transponder

Issue #7 | December 2013 | Global Employee Magazine for Energy

Joining Forces in a New Company Introducing four Directors of Divisions and the CEO

Building a Future Based on Wind The origins of Garrad Hassan

Spanish PioneersAn office that’s thriving in the midst of change

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der #7

A New Challenge

Contents Transponder #7

A New Challenge in a Small Country

ConnectedTheo Bosma

ConnectedJulia Vetromile

24 HoursA Day in the Life of… Jan-Christoph Neuhann

Spanish Pioneers

Recharging your BatteriesJules Clayton and the Community Wind Project

Close UpA Company and its Cakes

Transponder, the DNV GL - Energy Global Employee Magazine, is published by DNV GL - Energy Global Communications

Please send your comments to transponder@dnvkema.com, via Twitter: #dnvkematransponder,

via InTouch: InTouch > Support Services > Marketing & Communications > Printed Materials

With thanks to Our Editorial Board

Concept and design VA communication by design, Wouter Botman

Editorial DNV GL - Energy Global Communications, Elizabeth Fryman, Caroline Kamerbeek

Marlies Hummelen / Teksten - VA communication by design

Text Marlies Hummelen / Teksten, Janine van der Spoel

Photography Front cover, pages 2, 3, 4 Herman van Ommen Photography /

pages 10, 11, 13, 14 José Luis de Lara fotoperiodismo / pages 26 - 32 Niek Michel Photography

The remaining photos were taken by DNV GL - Energy employees or as indicated under each photo

Print GVO drukkers & vormgevers

We have made every effort to comply with the legal requirements relating to the rights to the illustrations.

Any person who is nevertheless of the opinion that they are entitled to certain rights can contact

VA communication by design ( info@va-design.nl).

Contributors

About Us

24 HoursA Day in the Life of… Thea Nieberding

Joining Forces in a New Company

Recharging your BatteriesDarlene Scruton and her Motorcycle

Origins Building a Future Based on Wind

DNV GL in Brief

A Fresh Perspective

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In its relatively short existence in the company, Transponder, like me, has already seen some major changes. Today, we present the first DNV GL version in

the new company colours. These are a metaphor for the sea, earth and sky, representing our broader view on the industries in which we operate. Many of you will recognise the dark blue of KEMA, the green of DNV and GL Garrad Hassan’s light blue. I personally think it’s strong imagery that all of us can connect with in some way.

Meanwhile, the core goal of Transponder has stayed the same: giving a voice to people from all corners of the company, introducing them to their colleagues worldwide and thus contributing to mutual connections and under­standing. This issue offers a clear representation of the new company. It’s more colourful than ever, with contributions from all legacy companies. It’s great to get a glimpse of our new colleagues, their cultures and their roots.

I see a lot of common ground in our diverse histories: we were all pioneers in our own way, extending the borders of our business, often with sustainability as a driver. You can read more on this in the interviews with the four Directors of Divisions and David Walker. Then there’s an article on the history of Garrad Hassan, explained by one of the founders and pioneers in wind energy, Andrew Garrad. And, talking about extending borders, our merged company will offer even more opportunities for individuals to cross over to other areas of business and expertise, or even literally to cross borders to live and work in another country. Check out Elizabeth Durney’s experiences as an American in the Netherlands.

While we all go through significant changes, it’s wonder­ful to see this first joint magazine, one of the first tangible examples of our new company. The articles helped me get to know more about our new colleagues and I hope it does the same for you. May Transponder be your magazine so it can quickly become our magazine. Enjoy!

Caroline KamerbeekDirector, Global Communications, Energy

From the Editor

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DNV GL ­ Energy is a truly global company. We have people on

virtually every continent and quite a number have moved across

borders to meet new challenges. We wondered how they feel about

working in a totally different environment. This time we asked a

USA national – Elizabeth Durney – for her impressions of working in

Arnhem in the Netherlands.

A New Challenge in a Small Country

Focus on: Elizabeth Durney, strategy assistant to the CEO

Background: Master’s in Organisation Development, Bachelor’s

in Environmental Science and Political Science

Relocation: Recruited in 2005 in California; based in Arnhem

since March 2013

Current job: Develop and update global strategy, monitor markets

trends, assist CEO with DNV GL merger

3

S he changed the Californian sun for the rather

cool and wet Dutch climate because of a new

challenge: a job that seems to be made for her.

Since March 2013 Elizabeth Durney has been strategy

assistant to David Walker. In her office in the green

Business Park in Arnhem Elizabeth talks about her job,

her new place of residence and about her involvement

with strategy development, people and teams. It was

her enthusiasm and affinity with an integral approach

to business that made Elizabeth apply for this job far

from home.

Ready for a new challenge“I was working in the Sustainable Use business line on

issues related to internal organisational development,

as well as external markets and clients. Together we

built up a really strong team, which grew from three

to 30 people. It was then that I realised that I love jobs

that have a lot of different touch points, working both

with employees and customers. I call these cross-

cutting topics.” Elizabeth decided to complement her

degree in Environmental and Political Science with a

Master’s degree in Organisation Development. “As I

was finishing my Master’s degree, ready for a new

challenge, this opportun ity came up: a job that

includes all the aspects that I like – and that I’m

experienced in.”

Moving more than 5,000 miles away is no small feat.

Did she apply spontaneously? Elizabeth: “I was enthu-

siastic, both about the job and about going to the

Netherlands. I’d lived in Germany before, so I had an

idea of what it’s like to live abroad. My fiancée and I

were looking forward to going abroad again. The first

six months I was on my own, but my fiancée is moving

here in two weeks. He’s quitting his job as an environ-

mental policy advisor and we will see what opportun-

ities arise in the Netherlands. He’s thinking about

working for a US company or organisation which is

looking to expand its European operations.” Laughing:

“Initially he will be the one cooking our meals...”

It will not be his first encounter with Arnhem or with

the Dutch way of life. “In the summer he came to visit

me in Arnhem and he saw what it was like. We had

a great time and then we drove to France like many

of the Dutch do! On the French roads we saw all the

Dutch campers. NL stickers were everywhere, even in

France. It was really funny!”

Artistic surprises in a quiet townLiving in Arnhem suited Elizabeth right from the start.

Her split-level apartment on the north side of town

is not far from the centre. “It’s a perfect place to

live: there’s a little corner store, a flower store and a

park nearby. It’s really a nice neighbourhood. All the

houses are small, which I love: they are designed on

a human scale, people-sized.” On the other hand she

4

5

had to get used to the Dutch building style. “In houses

the steps can be steep; at the beginning I thought I

was going to fall!”

Elizabeth’s travel has been focused outside

the Netherlands so far. “I travel a lot for work:

to Hamburg, Oslo, London, Singapore, Beijing and

sometimes I stay for a weekend at the end of a trip.

But I’ve also done a bit of hiking in one of the National

Parks near here and I’ve been to Amsterdam.” As

she’s interested in the arts, she was impressed with

the artistic side of the town, which has a lot to do

with the presence of a prestigious art academy. “I was

surprised by the number of nice things you can buy

that are made in Arnhem. The Modekwartier (Fashion

Quarter) is one of my favourite places. Arnhem seems

to be a quiet town, but there is an art and design

underlay that is quite inspiring. I was here during the

Mode Biennale (Fashion Biennale). In town I saw some

fantastic works. Culture and arts initiatives clearly

underpin society; Arnhem is a lively place to live.”

Accessible country Like most Dutch people Elizabeth’s main means of

transportation is a bicycle. “There are so many bikes

over here. But no one wears a helmet, while in the

US everyone does! I ride my bike to work every day;

I don’t use the car very often.” Smiling: “The big test

will be riding my bike in the winter!” Yet, driving a car

is not a very attractive alternative. “The traffic here

is terrible, the roads go around and not through the

city, so you can run into traffic jams at many points.”

Elizabeth is more positive about the standard of living

in the Netherlands. “When it comes to healthcare and

housing, the system cares for people. I was surprised

to find how easy it is to live here; everything is so

accessible. This makes life much less complicated for

an expat.”

