From intern to President: 40 years of lessons from Tore Morten

Forty years ago, Tore Morten joined Marlink as an intern, beginning a career that would span one of the most transformative periods in maritime history. 

Today, as President of Marlink Maritime, he leads a global business supporting thousands of vessels around the world, drawing on four decades of industry experience. 

Along the way, technology has changed beyond recognition; customer expectations have evolved dramatically, and the pace of innovation has accelerated. But some things have remained constant: the importance of reliable partners, a deep understanding of customers, and a genuine passion for the maritime industry. 

To mark this milestone, Mighan Struwig, Director of Marketing- Maritime, sat down with Tore Morten to reflect on the people, the lessons and the moments that have shaped the past four decades. 

The interview

Q. Forty years is an incredible milestone. Can you take us back to your first day? What do you remember most? 

During the initial years, from June 1986 to Dec 1993, I worked for Telenor during many weekends and holidays, while doing my military service and finishing my studies. From Jan ‘94 I joined the predecessor of Telenor Satellite Service at the Telenor HQ in central Oslo. Nervous, not knowing anything, but with eagerness to learn and contribute.  Back then we were very few people, so the work spanned from R&D to negotiation with both customers and suppliers. I remember doing link budgets which were where the calculations took around 12 hours to complete, so pretty different from today!. 

Q. When you joined, did you ever imagine your career would lead you to becoming President? 

Not at all, but I soon got into more managerial positions and realised that there were better engineers than me around. I was lucky to join a management development program in Telenor which took me to Wharton Business School in the US, Insead in France and Stockholm economical University of Stockholm, so I got the taste for leading teams and people fairly early in my career. Then – I decided to move to Slovakia in ‘99 and took on my first role as CEO for Telenor Slovakia and later the entire satellite land-based business from there. 

Q. If someone who worked in maritime in 1986 stepped onto a vessel today, what would surprise them the most?  

In the past, working on a vessel pretty much meant a long period of time in isolation from the rest of the world. One short phone call per day was the norm, and no data. The more advanced users had carousels of movies stored onboard, allowing them to watch films in the mess hall. 

Today, a ship has all the facilities of a regular office ashore, so staying in touch is no longer a challenge. Data has become just as important as the voice calls once were. It enables vessels to operate more safely and efficiently, gives crews access to the services they rely on, and allows experts ashore to support vessels wherever they are in the world. 

Q. You've seen the industry evolve through satellite communications, digitalisation, cybersecurity and now AI. Which change do you believe has had the biggest impact on shipping? 

Recently, I visited Boskalis on their inauguration of the world's largest rock laying vessel, Windpiper. Chatting with the Captain, he said that the world has changed so much in the last 5 years onboard. On the business side, the experts onboard can now work on projects on other vessels or bids for other contracts, or some experts from the shore side could easily support the vessels as if they were sitting in the office next door. Meeting rooms with Teams allows a completely different way of working.  On top of that, life onboard has also changed with everything and everyone being connected. Looking back, I believe they had the same experience moving from data connections at 9,6 kbps to VSAT in the 90’s and early 2000’s. So it's a constant evolution going on, but finally the barrier of connectivity availability has disappeared.

Q. Despite all that change, what has stayed exactly the same? 

Our customers are still working at sea and still focused on many of the same core topics 

- Safety at sea is still the number one priority, driven by external regulation and company policies. This includes everything from Inmarsat C to Cyber requirements 

- Trust, credibility and relationships on all levels is key, from Captains and electricians onboard to C-level at the HQ’s. This is created by understanding the environment in which our customers operate and continued superior performance of our services and our people. Back in the Telenor days – nobody at sea knew who Telenor was, but everyone knew that Eik Teleport was the most reliable partner in the world.

- Commitment of our colleagues is still the same. I have always had the pleasure of working with colleagues that will go the extra mile to deliver to our stakeholders, and this has not changed over the years and is one of the main reasons why I have spent my entire career in this industry. 

Q. Looking back, is there one moment or project that you'll always remember? 

There are a number of them, so hard to pick only one. On the choices made during the different ownership changes, some good and some not so good. When Telenor sold Marlink in 2007, the choice of taking on new challenges in Marlink rather than stepping back into Telenor was certainly a defining moment. Over the years we have made some  bold decisions which have taken us to where we are now. From a customer perspective, I was responsible for the satellite land business of Telenor between ‘99 and ‘04, and the responsiveness of colleagues during the Tsunami in Southeast Asia was excellent. In three days we were able to organise funding, scramble equipment, and install several VSAT stations in Thailand in support of the United Nations.  

Q. You've worked with customers for four decades. What have they taught you? 

Customers are not one homogenous mass, so one key element is to use your ears instead of your mouth in the initial phase of a customer relationship. I often say that there is a reason why we are born with two ears and only one mouth, and the ability to listen and understand before advising is key. In the eye of the customer, they are all unique, so we need to treat them as individuals and respect them for their differences. Also during a crisis, most customers want to know that they have a dedicated support network, which is why I want the main customer- facing functions to be located as close to the customers as possible. This makes a difference in how they perceive us at Marlink. 

Q. What does good leadership mean to you today? Has your perspective changed over the years? 

The principles I try to live by are, while you focus firmly on delivering on your targets and the best possible results, you give a lot of freedom of execution of the strategy. As a leader, you walk the talk and lead by example. In the early days of my career, I was much more involved in details, but as the business has grown, I have learnt to empower and trust my colleagues. Also – running a global business, cultural awareness and respect are other key factors important to me in my leadership role. Always stay focused on the purpose: customers, colleagues, shareholders, or other stakeholders. Make sure you surround yourself with people with complementary skills and competencies, allow heated discussions to come to the best solution, and once a decision is made, stay loyal to the decision. 

Leadership also depends on the support you have beyond the workplace. I have been fortunate to have an incredibly supportive partner in my wife, whose encouragement and perspective have been invaluable throughout my career. 

Q. What advice would you give someone joining Marlink today as an intern, just as you did 40 years ago? 

When you are hired at Marlink, you are only at the starting point of what could be a lifelong journey in the company. With the depth of our service offerings and our global footprint, the opportunities are endless. Work hard, stay focused on the purpose, and deliver on your commitment are the main elements. Don’t get lost in bureaucracy or internal politics, seek help from your colleagues to achieve your targets, and escalate if you are blocked. Marlink is an organisation of opportunities, just as I have seen for over 40 years. And of course, you need to have fun, so participate in social activities and establish good relationships with your colleagues. 

Tore's journey is a reminder that while technology continues to evolve, experience, curiosity and strong relationships remain at the heart of our industry. At Marlink, we're fortunate to be led by people whose knowledge has been built over decades of working alongside customers and helping shape the maritime industry through periods of extraordinary change. 

Congratulations, Tore Morten, on 40 remarkable years.