#1: Head office in Nuuk, Greenland

At the far end of Puulukip Nuua (the Trawler quay), between the local dinghies at The Dinghies’ quay on one side and the constant traffic of trawlers, container ships and cruise liners at the Atlantic quay on the other, the building reads Royal Greenland. Behind the blue glass façade beats the heart of Royal Greenland. The head office in Nuuk is the glue that binds together Greenlandic production, trawler operations, staff functions and management, and serves as a focal point to the service centre in Denmark and from there out to the many international markets where Greenlandic seafood is sold.  

As in the rest of Greenland, it's stormy and cold on the quayside here in Nuuk in winter, but inside the reception at the head office is warm and welcoming and all visitors are greeted with smiles and interest. Not only employees, but colleagues, guests and business associates from all over the world regularly walk in and out of the doors of Greenland's largest company. 77 colleagues work permanently in the building, spread over four floors, while a further 22 colleagues linked to the head office work elsewhere in the area, including the quality department, the main laboratory and the local Greenlandic sales office.   

Group HR Manager Christian Laursen says: 'The head office in Nuuk has many functions. From the company's overall perspective, Nuuk is the place where dialogue with factories and plants along the west coast of Greenland takes place, from Qaarnaq in the north to Aappilagtoq in the south. From here, there is close contact with local stakeholders, fishermen, suppliers and, not least, employees and managers. External stakeholders such as the Greenlandic government, our owners, the Department of Fisheries and Forestry, the Greenland Institute of Nature, fisheries organizations, trade unions and the joint Greenlandic organization Sustainable Fisheries Greenland are also important partners in Nuuk'.  

Christian also says that the Nuuk office is central to the Group's planning and coordination; the production management for the 37 factories and plants along the coast are housed in this building and have a constant focus on the overall operation of the many production units. The trawler department, to name but a few, is also run from the Nuuk headquarters. 

If we go upstairs from the reception, we meet Mona on the first floor in the canteen. The canteen is the meeting place for everyone in the house and here a dedicated canteen staff provides good food in a cozy atmosphere.  

On the second floor we find, besides IT and the Small Ships department, Finance and Controlling as a Shared Service with responsibility for accounting and finance for the entire Greenlandic part of Royal Greenland.  

The 3rd floor houses the Payroll Department, Communications, CSR and Logistics. The CSR area has been strengthened at Royal Greenland and is now managed here from Nuuk, where two of the team's three employees work together with colleagues and external partners throughout the Group. 

At the top of the building on the 4th floor with a clear view of the harbour basin, we meet Director of Corporate Relations & HR, Jens K. Lyberth and Royal Greenland's newly appointed CEO Susanne Arfelt Rajamand. The latter joined on 1 February and is in the process of getting to know the organization: 'Royal Greenland is an incredibly exciting company, and I already appreciate being here in a building that is buzzing with life and has a wealth of knowledge about the company's entire value chain. At the same time, Nuuk is the place where I will have the opportunity to meet our owners, Naalakkersuisut, and other important Greenlandic partners outside the group'.  

From the left: Anja Svane Evaldsen and Malik Mikaelsen work as hiring consultants in the payroll department, and Carina Isboseth works as an HR consultant in the HR department. From there they have a scenic view over The Dinghies' quay.

From the left: Sara Biilmann Egede, Teamleader in HR Development & Work Environment with Christian Laursen and Susanne Arfelt Rajamand in Susanne’s office.

Director Jens K. Lyberth has been with Royal Greenland for almost 10 years and has been there along the way, while a number of the company's central functions have been brought together in Nuuk: 'As the Group's head office, it is very important that we have a wide range of skills and knowledge in HR, fisheries, production, sustainability and general management. Also, we appreciate the visits of our international colleagues and business partners, with whom we exchange knowledge and develop the business together, both in and outside Greenland'.  

On the 4th floor we also find the trawler department, which consists of 11 employees who take care of the operation of the 12 vessels that operate in Greenlandic waters and most of the North Atlantic. The department is headed by Trawler Manager Andrias Olsen, who has plenty of experience of life at sea, having spent many years as an officer on the Group’s vessels. Outside Andrias' window, the M/tr Sisimiut has just docked at the Atlantic quay to unload, change crew, pick up new packaging and provisions. From the quayside, the four-floor main office building suddenly seems small next to the large ocean-going trawler, which is on a short visit before the next fishing trip. 

In the next edition of 'Meet Royal Greenland' we welcome you on board M/tr Sisimiut.