Ingvild Formo – Improving HMH’s efforts within Sustainability and ESG

We sat down with Ingvild Formo , who has been with HMH for 17 years. Today, she is working with Sustainability & ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) in HMH and some of her responsibilities is to seek opportunities for HMH to improve our efforts and ensure high quality of how HMH contributes to a greener industry and that we stay compliant with legal requirements.

Hi Ingvild! Nice to have a chat with you. First of all, who are you and what is your story?

“Well, what should I say? I am 44 years old, married and have 2 children. I studied public administration and joined the company a bit by coincidence to be honest. In the beginning, I worked in the Overhaul-department in our business unit DLS (Drilling Lifecycle Services), and soon after I became Executive Assistant for the executive management and stayed in that position for around 14 years. After several years in that role, I wanted to try something new, and I joined the HSSE/QA-department last year (November 2022) and started working with Sustainability and ESG.“

She tells us that her interest in Sustainability and ESG had been growing as these important topics has gained more attention throughout the years and is highly relevant for all organizations – especially in our industry.

So, what is ESG and what is your part in HMH’s vision for it?

“ESG stands for Environmental, Social & Governance, and in short it revolves around focusing on our environmental impact in our deliveries and operations as well as corporate social responsibilities, as well as governance and compliance with laws and legislations. HMH has an embedded strategy of being climate neutral in 2050, which requires that we need to keep improving, keep reducing our carbon footprint, and continuously look for new opportunities today.”

“My part in this, is that I am looking into efforts we do today, ensuring that current initiatives are being followed, and to seek for new opportunities to improve – or to improve existing efforts. This means that I get to work together with various people from most of the functions in HMH which is very nice! In addition, I need to stay up to date with any changes in legal requirements so that we also stay compliant with our work on Sustainability and ESG. Also, some of my job means that I have to assess and evaluate potential climate risks and how HMH may be affected – so it’s a varied job!”

You have been part of HMH for quite some time now, what are the reasons for having stayed here?

“I think the work environment is very good, I wouldn’t have stayed here all these years if I didn’t enjoy going to work and had some really nice colleagues here. But I also value that there is an informal environment, and that there’s a flexibility and good work-life balance. People here are good at sharing information and knowledge, and I feel that there is a togetherness that moves us in the same direction.”

With various roles and several years here, what is the most exciting things you have done in HMH?

“One of the highlights of my experience as an Executive Assistant was the opportunity to be part of a team responsible for organizing the two annual company parties at HMH Norway. It was a truly enjoyable. Very nice to contribute to something social for employees, that is a lot of fun! I believe it is important to foster a positive and enjoyable work environment for employees. But also, earlier this year I delivered HMH’s sustainability report for the first time. That has been a challenging and educational process.”

For the readers, especially the ones outside HMH – what do you reckon people should know about HMH?

“People should know that, even though we are not the largest company in our industry, we actually deliver some of the best equipment in the world for our segments! We are constantly striving to develop new or improve existing technology, and in some areas we are in the forefront in our industry.”

To finish it off, I want to ask you if you’re excited for the future of HMH – and why?

“From my point of view in terms of my role in the company, we are facing some very interesting and exciting challenges that will contribute to our industry’s improvement in becoming better at sustainability, environment, and climate-related efforts. I don’t want to take away the fact that our industry has a way to go, but looking at how we can utilize new technologies for Sustainability and ESG is interesting and important. And I’m optimistic about HMH and reaching our goals on this matter.”

Thank you for taking your time to share your views, insights, and your story with us Ingvild!