EARS' interview with Anders Marvik, VP for European Political and Public Affairs at Statoil

In our March EARS newsletter, we speak to Anders Marvik, Vice President for European Political and Public Affairs at Statoil. He talks about his move to the “Brussels bubble” following a variety of global positions within the organisation. He tells us his thoughts on how to successfully lead public affairs practice in Brussels and on the skills he looks for in his new hires.

Anna/EARS: You’ve worked with Statoil for the majority of your professional career, holding a number of roles worldwide. How does the posting in Brussels differ from the others? 

Anders/Statoil: I’ve been with Statoil for over twenty years, in a variety of business areas, and have thus developed a fairly varied background. Lobbying is the one part of this job that I had never experienced before. I’m not simply supposed to understand what’s going on, I’m also expected to influence it. It was an appealing facet of the job that I looked forward to adding to my CV.

Anna/EARS: This move took you from roles with a global focus to one with a more regional scope. Did that require some readjustment on your part?

Anders/Statoil: When I started, I did wonder whether the scope would be restricted. However, my experience - and I’ve been in the job for four years now - has actually been very different. I’ve been dealing with all the issues that the company and the industry currently face beyond the borders of the EU. These range from the Paris Climate Agreement and the 2030 legislation, the level of the oil prices, the nexus between energy, politics and climate, to financial, safety and transparency regulations. These are global, not just European, issues. There are many things originating from Brussels that affect us more broadly as a global business. Of course, there are things going on that are specific to the “Brussels bubble”. However, I actually spend very little of my time on them.

Anna/EARS: In a world where people switch jobs every few years, how does it feel to have dedicated most of your career to one company?

Anders/Statoil: Although I’ve worked in the same company for more than twenty years, I’ve spanned five different business areas: financial department, international projects and operations, technical engineering, corporate strategy; now I’m reporting in the corporate communication line.

So in a way I have moved jobs every two to four years. I have crossed functions and countries, not sitting doing the same thing for twenty years. That’s the great thing working for a company like Statoil. I’ve been able to do that without having to leave the company. At Statoil, we are very open to moving between functions and business areas. It’s not simply accepted; it’s actually expected.

Anna/EARS: This seems in line with trends we see when people are considering career changes. They look for new professional stimuli across different areas of expertise, not simply to climb the corporate ladder.

Anders/Statoil: Indeed. Having worked in a single function throughout your whole career won’t necessarily make you a top manager. You may still become one, but having a depth and a breadth to your career is more useful when you become a CEO or a member of the top management team.

This is not just what I think or hope; it’s genuinely part of our policy. If you look at our top management, all of them have had experience in different roles and different business areas.

Anna/EARS: Have you had any role models that inspired you in your professional development?

Anders/Statoil: I don’t think I have had one specific role model. Of course there have been people that have been inspiring to me, but no single person that would embody everything I aim for. In addition, I’ve sometimes learnt from others what not to do.

So for me it’s more about seeking inspiration in people and learning from others. You should seek role models both inside the company and externally; you should look at what people are doing within the industry, in politics or in other organisations.

It’s also important to remember that even if you only have a single role model, you can’t become that person. You have to find your own unique way of doing things. I think that’s very important; ultimately, you have to be “you”. Otherwise, you’re not genuine, and if you’re not genuine, I don’t believe you’re going to succeed.

Also if you don’t know yourself and your strengths and weaknesses, how are you going to succeed?

Anna/EARS: So, what are the elements for success in Brussels? What skills do you look for when hiring, that will make for a successful Statoil advocate vis-à-vis the EU?

Anders/Statoil: When I hire, I expend a lot of effort and time in finding the right people. A good CV opens the door, but after that it’s all about the type of person you are. I look for someone that can analyze and identify trends. Someone that understands – in practice – how this city does and doesn’t work. Someone that is also able to network, that can be creative and is not afraid to have an opinion.

You also need to be comfortable with the abstract, because this is often a highly abstract business. It’s not about finding a set answer; most of the time you don’t even know the question. Therefore if you’re not comfortable with that kind of abstract world, then you’re not going to do a good job here.

Anna/EARS: You said in your role you’re not only supposed to understand what is going on in Brussels but also to influence it. How do you do that?

Anders/Statoil: This is something that has evolved during my time here, both in my thinking and in my approach. We still need traditional face-to-face meetings, but if you rely on that alone, I doubt you’re going to move the needle. Politics is not a logical or binary process; there are many competing issues and ideas on the table. You can’t just go to a policymaker, explain your logic and expect them to act on it. It’s just not sufficient. You also need to be part of the public debate, have a clear position and take the stage. You need to engage with others, including people that may have different opinions and agendas to your own.