Due to her full schedule, she hasn’t yet started Dutch

lessons. “Most people in the Netherlands speak English,

which makes it difficult to motivate myself to learn

Dutch. But I want to learn the language, absolutely.

I learned German and I just love operating in another

language. Before the end of the year I will start!” She’s

learned a few words from her yoga teacher, however.

Yoga lessons provide moments of rest in Elizabeth’s

dynamic life. “I’ve been practicing yoga for about seven

years. It was really nice to find a studio here in Arnhem.

My teacher is American, but she speaks Dutch. So I’m

learning a little Dutch via yoga. Words like handen

(hands), voeten (feet) and ademen (breathing)...”

Were there any opportunities to meet friends? “I’m

slowly building friendships. My landlord’s daughter

is one of them; she lives in the same building. I’ve

also met some other expats from the US – it’s a short

list.” Is it difficult making friends in the Netherlands

then? “Some people say it is, but I haven’t really tried.

Right now, I’m very busy with my work. Facebook

and Google Hangouts give me an opportunity to stay

in touch with my partner, family and friends in the

US. When my fiancée is here we will definitely start

to be more social in our new home town – he’s the

extrovert!”

No stereotypes, just trendsWhen it comes to cultural differences Elizabeth is

careful when talking about “stereotypes”. She prefers

to speak about trends. However, she agrees that the

Dutch can be pretty direct in the way they commu-

nicate. “I think it’s refreshing; people tell you exactly

what they’re thinking. So you know where you stand

with people.” She knows that the Dutch style of

decision-making is sometimes the topic of jokes else-

where in Europe: everyone involved has to be heard.

“We work in a team with colleagues and directors

from a range of countries, so I can’t really judge if

that’s how it works here.” But Elizabeth is interested

in the Dutch approach. “In a course called Dynamic

Governance a few years ago, I studied a decision

making technique that originated in the Netherlands.

I appreciate a well-organised consensus-based

process; it’s in line with my personal philosophy.”

Her work as a Strategy Assistant offers her plenty of

scope. “I’m internally focused on helping to roll out

the new DNV GL organisation. I also assist the CEO

in monitoring the market and I look out for market

trends in order to update our global strategy on a

regular basis.” After finishing formulating the global

strategy, she and her team started work on the Energy

Business Area Tactical Plan for the new organisation.

But what will the future bring for Elizabeth? Is being

an expat a kind of lifestyle choice for her? “My cur-

rent assignment will end in May 2015, but I would

be happy to stay on longer, to extend this position,

start another one or accept a different expat assign-

ment in another country. I do, however, really like

the Netherlands! Being an expat is probably not a

long-term lifestyle, as eventually I will move back to

California – I think. But we’ll see what happens....” •

6

In each issue we introduce DNV GL - Energy colleagues

working in different countries. They then suggest other people

to interview. Not so much a relay race as a handover to an

interesting colleague.

REl

Ay

Connected: Theo BosmaWho Theo Bosma

Where Arnhem, the Netherlands

Job Programme Director, Power & Electrification

Education and career I graduated in Material Science at Delft University and worked for

Shell for a short period. From 1996 until 2000 I worked for KEMA. Then I resigned, to travel

around the world for a year with my partner. In 2001 I was given the opportunity to work for

KEMA again and I’ve worked there ever since.

What do you do exactly? We’ve just started a new Research & Innovation Hub in Arnhem,

of which I’m programme director. We focus on super grids and smart grids, developing innovative

projects in this area for – and with – our business units. Much of my day is devoted to finding the

right new employees and cooperations. My team also analyses new technologies and potential

research projects. And of course we set up new projects, in close cooperation with our customers

and with other specialists in the field.

Agapi Papadamou was wondering how you combine your work with current research activities. That’s an important issue. In general, most current research

projects have a short-term scope, for example business unit research, or a mid-term scope like

the Global Innovation Projects. Here we deal with long-term research, looking three to five years

ahead, but always in close connection with the projects the business units are engaged in.

After all, we’re aiming to develop what they want.

What do (and don’t) you like? I love working for a company that offers so much diversity in

technologies and expertise. It’s great to be able to actually create something new and then to apply

this commercially. As for your other question: I don’t like long meetings when there’s no agenda...

Special Plenty of choice! Once, I went to Hong Kong to prepare the inspection of around 400

high- voltage masts. It was impossible to climb them all, so we rented a helicopter to see if that would

work. As a result, I spent days flying around in a helicopter among the masts. Sometimes, when I

couldn’t see enough detail, the pilots flew so close that the blades passed between the lines...

Free time I have a partner and two children who I like to spend time with. Travelling is another

passion. Should my work ever leave me enough time, there’s a list stuck on the kitchen cupboard

with all the places I’d still like to visit, such as Antarctica and the North Pole.

Connected I’d like to ask Ray Hudson, a colleague from BEW – now part of the DNV GL global

solar team – what the international solar future looks like and what we can contribute.

13

Petra de Jonge Zwanetta van Zijl

Narottam AulJian Zhang

Waisum ChengAgapi Papadamou

Theo Bosma

Next:Ray Hudson

7

In each issue we introduce DNV GL - Energy colleagues working in different countries. They then suggest other people to interview. Not so much a relay race as a handover to an interesting colleague.

REl

Ay

Who Julia Vetromile

Where San Francisco (CA), USA

Job Principal Engineering Consultant

Education and career After getting my degree in Chemical Engineering at the University of

California in Berkeley I started a career in the chemical and food industry as a process engineer.

This is when I got interested in industrial issues. For a number of years I worked for consulting

firms in the environmental area, focusing on radioactive and hazardous waste as well as air pollu-

tion. This kindled my interest in energy efficiency. In 2008 I was given an opportunity to work for

KEMA on industrial energy efficiency: the perfect combination for me!

What do you do exactly? Mostly I’m a project manager in evaluation and research projects.

Right now, for instance, we’re developing a measurement & verification protocol for a government

programme designed to encourage industry to improve its energy efficiency performance. I’m

designing a training course as well as writing the protocol guidance manual for this programme.

What do you (and don’t you) like? It’s so rewarding to work with all these interesting,

creative and thoughtful people! And the same applies to our clients. I also like working with our

junior staff, supporting them in managing their jobs and determining the best way to go. I have

to say that I don’t always enjoy the growing pains that come with all the changes in the company,

but I trust they will pass!

Bart Adams called you “an excellent networker”. Could you tell us what your secret is? I’m kind of surprised… It seems so simple, what I do! Basically, I try to connect

the right people with each other and then just step back. As this is a technically oriented company,

most of us here are introverts – we’re even a bit nerdy if you wish. Working here feels very com-

fortable, as we all understand each other. That makes it easy to connect.

Special To me, that’s teamwork. I remember a very difficult project on which we all worked

together. Everybody on the team made their own contribution and you could completely rely on

them whenever you needed support. We got our deliverables out – and had fun on the way!

That was a special experience.

Free time San Francisco is an amazing place to live. I love going to the theatre and listening

to music, especially classical music. I also love the outdoor life: hiking and bird watching.

Connected My next candidate would be Alan Roark, who works for MOC in Philadelphia,

for his good client relations and great sense of humour.

Connected: Julia Vetromile

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Graeme Sharp Onno FlorissonKristie DeIuliisJenna CansecoBente PretloveBart AdamsJulia Vetromile

Next:Alan Roark

8

24 HOuRS

Do you want to share a day in your life? If so, please send an email to transponder@dnvkema.com

04.50 p.m.

05.00 p.m.

07.30 a.m.

03.30 p.m.

07.40 a.m.

10.00 a.m.

12.00 p.m.

01.45 p.m.

Jan-Christoph Neuhann

07.45 a.m.

09.00 a.m.

A Day in the life of…

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Jan-Christoph NeuhannIntegration Manager at Renewables Advisory in Bristol, UK. With legacy GL Group since 2011.

