New Waters – The Beginning of a New Digital Adventure at Navico
Toward the First Port – April 2007
Navico – Strandveien, Lysaker
When I decided to leave SAS in the spring of 2007 after nearly 25 years, in many ways it felt like leaving a family. SAS had been an enormous part of my life—professionally, socially, and personally. I had been fortunate to take part in an early digital revolution in aviation, EuroBonus, and the internet, and I had grown alongside a company that meant a great deal to all of Scandinavia.
Yet I increasingly felt that the time had come for something new. My studies in web design, eMarketing, and innovation had opened up new perspectives. I wanted to apply my expertise more broadly, work in a more international environment, and help build digital solutions from the ground up within a global technology company. So when the opportunity at Navico came along, I quickly realized that this was a step I had to take—even though leaving SAS was emotionally difficult.
In April 2007, I joined Navico at Strandveien in Lysaker.
The transition from aviation to marine technology was a major one, yet there were surprisingly many similarities. Once again, it was about people, technology, brands, user experiences, and international customers. The difference was that this time, we would be building much more from the ground up.
Meeting my Norwegian colleague Jørgen Wik-Dahl and American colleague Eric Oyler in Austin, Texas, proved crucial to getting started. We came from different cultures and professional backgrounds, but quickly discovered a shared enthusiasm for technology, innovation, and the opportunities the internet offered an international company.
What meant even more to me personally was the trust and support I received from both Jørgen and Eric during this period. When taking on large and demanding digital projects with small teams and limited budgets, relationships and collaboration become incredibly important. I felt that we were building something together—not just technical solutions, but also a culture shaped by trust, creativity, and a determination to find solutions.
I was already very familiar with the field from my years at SAS and my studies. The challenge was to build something entirely new.
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Where should we start?
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Which platforms should we choose?
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How should we organize the work?
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How could a relatively small team manage an international digital initiative for several strong brands at the same time?
The task was clear:
Within a very short period of time, we had to launch six international brand websites with limited budgets, high complexity, and significant expectations within the organization.
This was pioneering work.
It was not simply about “building websites.” It was about creating a digital structure for an international group with different products, markets, languages, cultures, and user groups. At the same time, we were operating in an era when many companies were still in the early stages of digital maturity. Social media was just beginning to emerge, mobile use was growing rapidly, and expectations for digital customer experiences were changing quickly. The professional challenges were literally lining up.
We had to consider:
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publishing platform
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design
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information architecture
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product data
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languages
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support
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internal organization
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vendors
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hosting
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SEO
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and how the brands could present a unified presence while still retaining their individual identities.
It was intense, educational, and incredibly exciting. At the same time, I developed an even deeper understanding of just how crucial people are in major digital projects. Technology alone creates nothing without people who collaborate effectively, share their expertise, and help one another succeed.
Perhaps that is precisely why my years at Navico still mean so much to me. Not only because of the projects we completed, but because I experienced just how much a small team can accomplish when trust, professional curiosity, and genuine team spirit come together.
