Willy shares a personal story from his early days with Odfjell, highlighting how lessons learned and friendships formed over the years have shaped his career:
“During Bow Summer’s call to Durban on September 23, I went onboard for a regular ship visit. I try to visit as many vessels as possible when they’re in Durban, and I’ve always been proud of Odfjell sailors and our vessels. In my opinion, our vessels, officers, and crew will always be Odfjell Tankers’ sales window for our customers.
This time, the visit was extra special because I was meeting Captain Bjerknes, who was my pumpman back in 1995 when we both sailed on NCC Jouf.
I had kept a tank cleaning plan from that voyage, my first time as Chief Mate with Odfjell. For nearly three decades, I kept the cleaning plan and drawings of the ejector line with me, even storing them at home in Rørvik, Norway.
When Bow Summer came to Durban, I felt it was time to return them to their rightful owner. Captain Bjerknes had made those drawings for the ejector system, which allowed us to remove water from the tanks more efficiently. Instead of manually emptying buckets, we implemented a system that dried the tanks quickly, saving valuable time.
This system is now implemented across all our vessels, and it highlights an important lesson: sharing knowledge ensures that we complete our tasks as safely and efficiently as possible.
Sharing experience and information is one of the strongest advantages we have as a company. It ensures we do the job safely and professionally.
In 1998, I took the position of Port Captain for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. That year, I also met Dan Odfjell for the first time in Riyadh after a meeting with Sabic. He asked me how I would compare Odfjell to my previous employer, Stolt Nilsen. My reply was simple: “Stolt and Odfjell are two different worlds. Odfjell values its employees.”
Dan Odfjell then told me something I’ve never forgotten: “Willy, you will meet a lot of skilled people on your way. You will make good friends, some of them for life.”
Looking back, I see how right he was. I’ve met so many skilled and experienced people, and I’ve learned so much from them because they were willing to share their knowledge.
I’ve also made lifelong friends, another testament to Odfjell’s unique way of working. The reason I learned from them is because they shared their experience with me, which I think is the Odfjell way to work.
To my colleagues and friends, at sea and ashore, keep up the good work and stay safe."
Willy's history with Odfjell
1994: Joined as 1st Mate
1995-1998: Chief Mate
1998-2003: Port Captain, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain
2003-2008: Port Captain, Dubai, UAE
2008-2021: Cargo Handling Advisor and Super Cargo, MSG Group, Bergen
2021-2022: Manager, Port Performance, Bergen
2022-present: Acting CEO for OMSA (Odfjell Mazibuko South Africa) in Durban