06.45 a.m. Time to get up, make tea, shower, iron a shirt and glance through the news, plus a first look at the emails that have popped up on the Blackberry overnight. It’s Thursday and, as I’m travelling back to Hamburg today, I need to pack my suitcase.07.30 a.m.I leave my apartment in Bristol – as it’s close to the office, I can walk. But I’m dreading the first snows this winter.07.45 a.m.I arrive at the office. It’s always quite impres-sive to see this old building still “asleep”; it certainly is a different setting from other offices I have worked in. As I’m the first to arrive, I unlock the door and turn off the alarm before entering. 08.30 a.m.First conference call of the day to discuss success stories after six weeks of integration. As we’ve worked on many projects already, we need to make the upsides of the merger visible – the speed at which colleagues around the world have started to successfully collaborate shows how much potential we have for growing the business together.09.00 a.m.Time to go through my e-mails and prioritise – as I’d been out of office for a couple of days, there are quite a few things I need to catch up on. 09.30 a.m. Today, I’m “troubleshooting” two main top-ics that are causing some uncertainties in the organisation: what’s going to happen with Global Shared Services and is somebody from GSS coming to Bristol to present the overall vision and plan to the management team and affected staff. The second is to give some guidance to a colleague in Brazil with regard to a request she has received about legal entity harmon isation. I’ll try to get my col-league from GSS in Hamburg on the phone!10.00 a.m.Meeting with Georgina Bale from the Offshore Wind team to discuss a strategy for moving forward, now that a decision has been made to establish an Offshore Wind Coordination Group that is working across Business Areas (mainly with colleagues from Oil and Gas). I’ve been asked to put together a paper outlining the approach and concept

behind this team and how it fits with the Service Line setup. As we discuss the pro-posal, we realise that both of us worked at Vestas Wind Systems until 2011, prior to joining GL. It’s a small world!11.30 a.m.The last project I was involved in at GL Noble Denton was the “Way of Working” programme – a concerted effort to harmon-ise the overall Enquiry to Order and Order to Cash processes globally, while improving the commercial skills of all client-facing staff. While in theory the final handover meeting was in Høvik earlier this week, there are still some bits and pieces to be done and today I’m handing over the administration of the e-learning platform and the reporting for the e-learning modules to a colleague at GL Noble Denton. (If you’re interested in learning more about Client Interaction and Commercial Awareness, you can access the modules by registering on www.gl-lms.com)12.00 p.m.I’m joining Philip Taylor in his office as we are dialling into the weekly PMI Energy call where we are informed about merger-related issues and where we provide an update on what we’ve been doing in our division over the last week. Philip provides an update on IT-related topics and I provide a status update on the activities, benefits, concerns and next steps in the Renewables Advisory integration. Also, we hear what’s “cooking” in the other divisions. After the meeting, I prepare a “merger digest” with the key topics we need to share with our regional managers.01.00 p.m.Time for lunch – here in Bristol, there are free sandwiches every day. Sometimes colleagues present what they are currently working on or will be presenting at a conference. It’s also a great opportunity to find out what colleagues think about the merger, what they are anxious about and which topics we may need to communicate more on. It’s great to see how excited most colleagues are about the merger and how eager everybody is to contribute constructively.01.45 p.m.Now I join Jane Shapcott, HR manager for Renewables Advisory, in her office to discuss communication with the Works Councils in Germany. We need to make sure they are

kept informed at all times and can exercise their co-determination right where it applies. 02.30 p.m. Time for a cup of tea with colleagues – the English way with milk of course!03.30 p.m.My taxi is here – like every Thursday, I’m now heading to the airport in Bristol to go back home to Hamburg. 04.15 p.m. Check-in, security, now waiting at the gate.04.50 p.m.“Boarding completed” – we are leaving 20 minutes ahead of schedule. No wonder bmi considers itself to be “the UK’s most punctual airline”.05.00 p.m.We have reached cruising altitude, so I get out my laptop and do some more work.07.10 p.m.“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Hamburg, where the local time is 7:10 p.m. We’ve landed 15 minutes ahead of schedule ... We look forward to welcoming you back on a bmi flight very soon.” Yes, I will be going back to Bristol next Monday morning!07.35 p.m.In the taxi going home, time to answer some last e-mails for the day and for a short call to a colleague in the US – good thing he just got in to the office!08.00 p.m. I arrive home, where my husband Robert and I cook dinner together. We look forward to a relaxed evening and some quality time together!11.00 p.m.We are calling it a day – I’ve ambitious plans to get up early tomorrow morning for a work out in the GL Sports club before my day in the Hamburg office starts.

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Spanish PioneersIn Spain and Portugal, where very

tough economic circumstances are

combined with bold energy policy,

a small Spanish DNV GL office finds

itself right in the middle of a whole

series of challenges.

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T here’s a strong sense of pioneering in the sto-

ries of the Spanish colleagues who contributed

to this article. In their relatively short history,

they have gone through many changes and con-

fronted major challenges, yet they have still managed

to see success. Right now, they have a new country

manager and, sharing a beautiful new office with local

DNV people, they are even more enthusiastic about

moving forward.

The first yearsElena Henríquez was one of the founders of the office

in 2008, when KEMA was looking for people to

man their new foothold in Spain. Looking back, she

remembers: “We started with three people in two

rooms and moved to a small office later that year. In

2010 we set up a laboratory in one of the rooms and

started testing smart meters.” The smart meter market

became the main focus for the office, and for good

reason. By 2020 80% of the European households are

to be connected to smart meters, as part of European

legislation on energy efficiency. Spain, despite its

financial crisis, is taking the lead by making it manda-

tory for all Spanish households to have smart meters

by 2018. The country is well on the way towards that

target: after three years, six million of its twenty seven

million households are already connected.

Although the smart meter market looked promising in

2010, those first years were not very easy, says Elena.

There was a lot of pressure to deliver good results and,

being a small team, they had to do everything them-

selves. For Elena, who was educated as an industrial

engineer, it was a pressure cooker for learning new

things, especially about management. That proved to

be very valuable experience, when in 2012 their previ-

ous country manager

left the office and

she had to take over

his role. It took ten

months to find a

new manager.

“KEMA was looking

for the perfect person. We needed someone who was

very familiar with the market and with our customers,

and who really believed in this office,” she explains.

“As for myself, I needed someone I could rely on and

learn from. I love to learn and grow in my work, yet I

found it very difficult to run the office and do all my

other work at the same time.” After a long search, they

found the right person in Santiago Blanco, an industrial

engineer from Uruguay with 20 years of experience in

the Spanish energy market. He was appointed country

manager in March of this year – leading a very young

team that had grown to sixteen people.

New director, new plansSantiago took up the challenge with great enthusiasm,

drawing up an ambitious new business plan together

with his team. The focus of the office is still on the

testing and certification of smart meters, its main

asset being a well-equipped smart grid certification

laboratory. Santiago and his team are very proud of

this lab, which over the years has developed into the

most competitive in its sector in all of Iberia (Spain and

Portugal). “First of all,” he says, “we wish to maintain,

consolidate and export our lab services and, in addi-

tion, we want to develop and expand our advisory

activities, so that we transform our operations into a

consultancy for all of Iberia. Over the next two years

we want to grow to around thirty people.”

The current economic circumstances make this quite a

challenging plan. However, Santiago is convinced that

the smart meter market in Spain still offers plenty of

opportunities. He is very enthusiastic about a move in

May to a new office, which is in the same building as

DNV Madrid. “They’re on the first floor, we’re on the

second,” he says. “That is, of course, a big improve-

ment. We can now share facilities with a much larger

office. Even more important though is the psychological

impact. We see it as a strong indication that the com-

pany believes in the Iberian market and in our potential,

and has decided to commit to that. That’s an inspiring

message, both for us and for our customers.”

The labFrom a tiny office room with one testing set-up

and two engineers, the laboratory has grown to

a modern facility with six different set-ups and six

employees. It’s the “home” of Amir Ahmadzadeh,

an electrical engineer who specialises in telecommu-

nication, who started the lab with Elena in 2010. He

finds it difficult to define his role in terms of a single

position. Although there are now six people working

in the lab, he still has many different tasks and roles.

“Elena and I each serve our own customers,” he says.

