All about the ocean

From the left: Kristin Holth, Claudio Goulart, Tom-Mario Ringseth and Karsten Sætre

Since September 2018, Kristin Holth is the global Head of a new Ocean Industries unit in DNB, Norway´s biggest shipping and energy bank.

This week Kristin Holth visited Brazil to meet colleagues, clients and business partners, and to understand the dynamics of the upturn in the market, in order to be even better advisers to the clients and assist them in their financial needs.

The new Ocean Industries Division was created after a reorganization internally, and the ambition is to have broader focus on the ocean industries as well as continue the strong individual industry focus.  DNBs business model is further to offer a broader range of services and finance sources to the clients.

«We have merged oil & gas, seafood, supply services and offshore into one division. Internationally, these sectors are the backbone of Norwegian export  industries. All have a global reach and all are very important to Norway. That´s why they are also important to DNB», Kristin Holth explains.

The merge fits perfectly with the approach that Norwegian authorities is taking. In 2017, the first Norwegian ocean strategy was presented as well as a white paper on the place of the oceans in Norway’s foreign and development policy. The ocean industries currently represents more than 70 percent of Norway’s export value.

Norway is one of the world’s largest producers of oil and gas, one of the world’s largest and most advanced seafaring nation, the world’s second largest exporter of fish and seafood.  Norway is also at the forefront of marine research and responsible management of marine resources, and also has a world class service and supply industry.

Since the 1970s, DNB has followed its clients abroad, whilst adding the core and large international clients the portfolio.

«This was also the case for our shipping clients and later our offshore and oil & gas clients. In Santiago, Chile, we have been present for our seafood clients  since 2007. Today we have a global presence, with offices in the large hubs of New York, London and Singapore as well the ocean hubs of Houston, Rio de Janeiro, Santiago  and Athens. The merging of the sectors internally fits well in Norway, where there is a high focus on ocean. For DNB this is a good way to show that we are also part of the ocean. It also has to do with our footprint internationally. The ocean industries are all volatile and capital intensive industries. There are cross-overs in technology and also in ownership. They are part of the same value chain. For us as a bank to understand all elements it makes sense to combine the sectors in one unit to strengthen our position and better serve our clients, by better understanding the cross-overs and the interaction», Kristin Holth says.

After a rough couple of years, where DNB has actually cut its shipping and offshore portfolio somewhat, the Norwegian executive wants her clients to know that DNB is there to to «walk the talk», and strengthening its position through downturns, with a clear focus on longterm.

«We have reduced the number of clients to better serve, add value and really make a difference. We are industry focused and have a strong position in capital market products, with capabilities to take a company to the stock exchange, raise equity or bonds, find investors to export credit financing, to be complete financial advisers to our clients», Kristin Holth says.