Jan-Fredrik Carlsen

Jan-Fredrik Carlsen

Founder and CEO

Upstream
 
Europe

1. What is your profession? Or if you are retired, what was your profession?

Engineer and Leader

2. What are your areas of expertise?

Upstream: Technology, Executive, Corporate Development, Operations, Completions, Sales

Upstream Areas: Offshore

3. Current Employer:

Optime Subsea

4. Previous Employers:

FMC Technologies

5. How did you end up in the Energy Industry?

After I graduated from the university I was offered a job in FMC Technology as a system engineer covering multiple engineering disciplines. The similarities between sending equipment subsea and to space have always fascinated me and are still driving my passion for subsea oil and gas.

6. Why do you like working with Start-Ups?

When starting Optime Subsea in 2015, I realized how many roles that I took for grated while working in a large company Sales& BD, Quality Management, Financials, HSE, IT, HR, legal, compliance etc. In a start-up the employees will have to carry a lot of responsibilities, and you are hired because of your skills. The dynamic and energy found in start-ups are enormous and there are no limit what can be achieved within short time.

Okay, now for some fun things about Jan-Fredrik…

7. What are three of your interests outside of work?

  • I'm a geek and proud of it! My biggest interest is learning new stuff. This year I have been fascinated by watches, and have now designed, machined and assembled four different watched. I buy the movements in parts for Swiss factories, assemble them and put them into my custom watch cases.

  • In the winter I like skiing, both downhill and cross-country. 

  • Another passion I have is hunting and fishing.

8.  What are your top 3 accomplishments (personal or professional)?  Don’t be shy!  Give ‘em to us.

My biggest professional accomplishment is the start-up and scale-up of Optime Subsea. From four employees with zero revenues in 2015, to 75 employees and 20 MUSD revenues in 2020.

9.  If I were a superhero, my superpower would be               .

to see the future

10. When I was 5, I was pretty sure I'd be a                 when I grew up.

engineer like my father

11. If I weren't so damn good at what I do now, I'd probably be                 .

King of Norway.

12.  My favorite song is               by            .

"Don't stop me now" - Queen

13.  If I won the lottery tomorrow, I'd          .

start a technology company

14.  The best piece of advice I've ever been given is                              .

If you give up, you loose!