“We’re the people they turn to so, depending on what

they need, I’m a consultant, a project manager or a

testing engineer. This diversity is one of the reasons

I like my work so much.” Like Elena, he feels that the

pioneering years, though perhaps not so easy in terms

of business, have given him plenty of opportunities to

learn and grow.

“The company’s commitment

is an inspiring message, both

for us and for our customers.”

Smart meters make it a lot easier for utilities to moni-

tor their customers’ energy use, adjust their supplies

and advise customers on energy efficiency. The use of

such meters, however, requires a reliable and carefully

balanced network of devices and software, from the

utilities to the end users. In the lab, both hardware and

software can be tested, and it also provides services

that make sure that all the different components in the

smart meter network connect and communicate prop-

erly. The customers are utility companies and smart

meter manufacturers, mainly in Spain and Portugal.

“We also collaborate on projects with our colleagues

in other European offices,” says Amir. “Our lab has

successfully positioned itself in the Spanish market and

we hope to expand our services and attract additional

customers from other countries as well.”

Sharing a homeSantiago, Elena and Amir all stress the importance

of sharing an office with DNV. Although DNV mostly

operates in a different sector, they gain a lot of benefit

from sharing HR, financial and administrative facilities.

For Management Assistant Ainhoa Vidaurreta this is

a huge improvement. She joined KEMA in 2011, after

working as a communication specialist for companies

in the entertainment industry. When she started in

the office, she had a variety of tasks (management

assistant, communication and administration), but the

administrative component has grown and become

more complicated over the years. “I don’t have a back-

ground in areas like accounting, so I had to learn it as

I went along,” she explains. “Being the only one work-

ing in administration, it felt a bit lonely sometimes...

“As a managing director, I find transparency particularly important.”

Elena Henríquez

Ainhoa Vidaurreta

Santiago Blanco

Amir Ahmadzadeh

Luis Gutiérrez de Soto

13

But now I get a lot of back up from the DNV office.

When I need advice, I just go down one floor and ask

them. They are really helping me to develop my skills

in this area.”

And then there’s the building itself. Ainhoa and her

colleagues are equally enthusiastic about it. A beauti-

ful, airy new office with plenty of space. “We now

have a special room for large meetings and training

sessions,” says Ainhoa. “Maybe I’ll be able to put my

organisational skills to use there!” It’s also a very open

office, with all rooms separated by glass walls. Even

the lab wall is transparent. “Our intention was to have

a single space for the whole team,” says Santiago.

“We can all see each other. As a manager, I find this

transparency particularly important.”

The benefit of two culturesIt sounds like the Madrid office has successfully inte-

grated legacy KEMA and DNV. Do they ever experi-

ence a difference in culture? “That’s difficult to say,”

says Santiago. “I think we have a lot in common

– we’re both technically oriented and hence basically

speak the same language. What strikes me about

DNV is their deeply rooted concern with sustainability.

A good example is the WeDo programme, which

offers funding and support to individual employees

who would like to make their life and home more

healthy and sustainable. For instance, the programme

helps people to buy more sustainable electrical devices

for their home. It even provides pedometers, which

show you how far you walk every day. We sometimes

used to laugh about it at first, but now we’re compet-

ing with other offices!” •

14

Luis Gutiérrez de Soto is managing director of

DNV (now DNV GL) Madrid. His office represents

the business areas Maritime and Oil & Gas. Business

Assurance is also an important activity in Spain and

Luis acts as Country Chair. The integration with legacy

DNV KEMA, according to Luis, is going extremely

well. “The services they offer are very specialised, so

we don’t overlap there, but we do have customers in

common and that allows us to cooperate sometimes.”

The closest collaboration is administrative. Internal

requirements and Spanish legislation on Health, Safety

& Environment are also an area of mutual interest. The

building helps a lot, Luis confirms. “This office makes

it very easy to meet one another.”

15

In his daily work, Jules is involved with very large-scale

renewable energy projects, taking a macro point of view and

dealing with national governments and multinational com-

panies. Recently, he decided he’d also like to be involved at

the opposite end of the scale. He now works as a volunteer

for a community wind farm project near where he lives.

What’s the idea behind it?It was set up by the Bristol Energy Cooperative (BEC), a volun-

teer group promoting and installing renewable energy in the

wider Bristol (UK) area. They’ve recently been quite successful

with installing solar arrays in various communities, which they

financed by selling shares to the inhabitants. These shares

were actually over-subscribed! Now they want to take the next

step by setting up a community owned wind farm project.

What does this project entail?It will consist of two wind turbines with a combined capacity

of 4 to 5.2 Megawatts, built by a developer with the exclu-

sive option for BEC to buy them when they’re finished. We

will then start selling shares to our community. Hopefully

we’ll raise a lot of money here as well. Additional funding

will come from supportive banks. Shareholders will own a

piece of the wind farm and get a return on their investment.

A community fund will be allocated from the profits, to

support local projects.

What’s your motivation for doing this?On the one hand, I want to spend time on a good cause

and get involved with the local community. On the other

hand, the small scale attracts me as it contrasts nicely with

my large-scale work. Hopefully, one day I’ll be able to touch

the turbine at the end of the road and say: this is partly my

work, I helped to build this!

What is your role?So far, I’ve been helping with financial analyses. In the run-

up to the planning decision, we’ll have to communicate and

explain it to the local people, try to make them enthusiastic

and get their support. Community engagement is an

important part of the whole project. I’ve just started working

four days a week in order to be able to really devote enough

time to it.

How do your colleagues react?I’ve told various people. They’re usually very interested in

this kind of initiative so, when the share offer is promoted,

I’m going to advertise it a lot at work!

If they’d like to do something similar, what would be your advice?Just look for any groups or organisations working in your

area and see if they need help. Many are short staffed and

overworked, and any special skills or experience – or just an

extra pair of hands – is always welcome.

Jules Clayton, who joined legacy Garrad Hassan 4½ years

ago, moved to the Strategy & Policy Services group as a

consultant in 2011.

Jules Clayton and the Community Wind Project

RECHARGING yOuR BATTERIES

WHAT DO yOu DO IN yOuR FREE TImE?

September 12, 2013 Location: Seattle

(WA), USA, legacy DNV KEMA

September 12, 2013 Location: Ottawa (ON), Canada, legacy GL Garrad Hassan

How did we celebrate the merger? Well, with champagne

and cake of course. And all these beautiful blue­and­

green cakes together are a good representation of

unity in diversity within the new company.

A Company and its Cakes

16

September 12, 2013 Location: Austin

(TX), USA, legacy GL Garrad Hassan

September 12, 2013 Location: San Diego (CA), USA, legacy GL Garrad Hassan

September 12, 2013 Location: Peterborough (NH), USA, legacy GL Garrad Hassan

September 12, 2013 Location: Beijing, China, legacy GL Garrad Hassan

September 12, 2013 Location: Portland (OR), USA, legacy GL Garrad Hassan, with

visitors from Seattle – legacy DNV KEMA

September 12, 2013 Location: Peterborough (NH), legacy GL Garrad Hassan, with visitors from Burlington (MA), USA – legacy DNV KEMA

