at work?
I’m married to the same woman I met in ’89 and married in ’94, and we have three girls that has now moved out. If you ask my missus, she’d probably say that I’m a passionate hobbyist - I like playing golf, billiards and beer brewing. I go all in with equipment and time spent on it. But as the kids moved out, I’ve learned that if I want to stay married, which I definitely want, I need to prioritize my wife as well. Is it maybe wrong to say cost/benefit? he chuckles.
