Generational shift in Sølvtrans
Robin Halsebakk has taken over as CEO of the world-leading wellboat company Sølvtrans in Ålesund.
The company was established in 1986 by Roger Halsebakk and three others (these three were bought out in the early 1990s). Roger Halsebakk went on alone and had the company's first new vessel constructed at Aas Mekaniske, where the company has now built dozens of boats.
Along the way, wellboat operations have been established in every major market in the world that produces Atlantic salmon.
“The time had now come for Robin Halsebakk to take over as CEO of the company, and he gets the job because he has proven himself worthy of doing the job that is needed. Through his years of work in various disciplines, he has proven that he can really take this company further, where the requirements for understanding general operations, technical knowledge, innovation, fish welfare and biosafety will continue to be at the forefront of the company's operations” says Roger Halsebakk.
Sølvtrans CEO, Robin Halsebakk
"Of course I will not withdraw from Sølvtrans. Sølvtrans is still the largest investment for Ronja Capital II, but I will move on to the role of chairman instead.
In addition, I will spend more time on our investments that are made within our investment company Ronja Capital II”, Roger Halsebakk continues.
Roger Halsebakk joins as chairman, and thanks Anders Hvide for the cooperation and the time he has been chairman since 2011.
Robin Halsebakk has a degree in economics. He completed a bachelor's degree at Trondheim School of Economics in economics and administration, before achieving a master's degree in finance at the Norwegian School of Management in Bergen.
Robin Halsebakk realized early on that if he was to work in the family business, he would have to get thoroughly acquainted with the wellboat industry and understand how the market works. Therefore, he enlisted as a sailor during school holidays, on several of the company's well boats in the period 2011-2015. In this way, he gained an in-depth knowledge of how a wellboat operates.
He later became a business developer / trainee in the period 2015-2016.
In the period 2026-2018, he worked as a logistics manager in the company, before becoming marketing manager in the period 2018-2019.
In 2019, Robin Halsebakk became operations manager / deputy managing director in the company. This is a position he has held until he was now hired as general manager (CEO)
"I am proud to continue what Roger has built stone upon stone for almost 35 years. Sølvtrans is a world leader in the transport of live fish, and we will continue to be. I look forward to taking this well-run company further in line with how Roger Halsebakk has been in the forefront for decades. Over time, we have built an incredibly good team both on land and at sea, which together will take this team forward with the culture that is well established in the organization. We as a company always put fish health and biosafety first when we carry out our operations. In addition, we contribute to significant innovation and local value creation through our business. We will continue with this through our very ambitious newbuilding program, where 20 new well boats will be built by the end of 2025, says Robin Halsebakk. "
"There are many families who are associated with the company either through being employees, suppliers, workers at the shipyards, our customers, etc. This is a social responsibility we take very seriously, and I look forward to leading this company forward."
Robin Halsebakk is very concerned about knowing your customers well in order to provide the best services that are adapted to the customers' needs. If you want to do this, you need to get to know the whole industry quickly.
Robin and Roger photographed during Robin’s cycling trip along the Norwegian coast. Rogers sister Sonja in the middle.
In the summer of 2017, Robin Halsebakk therefore embarked on an exciting cycling trip with a focus on promoting good public health through a healthy and good diet and physical activity. He therefore chose to cycle the entire Norwegian coast to promote the fantastic product that produces and at the same time raise money for the cancer association. With him on the trip from Grimstad to Kirkenes, he had sales manager in Sølvtrans, Petter Gunnarstein, and together they visited more than 120 seafood companies, hundreds of proud aquaculture workers and collected over a million krones for the cancer association.
Later he rowed from Trondheim to Ålesund in a rowing boat, where he got the actors in the industry to help row. In this occation, a rowing boat was built and auctioned off. The money raised on this trip also went in full to the cancer cause for which Robin has a strong commitment.