September 17, 2013 Location: Arnhem,

the Netherlands, legacy DNV KEMA

18

Elizabeth DurneyArnhem, the Netherlands

02Theo BosmaArnhem, the Netherlands

06

Julia VetromileSan Francisco (CA), USA

07

Gabriela VasconcellosOakland (CA), USA

21Jan-Christoph NeuhannBristol, UK

08Jules ClaytonBristol, UK

15Jeremy ParkesBristol, UK

23

Jacobien FalkArnhem, the Netherlands

23

Jacob FontijneArnhem, the Netherlands

31

Hugo van NispenBurlington (MA), USA

29

R.V. AhilanBristol, UK

32

David WalkerArnhem, the Netherlands

28

Darlene ScrutonBurlington (MA), USA

33

Team DNV KEmASeattle (WA), USA

16

Team Gl Garrad HassanAustin (TX), USA

16

Team Gl Garrad HassanOttawa (ON), Canada

16

Team Gl Garrad HassanPortland (OR), USA

17

Team Gl Garrad HassanPeterborough (NH), USA

17

Team Gl Garrad HassanSan Diego (CA), USA

16

19

Contributors20

unni Prinsdal EinerkjærHøvik, Norway

10

Amir AhmadzadehMadrid, Spain

10

Santiago BlancoMadrid, Spain

10

Elena HenríquezMadrid, Spain

10

luis Gutiérrez de SotoMadrid, Spain

10

Ainhoa VidaurretaMadrid, Spain

22

Dr Sanjay C KuttanSingapore

Andreas SchroeterHamburg, Germany

30

24

Thea NieberdingHamburg, Germany

21

Signe-marie Bjerke HernesHøvik, Norway

17

Team Gl Garrad HassanBeijing, China

Graham SlackMelbourne, Australia

23

20

Intro

As a world-class technical consultancy, we must answer all requests no matter what the

topic, the language or the market. Just as an example, for a wind farm project, the devel-

oper can be Moroccan, the investor French, the lender German, the manu facturer Danish

and the operator Spanish. That’s why it is said that wind energy is an international busi-ness. I would add that it is also a multicultural business. Advising players from different cultures with our consistent high standard quality ser-vices is the challenge that makes me happy when I cycle to work every morning. Khaled KLABI Senior Engineer – France & North Africa – Renewables Advisory, Legacy GL Garrad Hassan, Paris, France

About usWho are your new colleagues? How do they feel about their

work and their company? We asked a few people from our

legacy organisations to share their thoughts on this.

Unni Prinsdal Einerkjær Senior Administrator, Management TeamLegacy DNV KEMA, Høvik, Norway

It’s important for me that we take care of people in the new organisation. After all, people are the most important resource for a knowledge enterprise; they are the ones that form the actual value of the new company DNV GL. It is also important to safeguard the ability to enjoy the little things in everyday work. Small things, like a smile or a positive word from your col-league, could be all you need in order to gain more enthusiasm.

2121

What I love most about legacy KEMA is the collaboration between colleagues throughout different regions and business lines. We all share the same passion for working on projects that will contribute to a sustainable future.Porto Olímpico Leste in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is a good project to illustrate this. We are developing a Sustainability Master Plan for a 116,000 m2 community located in the Port of Rio de Janeiro. This development will serve as the Media Village during the 2016 Olympic Games and will be sold as commercial and residential space after the Games. The project was a result of collaboration between our San Diego, Oakland and Rio offices. It considers the pre- and post-Games phases of the project and focuses on provid-ing a better quality of life for the future residents and occupants, while increasing the property value of this development.

Gabriela Vasconcellos, LEED AP BD+CSustainability Professional, Legacy DNV KEMA / KEMA Services, Inc - Oakland (CA), USA

Signe-Marie Bjerke Hernes Principal Trainer and Consultant,

Operational Excellence (OPE/MOC), Legacy DNV KEMA, Høvik, Norway

I think one of the most important criteria for success is to develop a good working

environment. This applies to social aspects, as well as to good management that

empowers employees and trusts them to do their best. It is also important to create

a good environment for learning new things. That has been of special importance

for us when moving into the Energy sector. In our group we try to use colleagues’

expertise across departments and we arrange lunch seminars to share experiences.

The best learning, of course, takes place out in real projects helping customers.

Another thing I enjoy about my working environment: the scenery around the

Høvik Office is just marvellous! It’s just perfect for morning kayaking, cycling to

work, ending up with a swim, or just a relaxing lunch break with good colleagues

on the waterfront on a nice sunny day.

I hope that DNV GL continues legacy DNV’s commitment to employees to support their desire to make a difference in safe-guarding life, property and the environment. The tree planting activity we did last September is an example of this commitment. I am glad the staff voted for this activity as a symbol designed to perpetuate DNV GL’s purpose.

DNV KEMA Clean Technology Centre (CTC) and Deepwater Technology Centre (DTC) celebrated the merger with GL by partici-pating in a tree planting session at the East Coast Park on 28 September 2013. The tree planting was done as part of the “1963 Commemorative Tree Planting” event organised by the National Parks Board (NParks). In 1963, then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew planted the first tree and set Singapore on its path to become a Garden City. The event was initiated to commemorate 50 years of greening through the planting of 1963 trees from June through November 2013. Our team planted a total of ten trees belonging to three species during this morning event. Dr Sanjay C Kuttan SEA Regional Manager / Managing Director Legacy DNV KEMA Clean Technology Centre, Singapore

The thing I value very much from legacy DNV KEMA is the opportunity I have in my work to learn and develop myself! Over the past years we have been

growing and transforming into a global, professional organisation. Almost everything has changed because of that. Now I know that change leads to new

horizons, new knowledge and experiences, new contacts in and outside of the organisation, new ways of working. For me it is a true enrichment of my work

and I enjoy it every day! Jacobien Falk Consultant Learning & Development, Legacy DNV KEMA, Arnhem, the Netherlands22

As an engineer, I get a lot of pleasure from making sure that things are designed and built to work safely, efficiently and reliably. As a father, I’ve always been concerned that the job I do helps contribute to maintaining the quality of the environment, so that my kids can grow up to enjoy an unspoiled planet. I figure that by helping our clients to develop the best quality and most economical renewable energy generating plants, I am helping achieve both of those aims.

Graham Slack Area Manager, Pacific, Legacy GL Garrad Hassan, Melbourne, Australia

The thing I value very much from legacy DNV KEMA is the opportunity I have in my work to learn and develop myself! Over the past years we have been

growing and transforming into a global, professional organisation. Almost everything has changed because of that. Now I know that change leads to new

horizons, new knowledge and experiences, new contacts in and outside of the organisation, new ways of working. For me it is a true enrichment of my work

and I enjoy it every day! Jacobien Falk Consultant Learning & Development, Legacy DNV KEMA, Arnhem, the Netherlands

The most enjoyable aspect of my job is being able to

work with like-minded people on technically stimulat-

ing challenges, talking about ideas, and then making

it happen. It’s great to work in a relaxed and friendly

environment while at the same time taking huge pride

in a job well done. I am particularly proud of the suc-

cess we have had as a Forecasting team, growing this

new business area from its initial beginnings 10 years

ago to the established and expanding business it is now.

Jeremy Parkes Global Head of Forecasting,

Legacy GL Garrad Hassan, Bristol, UK

23

24

24 HOuRS

Do you want to share a day in your life? If so, please send an email to transponder@dnvkema.com

A Day in the life of… Thea Nieberding

03.00 p.m.

08.30 a.m. 08.30 a.m.

08.45 a.m.

11.00 a.m.

01.00 p.m.

06.30 p.m.

25

Thea NieberdingStrategy and Integration Manager at Renewables Certification in Hamburg, Germany. With legacy GL Group since November 2012.

07.45 a.m. Getting up early is not my strength so, depending on meetings planned for the day, I aim to be at the office between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m... Usually it turns out to be closer to 9 a.m.

08.30 a.m. I leave the flat, take the tube to work and arrive in the “Hafencity” in Hamburg. I enjoy the walk from the tube station to the office building, as it leads along canals and past little bridges.

09.00 a.m. I start work, screen emails, reply to urgent matters.

10.30 a.m. Call with Yngve Hellerud and Philip Taylor, who lead the IT Workstream in our PMI core team. Discuss open points and issues which have been raised by colleagues. I try to find solutions and ways forward. The migration to the VerIT Platform is moving closer every day and there are many things that need to be settled first: will all business-critical applications work on the new system and will the workstations needed for important calcu-lations continue to work after the migration? Will existing equipment, such as screens, be compatible with the PCs on offer?

11.00 a.m. Meeting with colleagues from the finance team to go through the current version of the Annual Operational Plan (AOP) for 2014. The Review of the AOP with David Walker is in three days. A lot of work has already been

put into the preparation by many colleagues. Discussion focuses now on how to deliver our message clearly and comprehensibly.

01.00 p.m.Lunch break with a colleague in the canteen, enjoying the nice weather. It’s unusually hot for a day in October in Hamburg: 21°C!

02.00 p.m.Work and respond to emails and prepare the meetings that are taking place in the afternoon.

