Industry Organisations, News

Leadership changes and continued investment at HQ and plant in Norway

Schaan (FL) / Kleppe (NO), March 30, 2020 – In 2017, the Liechtenstein-based Hilti Group acquired the Norwegian Oglaend System Group, a leading manufacturer of cable management solutions and multidiscipline support systems for the oil and gas, renewables and global...

After almost three years of building a strong, combined unit and defining an exciting vision and strategy, Geir Austigard has decided to resign from his role as the CEO of Oglaend System Group effective June 30, 2020. He will remain engaged and connected to the company by taking over the role of Advisory Board Member of the Oglaend System Group from the company founder Gunnstein Austigard. By representing the Austigard family and their continued investment, both parties assure ongoing continuity and alignment of interests.

“Over the last couple of years Oglaend System Group has strengthened its role as an integrated partner for owners, engineering houses, OEMs and global yard communities. Today, we provide hard- and software solutions, engineering support and industrialized constructions services for our customer base,” Geir Austigard said.

“Together with Hilti, we have built a very competent business development and engineering team that can serve our customers globally in a very consistent way.”

“Furthermore, we have decided to split roles into a Head of Offshore and a Head of Oglaend System business division to, on the one hand, strengthen our segment strategies and sales execution and, on the other hand, increase the consistency of delivering our total offering. This will strengthen our business development while investing in leading technology development and manufacturing automation,” Reinhard Schindler, Executive Vice President, Hilti Energy and Industry said.

“We are pleased to announce that Geir Seland will lead our Offshore unit and that Hermann Holzer has been appointed Head of Oglaend System business division, both as of July 1, 2020,” Schindler explained.

Geir Seland holds a M.Sc. in petroleum engineering from the University of Stavanger. In his role as Oglaend System Group COO since 2007, he has successfully driven differentiated business solutions with a very customer-centric approach. Hermann Holzer holds a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Technical University in Vienna and post-doctoral degrees from MIT and Stanford. He has been with the Hilti Group since 2000 in various technical and business roles.

Recent business successes have confirmed that the culture and competence of Oglaend System, combined with Hilti’s global reach, is a winning formula. This is also resulting in accelerated investments by the Hilti Group. Since joining forces, the number of employees in the Oglaend System Group in Norway has grown by more than 15 percent and the total investment into manufacturing equipment has been NOK 12,000,000. In addition, the construction of the new office building in Kleppe, opening in March 2021, is well underway. The new office will offer a modern working environment for over 120 employees in business development, marketing, R&D, supply chain, manufacturing, finance, HR, IT and general administration.

“On behalf of the company, we would like to thank Geir Austigard for his dedication and contribution to setting the company up for a successful future. We wish him all the best for his personal and professional future and look forward to continuing the fruitful collaboration. At the same time, we are confident that both Geir Seland and Hermann Holzer, with their strong backgrounds and excellent track records, are well prepared for their new roles. The new organization is an opportunity to create even more clarity and accountability,” Matthias Gillner, Member of the Hilti Group’s Executive Board and Chairman of the Advisory Board of Oglaend System Group said.

Hilti Group

The Hilti Group supplies the worldwide construction and energy industries with technologically leading products, systems, software and services. With 30,000 team members in over 120 countries the company stands for direct customer relationships, quality and innovation. Hilti generated annual sales of CHF 5.9 billion in 2019. The headquarters of the Hilti Group have been located in Schaan, Liechtenstein, since its founding in 1941. The company is privately owned by the Martin Hilti Family Trust, which ensures its long-term continuity. The Hilti Group’s strategic orientation is based on a caring and performance-oriented culture and the goals of creating enthusiastic customers and building a better future.