What do you like the best about working at Maersk Oil?
I like working in an organisation that has a technical focus with able and motivated colleagues and I found that in Maersk Oil. Before I joined the company, I worked for 16 years with a major oil company, which was great but where I spent an ever increasing amount of time in meetings.

Maersk Oil enables technical professionals to grow as long as they like, and if you do your job well, it will be recognised.  The organisation is also flexible enough for some technically-oriented people to look over the boundaries of their own discipline and take on a more coordinating role.
 
Are there sufficient challenges in your job?
The main remit of my department CPD is to study and develop new opportunities outside the Danish sector. The pace is hectic, and we need to be flexible and communicate well as projects can come up quickly – not always easy, but never boring!

What was it like changing from your old job to Maersk Oil?
Compared with my previous employer, Maersk Oil has a flat structure. On the work floor, we are all equals, and from the beginning I have felt welcome and trusted. For example, I became involved in the recruiting of new colleagues merely two months after my arrival.

What is it like to be a part of an international organisation?
I like working with people from different backgrounds. Maersk Oil is a truly international company. I don’t think I would have joined otherwise.

Years ago, Maersk Oil only operated in the Danish North Sea with a relatively close-knit group of employees. Now the organisation is more global which is good for growth opportunities but poses its own challenges for effective (co)operation.  Last year I was able to start a Knowledge Sharing initiative in my department to help all of us knowing what we know!

You have lived in other countries before. Do you like living in Copenhagen?
You could say that I am an Old-World person.  I love European capitals, including Copenhagen. It is great to be able to get around by bike and public transport, and to enjoy the cafes, the music, and – in winter – the many skating rinks.

The language is very easy to read for a Dutchman.  My wife, who is British and also works in Copenhagen, and I had Danish lessons through Maersk which was very useful.  My wife works in a more Danish-speaking environment and is now miles ahead of me – I have found the spoken language much tougher than I had imagined!