008 David Kristensson, CEO Northern Offshore Services

Meet David Kristensson, CEO Northern Offshore Services and a shipping entrepreneur. David is born and raised on the island of Donsö, in the archipelago outside Gothenburg, which is a centre for tanker shipping in Sweden. Donsö has app. 1,400 inhabitants, 8 shipowning companies controlling 35 tankers in various sizes, trading North European waters. David is a Master Mariner and an Engineer. He grew up on and around ships and started his career as shipowner with a tanker vessel. Then he was asked by a friend to contribute with his knowledge to an offshore wind vessel, which gave him the idea to develop the concept of the high-speed catamarans that is the business today. Just to realise that the wind offshore industry needed to transport crew and equipment out to the wind farms is one thing, but to bring the concept to the next level, like getting the people being transported to feel comfortable, to find solutions before the demand is there, that is something else. One of Northern Offshore Services is Siemens Offshore Wind Power Solutions, who obviously has been very content with their co-operation. When David describes the work they do, how the transported people enjoy the ride with them and what skills is needed from the seamen onboard the vessel, it becomes obvious that this is a new segment for the traditional shipping industry. The fleet of Northern Offshore Services now includes 19 vessels.  You can follow David on @JDAKristensson on Twitter and you can see a film of the vessels operated here and an interview with David from the Donsö Shipping Meet 2015 here. Another thing we talk about in the podcast is Prince Daniel's Fellowship, please follow this link to find out more about that.