Growing up Grieg

– I usually start the day more calmly than this, Thomas Grieg says and laughs. Sitting across from the journalist and the camera guy, the young Investment Director is yet steady in the role at the head office of the Grieg Group in Bergen.

– Coffee and financial newspapers, he adds. – When the cup is empty, the work starts. A typical day has a lot of meetings and phone calls.

Where to invest?

His job revolves around problem-solving and following up on investments and companies,  mainly in Stavanger, Trondheim, and Oslo. He is on the board and chair of some companies Grieg Kapital has invested in.

– It is exciting being involved in developing companies, but it takes a lot of time and can be pretty complex.

Grieg Kapital invests in companies that will grow in technology, aquaculture, and maritime industry.

– Last year’s investment in CFEED looks promising. They produce starter feed for marine fish, which is a complicated matter.

Investment strategy is all about figuring out what to invest in. What kind of companies and sectors are interesting? And further what kind of analysis you must make before making the investment, what phase in the company’s life the investment is in, and who you want to invest with.

– We encourage colleagues in other companies to let us know about exciting opportunities and lean on their competence.

Jumping at a chance

The conversations around the family dinner table usually start with everyday things but quickly gravitate towards work. Growing up, working in the Grieg Group was always a goal for Thomas, but he was unsure if it was a good fit.

– I deliberately worked in other companies for a couple of years after I finished my studies.

But when his father, Per Grieg jr, asked him to lead a new, big project with fish farming in Newfoundland, it made Thomas reassess.

– I had to think about it for a long time. It took about three months before I gave him my answer. However, all my current colleagues said it was a dream project, so why not just jump at the chance?

– And they were completely right.

Important mentors 

Thomas worked in Newfoundland for three years, and when the project was sold to Grieg Seafood, he started working full-time for Grieg Kapital.

– Sitting here now, I have gotten opportunities that I might not have gotten early on in other companies. I feel a strong sense of ownership of the company and my work, so it is hard to put it aside.

He says he has been fortunate to work with many great people. His father, Per, started Grieg Seafood in 1992 when he was 35. Today, he sits as the board chair of Grieg Seafood and several other companies.

– I work closely with my father. He has much experience and has worked with many of the same things as I do now. I also learned a lot about fish farming, financing, and project development from working closely for several years with Knut Skeidsvoll in Grieg Seafood, Newfoundland.

– It is a great place to work, in the greatest city in the world, he concludes.

Surrounded by mountains, the coworkers in the Bergen office focus on physical activities and the yearly races up Mount Ulriken and Mount Stoltzen.

– When your last name is Grieg, not running Stoltzen is not an option, he says, laughing.