03.00 p.m.The weekly meeting of the PLM-PM project team (Product Lifecycle Management – Project Manage ment). This year we have rolled out project management software, which will help our team to manage existing and upcoming projects by offering transpar-ency on project status and introducing work flows. During this regular meeting the status of the implementation is tracked and open issues are solved. Group IT is supporting the software implementation.

04.00 p.m.Meeting with our Works Council for Renew-ables Certification in Hamburg. During the integration, there are a number of topics which are subject to co-determination by the Works Council in Germany. In this meeting we are conferring with them on the level 5 structure of our new organisation. Kim Mørk, Technical Manager for Renewables Certification, who is also participating. He explains important background for the proposed structure.

05.00 p.m.Work on changes to the AOP presentations that were discussed in the morning.

06.30 p.m.Leave the office, receive the car from my boyfriend, then drive to my Icelandic horses, which have their home outside of Hamburg in the countryside. I really love spending time outside, getting some fresh air, after a day in the office.

09.30 p.m.Back home, I have some food, although I know it’s not healthy to eat so late…. but I can’t just skip dinner.

The first people to actually join

forces in DNV GL ­ Energy were

the members of the Executive

Leadership Team. In the pre­

merger planning phase, the

ELT played a central role in

structuring the new organisation.

Who are they? This article focuses

on the four Directors of Divisions

and the CEO, giving a glimpse

of the people behind the new

job titles.

Joining Forces in a New Company

26

From left: Aad van den Bos, Elisabeth Harstad, Jacob Fontijne,

Bjørn Tore Markussen, Arno Tuinebreijer, David Walker, Andreas

Schroeter, Caroline Kamerbeek, Hugo van Nispen, R.V. Ahilan

27

28

D avid Walker is CEO

of the new company

DNV GL - Energy

(as he was of DNV KEMA). He is based in Arnhem and

divides his time between there and his family home in

London. David was born in Hamilton, near Glasgow

in the UK. He is married and has twin daughters.

What was your very first job? As a teenager

I worked as a waiter at a local restaurant. A job like

that teaches you a lot about people and I developed

a special sympathy for waiters.

And your career so far? I studied geology in

Edinburgh and at Imperial College in London. Then I

worked for several companies in the oil and gas indus-

try, latterly in executive positions. In 2007 I joined

DNV Energy and in 2008 I became Chief Strategy

Officer for the DNV Group. At that time we were

already looking at KEMA, so I was familiar with the

company when we finally acquired our controlling

interest. In June 2012 I became CEO of DNV KEMA.

Is there anything that has profoundly influenced you, in your work or privately? The most influential change in my life was having a

family. It’s a big responsibility. I wanted to bring up my

children in a cleaner world. This is part of the reason

why my ideas about energy have changed over the

last 10-15 years, moving strongly towards promoting

clean energy.

How would your friends describe you? As a fairly calm person who is interested in lots of

things. That’s why I enjoy traveling, different kinds of

food, different people – that’s also why I enjoy this

job! I don’t always go very deeply into things, I like

to see the big picture, but I can “dive deep” when

necessary.

Any hobbies? Well, I don’t like golf or whisky,

though I guess I should do, being Scottish... I read a

lot, particularly about history. I think it’s important to

know the history of places, companies and develop-

ments in technology. It helps to put things in context.

There was a long process preceding this merger. What was the most pleasant surprise? My positive feelings are best illustrated

by the trip I made down the West Coast of the USA

to visit several offices: Seattle (GEC, acquired by

DNV), Portland (Garrad Hassan), Oakland (KEMA),

San Ramon (BEW, acquired by DNV), and San Diego

(GH and KEMA). Everywhere I went I met enthusiasm

for what DNV GL - Energy is all about – renewables,

energy efficiency, smart grids, helping customers and

a genuine interest in each other. The people working

there have the same passion for their jobs as those in

our TIC lab and our certification staff. They want to

get things right and make a difference.

As for the upcoming integration, what should we be aware of? I think it’s essential to

provide the right settings for people to talk to each

other, both virtual and face-to-face. Once people get

to know each other, they tend to work together more

easily. You can resolve a lot of issues if people know

each other personally.

What are you looking forward to in your new position? We’re sure to have more influence

in the clean energy space from now on, with more

capacity and opportunities. I’m looking forward to

meeting people, getting to know their issues and

understanding what we’re capable of as a company.

“Once people get to

know each other, they

tend to work together

more easily.”

David Walker

29

H ugo van Nispen is director of the division

Energy Advisory, which is located in

Burlington (MA), USA. His previous posi-

tion was Chief Operating Officer, Division Americas

at DNV KEMA. Hugo’s parents were Dutch but, as

his father was a diplomat working abroad, he lived

in seven or eight different countries in his youth.

For more than twenty years now he’s been living in

the USA with his wife. They have two children.

What was your very first job? When I was

15 or 16, I worked at McDonalds, cooking hamburgers

and taking out the trash.

And your career so far? I got a Bachelor of

Science degree in Chemical Engineering at the

University of Notre Dame in Indiana, USA, and later

an MBA in Finance and Operations at the University

of Michigan. Before joining legacy KEMA in 2003,

I worked for a variety of different consultancies, all

of which focused on utilities. At the time, KEMA USA

didn’t have T&D or management consultancy and

I was hired to develop the management consulting

business.

Is there anything that has profoundly influenced you, in your work or privately? One of the biggest influences was the fact that, as the

son of a diplomat, we moved every two or three years.

Living in new places, learning new languages, making

new friends, getting to understand how to do things

in a new world: that shaped my outlook a lot.

How would your friends describe you? People often say I’m remarkably comfortable in

unfam iliar settings. I can have a lot of fun when

that feels appropriate but, when it’s necessary to be

serious, I’m serious. I guess that has to do with my

formal upbringing as a diplomat’s son.

Any hobbies? I love trap shooting and motor

boating. We often go out boating on Lake Michigan,

which is a two-hour drive from where we live.

There was a long process preceding this merger. What was the most pleasant surprise? I’m very pleased with my new colleagues

on the Executive Leadership Team. They’re open,

client-focused and businesslike, but at the same time

I feel they don’t take themselves too seriously.

As for the upcoming integration, what should we be aware of? There are two broad

messages, I think. First of all: remember that for our

new colleagues this is as difficult as it was for us

during the DNV KEMA merger. Just remember your

own feelings about “not knowing where to go

or who to ask this” and be empathic with

them. And secondly: any business changes

constantly. The best way to keep your spirits

up is to stay focused on our clients. Then we

can put aside distractions and act in unison.

What are you looking forward to in your new position? We have developed

some very strong capabilities globally, but

they are not yet evenly distributed. I’m looking

forward to bringing more consistency to the

capabilities and services available at all

offices and thus removing any obstacles

to delivery for our clients.

Hugo van Nispen

“The best way

to keep your

spirits up is to

stay focused

on our clients.”

30

A ndreas Schroeter – director of the

division Renewables Certification – is

based in Hamburg. Before his current

position he was managing director of Renewables

Certification in GL. Andreas was born in Werne, a

small town near Dortmund, the home town of UEFA

Champions League finalist Borussia Dortmund, in

Germany. It goes without saying that he’s a big foot-

ball fan! He’s married and has three children.

What was your very first job? As a little boy I set

up my own flea market with a friend, selling old toys.

We earned 10 pfennig, just enough to buy sweets...

My first serious money I earned as a teenager. I was a

passionate football player, and my grandfather used to

pay me five German Marks for every goal I scored!

And your career so far? I studied Electric

& Electronic Engineering, specialising as a

Telecommunication Engineer. For more than 15 years

I worked in telecommunications for firms like Nokia

and Siemens, in the meantime getting an MBA at IESE

Business School in Barcelona. In 2011 I joined GL and

dived deep into renewables and especially into the

project management for certification of wind turbines

and offshore wind parks.

Is there anything that has profoundly influenced you, in your work or privately? Maybe the most important influence has been my very

international youth. I had relatives all over the world

who I met regularly, and this taught me at an early

age that the way I perceived reality wasn’t always the

way other people see it. As a student I volunteered

for the international student organisation IAESTE and

participated in the programme myself, going to the

UK and Japan. It’s these experiences that inspired

me to work internationally.

