As a leading biotech innovator, we (Aker BioMarine) develop krill oil products for nutraceutical, aquaculture, and animal feed applications. We are the fishermen and women as well as the creators, builders, scientists and business professionals. We innovate by nature and are on a mission to Improve human and planetary health. During this interesting time in the world, our business didn’t stop, in fact, it remained strong, and I believe it was because of two distinct things.
As a globally-operating company reliant on a crew at sea, in Antarctica, COVID-19 was a completely new and unexpected situation, for which there was no plan. Handling it in a good way came down to two very simple things: our people and our culture. Those are the two things that you cannot plan or train for, because having the right people and building the right culture happen slowly, over time, influenced by multiple factors.
We have a crisis organization at-the-ready, a contingency plan in place, and have trained for certain, more likely scenarios for the business. These activities give us a feeling of confidence, comforting us into believing that we are ready for whatever may come our way. And while this preparation is important, what actually hit us this year was unprecedented, and I’m fairly confident in stating that no amount of planning or training could have truly prepared us for this global pandemic.
Our culture
Culture is something that’s hard to define, but I think it’s best to think about our culture at Aker BioMarine as the unspoken feeling or sense about who we are as a company. At Aker BioMarine, we decided to put words behind those feelings, in the form of ‘Heartbeats’, which are the attitudes and behaviors that define us. We use the Heartbeats as a guide when hiring new employees, but they are also a reminder for the rest of us that have been here for a while as to what helps drive our success.
I am proud to say that I often see each one of these Heartbeats in action on a regular basis, and I saw a major increase during the crisis. These are the Aker BioMarine Heartbeats that keep our company moving in a positive direction: WE THINK OUTSIDE THE ORDINARY, WE DARE TO GO BIG, WE CAN DO & GRIND THROUGH, WE ARE CUSTOMER OBSESSED, WE CHEER EACH OTHER ON, WE GIVE TRUST & TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, WE ARE TRANSPARENT and WE HAVE PASSION AND WORK HARD.
Our Heartbeats represent our culture and one heartbeat, in particular, has been important for us throughout this time—WE HAVE PASSION AND WORK HARD. To be able to grind through in difficult times, you need a team that puts in extra effort, not because they have to, but because they want to, and they thrive on the challenges they face. To really understand all our Heartbeats, we put extra focus on one Heartbeat at a time. We recently launched the focus on the WE HAVE PASSION AND WORK HARD Heartbeat and we do so by showcasing our employee’s passion and hard work, on and off the job. We use various channels to do this such as Workplace from Facebook, our internal company ONE Meetings and even an upcoming podcast.
During times when we are not able to meet in person as we used to, these channels allow our employees to continue engaging with each other, ensuring that we can work towards our goals as a team. This new Heartbeat is a true testament of how our colleagues work each and every day. I also believe it is the way forward.
Our Heartbeats are most definitely a reflection of who we are and what we stand for. During the most difficult times, there is still a spirit of community across Aker BioMarine, and a renewed focus on what it takes to keep on going. We asked employees how they felt, in the midst of the COVID-19 measures, as part of our regular ‘pulse’ surveys via a system called &frankly. The survey revealed that engagement levels were up to 87 percent, and a total of 84 percent said that they do their jobs out of passion. An overwhelming 94 percent of our people said that if they had the choice, they would apply for their jobs all over again. It’s the people that make our business go round – their drive, their motivation and their passion. But where does it all come from? My theory is that the answer lies in our culture.
Our People, a True Team
During the past 7 months, we asked a great deal of our 500 employees. We had crew members at sea at a time when borders were closing, and stay-at-home orders were being imposed by governments. We had production facilities that required essential staff on-site and we had hundreds of staff members who were asked to remain home and to do their jobs to the best of their abilities.
What I saw during this time was a true team in every sense of the word. A team of people who were willing to make sacrifices for the good of the company. From the crew members who were forced to remain at sea for longer than expected and the staff who manned our production facilities and tackled added safety measures, to our employees who had to adapt to a new way of work in a new environment, overnight, it was the willingness, motivation and dedication of our people that kept our business running.
I am proud to say that over the past decade, we have won numerous awards at Aker BioMarine on our management strategy, innovation and much more. We just received the “Best Managed Companies 2020” award from Deloitte and the Norwegian School of Management. This recent award helps validate that what we are focusing on in terms of our people and culture is also being recognized by others externally. I guess you can say that we are helping to set the standard for others.
When it comes to crisis plans and training exercises, I now see more clearly what’s really required to handle the unexpected in a good way. It’s about people. People who are inspired, motivated and passionate will always find the best way to solve a challenge.
At Aker BioMarine, we don’t take this for granted. I’ve heard us referred to as a company built around krill harvesting, but that’s incorrect. We are a company built around people, and no matter what comes next, they are and always will be our first priority.
Matts Johansen, CEO, Aker BioMarine
As Aker BioMarine’s CEO, Matts is on mission to improve human and planetary health. Leading the global krill company, which was named Norway’s most innovative business in 2017, and Europe’s most innovative business in 2018, Matts is a natural risk-taker. From rolling on a board, to sitting in the boardroom, as a former professional skateboarder, Matts believes his business mind-set has been influenced by the do-or-die determination he developed while skateboarding. “Before you drop-in from the top of a ramp, you have to be 100 percent focused on the trick you are going to do and be convinced that you can do it. If you start doubting your ability, you will fall, and fail. It is the same in business, you must be totally committed, and you have to go all in,” Matts says.
