When today’s young women attend technological studies, they are cheered on by many different actors. It’s been a long journey to get to where we are today. Some women went ahead and sought themselves to typically male dominated areas in the job market. Today’s female technologists stand on these women’s shoulders.
This week the Norwegian magazine for technology and natural sciences, Tekna Magasinet, is presenting some of the Norwegian female pioneers in technology and natural sciences. One of the women presented is the CEO of FEMINA advisory partner GCE NODE.
This article is translated from teknamagasinet.no
Anne-Grete Ellingsen (1953) is considered Norway’s and the world’s first female Offshore Installation Manager. She got her civil engineering degree from the University of Stavanger and holds a degree in business economics. At the age of 25 she got the Offshore Installation Manager position in the North Sea for Elf Aquitaine, at the platform Frigg DP2.
She has previously been State Secretary in the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, had leading positions related to renewable energy in Agder Energi, SAE Vind DA and Vestavind Offshore AS, the first Norwegian offshore wind project. From 2013 she has been the CEO in the industry cluster GCE NODE in Southern Norway which works to ensure that the oil- and gas industry takes a leading position in international contests. She has a range of experience in board positions from private and public sector.
When interviewed by Tekna Magasinet in 2014 she praised the French culture in Elf which was more focused on technical competence and technology, and not focusing on gender. But being a female boss on a platform in the North sea with an international crew in the 80’s demanded its woman.
“The most important was to be professional, focused on the job and maintain authority. I sometimes had to be tougher than what was comfortable. Sometimes it was important to show muscles,” she said in 2014.
