Aksel, the world citizen

When 18-year-old Aksel Plener walked up to the lectern in front of an audience of 2000 people, he left the script on his chair. From that moment on, Aksel has been used to tackling his tasks head on.

The view from the large office windows at Northern Lights has disappeared into a thick wall of mist. Ulsnes camp is just barely visible on the other side of the fjord. For someone who has spent a great portion of his time out at sea and up among the clouds, fog is hardly an unusual sight. If there’s something Shell employee Aksel has done a lot of, it’s travelling. He has ventured between ontinents, at work for Smedvig, Navion, Statoil, Marathon, Equinor and BG Norge – to name a few.

What occupies most of his time nowadays, as the Operations Manager at Northern Lights, are the preparations for the receipt of carbon dioxide at Øygarden. A new challenge and a new engagement – yes, please!

From leadership to operations

On this mission, I’m able to take use of all the experience I’ve gained through my time in the oil and gas industry, and in quite an extraordinary way.”, Plener says.

From 2011 to 2022, Plener was Operation Manager for the ‘Knarr’ field. And for a long time, Knarr was in his thoughts 24/7. In 2022, he followed the ship to the docks at Stord. He was ready for something else, something operational. And just like that, Northern Lights became Plener’s new mission.

Aksel speaks warmly of the company’s work methods and its environment. When Aksel talks, all you want to do is listen. He is a man with great experience and extensive knowledge, often received with both gratitude and joy by those around him.

Plener had barely crossed the threshold of the familiar Smedvig building, NSA’s main office, before he had to move a stone’s throw further out, to Bjergsted. However, he loves it there. With an employee as experienced and knowledgeable as Plener, it would be a shame not to make use of his competence. Especially now when the very foundations are being laid out at Øygarden.

“To me, chasing new challenges is synonymous with working for Shell. Chasing the barrels, as I like to call it. There’s always something to improve on.”

Flexibility is essential

Aksel is the father of three daughters and has tested out quite a few side projects over the years. He’s active in the handball community and is responsible for safety during all international games in the Stavanger region. He’s on the board for Viking Handball, and he has an interest in history. When he gets the opportunity to combine history with wine and travel, Aksel is a happy man. And of course, his home features the obligatory wine cellar, so when Aksel talks about staying organized at work, we believe him. Wine enthusiasts with their own wine cellars tend to be tidy people, after all.

Raise your hand if you can guess where Plener comes from originally! It’s not necessarily an easy task. The Narvik accent is nearly inaudible, but once it comes out, all pieces of the puzzle start falling into place. Man of the North Aksel Plener is truly great at making people listen. He’s a wonderful communicator, and he understands the value of good communication.

“Duncan Peace, my supervisor at Navion, gave me a great deal of good advice, not to mention on the topic of communication. He talked about speaking the same language. Not English or French, but talking to each other on the same level. It’s all about adapting. If you adapt to your environment, audience or conversation partner, your conversations will improve. As a leader, acknowledging this is crucial to be able to create a better understanding.”

Wearing his heart on his sleeve

Aksel Plener has made solid contributions to the establishment of four fields in the North Sea. He’s had responsibilities as a leader over time, for large instalments and many employees.

“Having such a great variation in my job has definitely made an impact on me. I have spent a lot of time working with operations, reservoir, underwater logistics, C&P, HSE and logistics. And I associate it a bit with working in an agile manner. In relation to our work at Knarr, we developed an operational organization, working in close collaboration with the administration. Openness and positivity were at the forefront the entire time. In cases where incidents occurred, the company’s focus was on employees and possible injuries, not on economy and additional expenses. I think that says a lot about an organization.”, he concludes.

Aksel has become quite the expert on finding the right kind of work-life balance, juggling work, family life and free time.

“It has made me able to do a better job, while simultaneously working towards becoming a better version of myself.”