How would your friends describe you as a person? They’d probably say I’m ambitious and

focused, but also with broad interests. My wife is from

Colombia and we lived in South America for a long

time, so some would say I’m part German, part Latin.

Opposites that meet – that’s me.

Any hobbies? I like good movies, and doing

sports like running, hiking and skiing, but my main

passion is football.

There was a long process preceding this merger. What was the most pleasant surprise? The first meeting in

March 2013 with the management team of both

legacy companies was a very pleasant experience.

Although our roles were not yet clear and we were

potentially competing for the same positions in the

new organisation, the atmosphere was very friendly.

We all felt: this is going to be a good match!

As for the upcoming integration, what should we be aware of? This merger will take

time and the devil is in the details. We’ll often start

something without knowing the outcome, and we’ll

find unexpected obstacles as well as solutions along

the way. I think being open to change and challenges

is the only recipe for success.

What are you looking forward to in your new position? We are the clear market leader

in Renewables Certification now. That brings great

opportunities and a great responsibility too. I’m

looking forward to combining the best of the two

companies.

Andreas Schroeter

“My hardware is German,

my software is Latin!”

Jacob Fontijne

J acob Fontijne – director of the division Power

Testing, Inspection and Certification – is based

in Arnhem. His previous position was Chief

Operating Officer for the Benelux, Middle East and

Africa at DNV KEMA. Jacob was born in Utrecht in the

Netherlands. He’s married and has three children.

What was your first job? As a teenager I had a

range of jobs, from delivering newspapers to picking

potatoes; later I worked in catering as a cleaner and

bartender.

And your career so far? I studied Chemical

Technology at Delft University and did my Master’s

degree in Copenhagen. I started my career at Shell.

I loved working abroad, so when they gave me the

choice between staying in the Netherlands in a high-

grade technology job or going abroad and developing

a broader, though perhaps less profound knowledge

base, I chose the latter. I worked for Shell in many

countries, but then resigned in 2000 to do my MBA.

After that I worked for various companies, focusing

on business development in the energy sector.

In 2011 I started working for legacy KEMA.

Is there anything that has profoundly influenced you, in your work or privately? One person I always remembered was my Russian

roommate in Copenhagen. He had left his family in

St. Petersburg and as a guest teacher he earned very

little. However, he was always positive, he could get

head over heels about a cup of coffee or some fresh

tobacco! At the same time he was very firm in his

principles. I admire that combination of living up to

your principles and thoroughly enjoying life.

How would your friends describe you? Well,

I guess they’d call me an honest and serious person

(perhaps a bit too serious ...), but also very enthusiastic

and optimistic.

Any hobbies? There are many things I like doing.

I am currently renovating my house, and some time ago

I completely restored an old Land Rover. My favourite

sports are cycling, rowing and skating – last year I

skated 50 km with my son.

There was a long process preceding this merger. What was the most pleasant surprise? We’d been preparing this for such a long

time that the speed with which it happened came

as a rather pleasant surprise for me. I really liked the

dynamics of the final process.

“Things will change in the long run,

so make sure you’re part of it!”

31

As for the upcoming integration, what should we be aware of? When KEMA merged with DNV,

there were few changes here in Arnhem, so perhaps for

too long we thought integration would happen auto-

matically – it all appeared to be too easy. We shouldn’t

make that mistake this time. We’re now part of a com-

pany that employs over 16,000 people, which provides

plenty of opportunities for everyone. Things will change

in the long run, so make sure you’re part of it!

What are you looking forward to in your new position? The focus on Power TIC and the

merging of all of the regions gives us great opportuni-

ties for growth and innovation. Labs around the world

will be able to collaborate even better, exchanging

more information and best practices.

32

R.V. Ahilan

R .V. Ahilan is director of the division

Renewables Advisory, and he’s based

in Bristol in the UK. His previous position was

president of GL Garrad Hassan. Ahilan was born and

raised in Jaffna, in the north of Sri Lanka. At the age

of 15 he left for Singapore, where he finished high

school. He is married and has two sons.

What was your first job? As a teenager, I worked

as a filing clerk in my uncle’s law firm during the sum-

mer holidays.

And your career so far? I studied Civil

Engineering at Leeds University and the California

Institute of Technology, followed by a PhD at

Cambridge University, specialising in fluid mechanics.

I joined Noble Denton in 1984, a pioneer marine war-

ranty firm working mainly in the Oil and Gas sector. I

held various positions in Noble Denton, the last being

managing director for Assurance and Consulting.

GL acquired Noble Denton in 2009 and I continued

to work in the merged organisation in the UK and

Americas before moving to GL Garrad Hassan in 2012,

succeeding Andrew Garrad. Renewables presented

me with a whole new challenge, plus a new group of

talented and committed people in an industry full of

innovation and politics.

Is there anything that profoundly influenced you, in your work or privately? Several things,

actually. John Fox, my teacher in Fluid Mechanics at

Leeds University, showed me the impact enthusiastic

teaching can have: he made me feel it was the only

subject worth studying! Then there’s the great Indian

epic, the Mahabharata. It’s complexity of portrayal,

with many shades between black and white, influenced

my view of the world. And thirdly, Bertrand Russell’s

observation that there are two things worth cherishing:

education and love – both of which increase when

you give them.

How would your friends describe you as a person? I guess they’d say I’m fun to be with,

unconventional and even a bit eccentric...

Any hobbies? Family, cricket and fast cars! In Sri

Lanka we had a great outdoor life and played a

lot of cricket.

There was a long process preceding this merger. What was the most pleasant

surprise? I knew we’d be similar in cultural terms,

but the unfailing good nature of my colleagues has sur-

prised me. It makes me moderate my aggressive streak!

As for the upcoming integration, what should we be aware of? Most important:

we should keep our clients right at the centre of

our thinking. They don’t care about our integration

process; they’re only looking for the right service.

In times of change, adaptability is the key to success,

as Darwin taught us long ago.

What are you looking forward to in your new position? So many things! We now have a

cross-section of skills that can transform the world’s

energy needs and we can shepherd this. When I look

ahead five years from now, I hope and expect we will

have made a significant contribution to making renew-

able energy a conventional part of the energy mix.

“My teacher in

fluid mechanics

taught me how

enjoyment can

be conveyed.”

33

Darlene had been riding a motorcycle since the late seventies,

but always as a passenger. Three years ago, she got tired of

riding on the back of her husband’s bike, so she decided to

buy one of her own. Her husband rides a Harley and they

are both members of the Seacoast Harley Davidson Owners

Group (H.O.G.) in New England; her bike got in, too –

despite the fact that it’s actually a Can-AM Spyder.

New England... Can you ride your bike there all year round?We ride about nine months a year. When it gets cold, I have

heated gear – jacket, pants and gloves – that I can plug in on

my bike, like an electric blanket! In the weekends, we tour

all over New England and sometimes we make a longer trip.

Last summer we rode to see my sister in Ohio, 1800 miles

there and back.

Do you often tour with your club?We go for leisure rides in the weekends, and in the summer

we participate in Harley Davidson rallies in various states.

Every state has one or more H.O.G.’s. With our H.O.G., we

also do a lot of charity events. We have meetings regularly

and I write our newsletter once a month. So it’s a big social

thing for us.

Is it dangerous?Yes, definitely. People often don’t see us. My husband’s been

hit three times ... We have reflective vests and we always

use our lights, but people just aren’t aware of motorcycles

as much as they should be.

What do you like so much about it?I love the freedom. Not being enclosed, feeling the wind

in my face. You can smell the cows, the flowers, the ocean...

And yes, perhaps I shouldn’t say it, but I do like the speed!

Do your colleagues know about your motorcycle?I brought it to work once and they all came out to look. It’s

quite a cool bike! It has two front wheels instead of one, and

a lot of technical gadgets like GPS, radio, cruise control and

a windscreen that goes up and down. It’s very easy to ride;

you don’t need a lot of strength.

