In our special column this month, we are glad to host an interview with Mrs. Lotte G. Lundberg, Managing Director, Danish Maritime Fund, who has worked for 39 years with the Maersk Group, an opportunity that elevated her career. She feels lucky to have engaged with many good people over the years, who have influenced her with their strong drive and courage to set new directions and standards, yet possessing integrity, high ethics, and empathy.
As she further explains, a personal passion for Mrs. Lundberg is exploring how to change on a personal level and support green transition. In that regard, she is passionate about wildlife, biodiversity, the globe and all matters that can add value to a sustainable future for our planet.
SAFETY4SEA: How did it come about that you joined shipping industry and your field of expertise specifically?
Lotte Lundberg: My heritage is from a family company running a business at a local port in Denmark. I was fascinated by ships – and still am – which motivated me to apply for a trainee position in the renown East Asiatic Company. They did not admit females (in 1978!) why the Maersk Group became the logic choice for education and a career.
S4S: What about your current job/ role most excites you and why?
L.L.: As MD of the Danish Maritime Fund, we enable growth in the Danish Maritime Sector. We do that via seed funding to maritime start-ups as well as grants to maritime research and maritime education. In addition, I have for the past 10 years served as non-executive board member in several boards in shipping, ports, and maritime manufacturing, and it is very rewarding to combine these two roles, as the one supports the other and vice versa very well.
S4S: When you think of the word successful who’s the first person who comes to mind and why?
L.L.: You can be successful in so many ways. Are we talking career and in that respect a specialist or leader role? Are we talking about personal success, family, the good life, etc.? A difficult question to answer.
S4S: Who is/was the most influential person/mentor to you & why?
L.L.: I have engaged with so many good people over the years. But in a nutshell, those who influenced me most have had a strong drive and courage to set new directions and standards, yet possessing integrity, high ethics, and empathy. And not least a good deal of humor
S4S: What is the best and what was the worst piece of advice you’ve ever been given and why?
L.L.: Let’s start with the latter. My father wanted me to be a math professor – ha ha. And on the best advice, when I entered the ‘professional board member’ role, I received a few good pointers on good governance and the board member role from some of my mentors – you are by the way never too old to have mentors!
S4S: What is the most worthwhile career investment (in energy, time, money) you’ve ever made?
L.L.: My 39 years with the Maersk Group – it has opened so many doors, also in my later career.
S4S: If you could give a piece of advice to your 18-year-old-self one thing, what would it be and why? What piece of advice should you ignore?
L.L: My advice would be to: “go do your thing, girl! Never mind all the butterflies in your belly – they will drive you to lots of good stuff.”
S4S: In the last five years, what new belief, behavior, or habit has most improved your business life?
L.L.: A personal passion is still the drive for change to the better in all aspects. In recent years this has especially evolved around the green transition. Being passionate about wildlife, biodiversity, the globe, I am appalled of personally having had the insights too late in the harm we have made to the planet. This is what I work for in my various roles now.
S4S: What is your personal motto?
L.L.: ‘You can what you want’
The views presented hereabove are only those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of SAFETY4SEA and are for information sharing and discussion purposes only.