Finally, you need to be present in social media. In the “Brussels bubble” it’s vital - you can’t escape it. Being visible on Twitter, doing online TV debates, it’s all part of shaping the public debate and the opinions of policymakers.

All three elements interact. The more visible you are, the more you are known, allowing you to get invited to more events. You can manage to secure the closed meetings that are important to you. You need all of these elements to progress.

However, all of that requires a mandate; you have to be allowed to do that. Public Affairs people often struggle to secure that mandate from their top management. Even where you’re allowed to do it, it requires time and effort. You can’t just do it a little bit; you have to approach it strategically, tactically and persistently. Your presence needs to be consistent and well thought through, authentic but following the corporate line. This means finding the right balance. However, you have to do it properly; otherwise, don’t do it at all.

Anna/EARS: What would be the most important advice you would give to a colleague coming to work in your EU office today?

Anders/Statoil: There is more than one piece of advice to give. The most valuable, however, would be to hire the right people. Clearly it’s important to be an expert, to know people and have a broad network, but unless you’re able to zoom out and see how this is connected to other pieces, I think you’re not going to do a good job in this town. This relates to something I have brought with me from my previous role. I established a business intelligence team on a corporate level in Statoil; one of our guiding principles was to focus on how we move from being a firefighter to being a futurist that helps avoid such fires in the first place.

I think that is equally valid for Brussels. That ability to understand what’s happening and see the bigger picture you will let you become that futurist. To me, this is the absolute key.

Anna/EARS: Is this also how you steer the way Statoil approaches EU Affairs today? What does it mean to be a futurist?

Anders/Statoil: That is what I have been trying to do from the outset. Of course it takes time to create a network and to gain access to the right people. In addition, it’s not just about you knowing them, but about them knowing you. This takes time, but trying to do that has been my guiding principle.

I hope – and think - we’ve been relatively successful at that. Then, of course, the question is, if you are a perfect futurist that magically makes all the right things happen, how do you prove it? In a way, it’s much harder to prove because there isn't anything there to prove. It makes it very difficult to quantify. However, if you are that person and you do manage to do that, then you’re much more valuable to the company.

Anna/EARS: That also requires a great deal of trust from the company’s top management, doesn’t it?

Anders/Statoil: Yes, that’s a very good point. You have to do all the networking and the lobbying both internally within the company and externally in and around Brussels. Otherwise, you won’t know what’s going on. How can you lobby on the right topics or influence the right issues when you don’t know what it is that keeps your CEO awake at night? Alternatively, you may be the perfect person for Brussels, understand this town perfectly yet when you report back, no one reads it or takes it into consideration. In that kind of futurist world, you need the trust of your management. They need to know what it is you’re doing.

The firefighter approach is, of course, much easier to prove. The reporting on the futurist activity is much more anecdotal, there is less structure around it. It’s also more difficult to measure performance. How can someone judge whether I am doing a good job or not? Of course, if they understand Brussels and if we’re in a constant dialogue, it’s slightly easier. However, the farther away they are, the more difficult it becomes.

Anna/EARS: It seems that EU Affairs today is about building alliances. Is that also pertinent to such a major player as Statoil or do you prefer go alone?

Anders/Statoil: I don’t think there is such a thing as going alone any more. Given our size, we can’t operate alone but at the same time we can’t operate solely through other organisations. We are members of a number of associations here in Brussels, and we are there for a reason. Often it has nothing to do with the EU but is more focused on international safety standards and sharing best practices.

Sometimes working through an organisation can be beneficial. They may be stronger on certain issues, so I let them lead on these and we engage via them. But you have to strike a balance. To get that right, between what we do ourselves and what we do through them, is the most important part.

In order to be effective you have to take a highly disciplined approach and prioritise strictly. Otherwise, you get lost or you burn out. It’s all about getting that balancing act right.

Anna/EARS: If you look at yourself 20 years ago, what changes in your life would you find least expected?

Anders/Statoil: It’s probably the fact that I have worked in so many countries and in so many different functions. I wouldn’t have dared to imagine that 20 years ago. I think it’s difficult to expect that wealth of experience at the beginning, which is quite positive for anyone starting out. Don’t fixate on one thing, because a lot is going to happen to you. It’s always good to have a plan but it has to be flexible. There is this military saying; ‘Planning is essential but all plans are useless’. The ability to constantly evolve while relentlessly moving forward is key.