What would you advise colleagues who might be thinking of buying a motorcycle?Well, first of all you need a helmet. Then the best thing to

do is to go on test rides at local dealers. If you don’t have

a license yet, you can often ride in the parking lot. But of

course, before you really go out on the road, you need a

special motorcycle driver’s licence. When that’s all set, just

follow our club motto: “Ride and have fun”!

Darlene Scruton has been working at legacy DNV

KEMA since 2011. She’s a marketing coordinator in

Burlington (MA), USA.

Darlene Scruton and her motorcycle

RECHARGING yOuR BATTERIES

WHAT DO yOu DO IN yOuR FREE TImE?

34

Building a Future Based on WindThe merger of DNV and GL doesn’t just mean bringing in more people,

more countries and more business. It also means more history. New

roots have been added to the company tree. To get an impression of

the roots of Garrad Hassan, we talked to one

of its founders: Andrew Garrad.

Putting ideals into practiceAndrew Garrad and Unsal Hassan built their com-

pany on wind. Wind energy, to be more precise. But

specialising in this form of renewable energy wasn’t

“written in the stars”. After getting his PhD in fluid

mechanics in 1979 (subject: fluid dynamics and dol-

phins), Andrew wondered which direction he should

take. “In those days,” he says, “you could obtain

a grant to do more or less anything as a PhD, and I

hadn’t yet made a clear choice. I had obtained a PhD

which had been academically very demanding

and interesting, but with no particular goal in

view. An opportunity to work for the US Navy

and the UK Admiralty made me think about

what I wanted and helped me to make a

more active choice.” He decided to

move into industry and

realised that renewable energy was the next coming

thing. His decision to get into renewables was driven

by clear ideals about creating a cleaner world. His

focus on wind energy, rather than waves, geothermal

or tidal, was more or less a random choice – although

it turned out to be a winner in retrospect.

For five years he worked for a conventional civil

engin eering firm that was building wind turbines.

“I had a nice time there, but the heart of the com-

pany was not in wind energy. As far as they were

concerned, it was just government money. So in

1984 my colleague Unsal Hassan and I decided to

start our own wind energy consultancy.” He now

calls it the arrogance of youth: leaving a secure job,

re-mortgaging his house at the same time as his wife

stopped working to have their first child. But they

were lucky – at that time the UK government was

funding the development of wind energy. They made

a deal with the City University in London to do some

teaching in return for office accommodation and

they set up shop.

measuring and predictingThen, as now, there were lots of worries about pol-

lution and the decline in natural resources. However,

the main concerns were of a different nature. “Global

warming wasn’t yet on the agenda,” explains Andrew,

“and wind energy was mainly promoted by New Age

types in “smocks and sandals”. People would laugh

when they heard what we did.” Others, however,

took them seriously. Andrew remembers a cheque

worth 500 pounds arriving on pretty much the first

day Garrad Hassan was established. It came from the

director of a turbine blade manufacturer. “When I

asked him what it was for, he just said it was a pay-

ment on account, because he was sure he’d become

a very good customer... That was a great gesture for

a small start-up company and a very good beginning

to our business.”

While Unsal Hassan focused on measurements,

Andrew’s specialty was mathematical modelling.

As Andrew puts it: “Unsal did the measuring and

I did the predicting. I was more the face of the firm,

while he was the back-room wizard. Together we

made an excellent team.” The power of their com-

bined expertise dawned on Andrew on one

occasion, when he had used some complicated maths

to predict a certain wind turbine’s behaviour and

Unsal had made extensive measurements for the same

project. “The outcomes coincided exactly. I thought:

wow, we can actually predict these things extremely

precisely.”

GH’s first project was writing a computer model

to describe – and predict – the way wind turbines

behave. This model, which is still very much alive

today, is called Bladed. It is at the root of the com-

pany. “I’m very proud of that program,” Andrew says.

“It’s grown by many orders of magnitude over the

decades. It’s now the industry standard tool – and

it’s very profitable. I sincerely hope nothing’s left in

the model from what I wrote back then...”

“Go abroad or die”In the 1980s, the general feeling among governments

was that wind energy was a bit like aerospace, so they

commissioned aerospace companies to build huge

wind turbines. “I remember going to see the German

big wind power system GROWIAN: it was 100 meters

tall. Although today this is almost commonplace, in

those days climbing to the top was a mind-blowing

experience!” At the other end of the scale the real

commercial work involved building much smaller wind

turbines. It was not until the early 1990s that these

two paths met and the two parts of the industry

finally came together. This event greatly accelerated

both innovation and the expansion of wind energy.

From the 1990s onwards, wind farms started to

develop in the UK and Garrad Hassan got deeply

involved, focusing on measurements of their poten-

tial output, monitoring their construction and

performance, undertaking due diligence for banks

and so on. Wind farm development turned out to

be a very competitive market that was dominated

by one major player in the UK. Their dominance and

the fact that they did not need GH’s help forced the

small company (which employed 15 people at the

time) to take a daring step and set up offices in other

countries. According to Andrew, it was a question of

“go abroad or die.” To their surprise, setting up offices

abroad proved to be remarkably easy and a very

good move. The EU had various renewable energy

programmes, which all required international co-

operation. Says Andrew: “We were a neutral but

35

expert firm, which made us an ideal choice as a part-

ner for many European companies. This was a decisive

stage in the development of the industry towards

becoming a very international business with a high

level of cross-fertilisation”.

No equity stake“We had one important rule,” Andrew explains. “We

took no equity stake in any project we got involved

in. So we could stay completely independent. Unlike

many consultancies that became manufacturers or

owners or project developers, our aim was to be

the leading consulting firm. Our independent posi-

tion also made us a valuable partner for lenders and

investors.” The firm expanded steadily and, by 2009,

there were 360 employees working in 25 countries.

Garrad Hassan was an independent, international

firm with a solid reputation. “Consequently, lots of

companies were interested in acquiring us,” says

Andrew. “Amongst them was GL. We were familiar

with GL, as we had often worked with them and we

clearly had very similar ideas. In 2009, Garrad Hassan

was bought by GL.” Unsal Hassan had retired a few

years before. Andrew became president of the newly

formed GL Garrad Hassan, which had grown to a

company employing around 1,000 people when in

October 2012, he stepped down as president. He was

still involved in the company as chairman of the board.

In the new DNV GL structure he will be a member of

the Supervisory Board of N.V. KEMA.

Prolonging the line“I think the future of renewable energy looks very

bright,” says Andrew Garrad. Long experience in the

business tells him that the current stagnation – due

to global economic difficulties – will be temporary.

In his view, the sector has been very naive, creating

the impression of being the only form of energy to

receive a subsidy. “But all energy sources are actually

subsidised; it’s just that the other subsidies are hidden.

If you look at it this way, wind is already cost-compet-

itive. We now see history repeating itself with solar,

tidal and wave energy, which are also part of GL GH’s

offering. They start as “fringe” activities and then

slowly become bigger and more interesting commer-

cially. Wind energy is now one of the major means of

producing electricity. In the UK in the first quarter of

2013 renewables produced 15% of our electricity and

nuclear produced 18%. When I look back to 1984,

those statistics are mind-boggling! Renewables,” he

stresses, “will be a very important part of the future

energy mix, for both ideological and commercial

reasons.” •

This is the 3 MW LS-1

wind turbine on one of

the Orkney Islands, which

Garrad Hassan worked

on in the 1980s. It was

the first MW-scale wind

turbine in the UK.

36

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We’re looking for special, funny, beautiful, striking, surprising, or unusual situations

in your daily work. If you come across one, take a photo, add a brief description

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A Fresh Perspective

Betsie McLain, a senior marketing specialist based in Seattle, sent us this photo of herself and some of her

colleagues, packed into a limousine. She adds: “We were on our way to Chicago’s O’Hare airport after visiting the

WINDPOWER conference last May. It was cheaper to rent one limo for the ten of us than to take a few taxis!”

From left: Matt Malkin, Ruth Marsh, Kevin Smith, Ari Bronstein (not in DNV GL - Energy), Dave VanLuvanee,

Holly Mullen and Betsie McLain. The photo was taken by Stefanie Bourne.

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