Category: People

From 1 February, Eli Anne Ersdal and Hans Kristian Djuve will join Oceanbox as oceanographers. Both will be based at Oceanbox’s office in Tromsø and will be part of the company’s continued commitment to close customer support and high scientific quality.

Strengthening expertise in wave modelling

Eli Anne Ersdal holds a PhD in physical oceanography and joins Oceanbox from Aqua Kompetanse. At Oceanbox, she will be responsible for wave modelling – an important discipline in assessments of aquaculture sites, technology selection, exposure, and operational conditions.

I am particularly motivated to help users gain a better understanding of, and maximum value from, Oceanbox’s products. Being able to combine solid oceanographic expertise with practical application for customers is something I find both meaningful and exciting, says Ersdal

Experience in hydrodynamic and dispersion modelling

Hans Kristian Djuve holds a Master of Science degree in Energy, Climate and Environment. He joins Oceanbox from Multiconsult, where he worked with the setup, execution, and analysis of hydrodynamic and dispersion models. At Oceanbox, he will focus on, among other things, validation of particle dispersion models.

“During my time in the consultancy sector, I worked on several projects where I used the Oceanbox tool, which is well suited to the industry through fast simulations and clear visualisations. I look forward to contributing my modelling expertise in a strong and applied scientific environment,” says Djuve.

Strategic hires to meet growing customer demands

CEO of Oceanbox, Svenn Hanssen, says the new hires are strategically important as the company’s solutions see increased use across the industry.

“Our customers are using the models in an increasing number of applications, and expectations related to precision, documentation, and usability are growing. By strengthening our Customer Success team with this type of specialised expertise, we take an important step towards ensuring high quality in both deliveries and customer follow-up“, says Hanssen.

CSO of Oceanbox, Ole Anders Nøst, highlights the connection between scientific development and practical application in the aquaculture industry.

“Both wave modelling and particle dispersion are key topics for many fish farmers and consultancy companies. With Eli Anne and Hans Kristian on the team, we strengthen our ability to develop models that provide the aquaculture industry with better understanding and decision support through our tools – supported by a strong oceanographic research environment,” says Nøst.

From Aqua-Kompetanse to Oceanbox

Oceanbox is strengthening its investment in customer support and close customer follow-up by establishing a dedicated Customer Success team. As part of this initiative, the company has appointed Erlend Mundal, who will join Oceanbox on 1 January and be based at the company’s office in Bergen.

Mundal joins Oceanbox from Aqua Kompetanse AS, where he served as Head of the Hydrodynamic Modeling Group. In this role, he worked extensively with model-based solutions for the aquaculture industry and brings broad experience in the use of ocean models for licensing processes, site assessments, and technical decision support. His work has involved close collaboration with both fish farmers and regulatory authorities.

He holds a Master’s degree in Applied Mathematics with a specialization in fjord oceanography and has extensive hands-on experience in the setup, execution, and analysis of oceanographic models for Norwegian coastal and fjord systems.

Strengthening customer value through applied modeling

At Oceanbox, Mundal will help ensure that customers gain greater practical value from model results in real-world applications. This includes use cases related to site understanding, particle dispersion, and the assessment of currents and water exchange around aquaculture facilities.

“Erlend has solid experience with how modeling is actually used in the industry, both from a technical and an operational perspective. An increasing number of stakeholders want to use modeling themselves—both to improve their understanding of local conditions and as decision support in dialogue with the Norwegian Food Safety Authority and other regulators. The Customer Success team will help customers succeed in this, and Erlend’s role will be an important part of that effort,” says Svenn Hanssen, CEO of Oceanbox.

Mundal is looking forward to joining Oceanbox

“I see a growing need in the industry for a better understanding of local current dynamics and particle dispersion, both in day-to-day operations and in discussions with regulators. Oceanbox has developed a tool that makes advanced modeling more accessible, and I look forward to helping ensure that it is applied even more effectively in practice,” says Mundal.

Oceanbox is strengthening its organization with the appointment of Åsmund Bakke to a new and central customer-facing role as Key Account Manager, from December the 15th. With a solid background in delivering technology solutions to the aquaculture industry, Bakke will play a key role in enhancing the customer experience and further developing products tailored to industry needs.

Bakke joins Oceanbox from Innovasea, where he has served as Sales Manager since 2021. In this role, he worked closely with aquaculture companies on advanced solutions related to environmental monitoring, aeration, and oxygenation. His experience provides him with broad insight into how technology is applied in day-to-day operations, as well as the challenges and opportunities at the intersection of data, modeling, and production.

Strengthening customer success and value creation

At Oceanbox, Bakke will also coordinate the company’s Customer Success initiative, ensuring that customers fully realize the value of Oceanbox’s models, simulations, and platform functionality. The goal is to translate advanced modeling into practical insight and tangible value for users.

The role combines close customer follow-up, insight-driven work, and continuous dialogue with users. The ambition is to strengthen collaboration with aquaculture companies, consultancies, and research institutions, while making insights from Oceanbox’s models more accessible and operational in everyday decision-making.

“Åsmund brings a strong combination of technical understanding and commercial experience from the aquaculture industry. He knows the challenges the industry faces and has the dedication needed to help our customers succeed,” says Svenn Hanssen, CEO of Oceanbox.

Based in Bergen – Serving the entire coastline

Bakke will be based at Oceanbox’s office in Bergen, while working closely with customers along the entire Norwegian coastline. The role also includes contributing to Oceanbox’s marketing efforts and strategic initiatives, both nationally and internationally, as the company continues to expand its engagement beyond Norway.

“I am very much looking forward to becoming part of a highly competent and forward-looking team at Oceanbox. The company has an exciting product with significant potential, and I look forward to helping more customers unlock the value of high-quality ocean modeling,” says Bakke.

Oceanbox strengthens commercial leadership

Martin Davidsen will assume the role of Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Oceanbox. He joins the company from Skretting, where he has spent the past twelve years in various senior roles within sales and product development, most recently serving three years as Global Commercial Manager.

I am very much looking forward to becoming part of the Oceanbox team and contributing to the further development of the company’s commercial activities. Oceanbox stands out through its strong customer focus and its ability to create real value for fish farmers. For me, this represents a unique opportunity to apply my experience – particularly within feed and production, to further develop relationships and combine industry knowledge with forward-looking technology and modeling, all in support of more sustainable aquaculture, says Davidsen.

Industry relevance and growth–focused

During his time at Skretting, Davidsen worked closely with fish farmers, research institutions, and equipment suppliers across the Nordic region and Europe. Through this collaboration, he has built deep insight into the needs of the industry and developed a strong commitment to innovation, fish welfare, and sustainability.

Martin brings a solid background from delivering solutions to the aquaculture industry, along with a commercial mindset that is an excellent match for the growth phase Oceanbox is currently in. We are very pleased to welcome him to the team, says Svenn Hanssen, CEO of Oceanbox.

Oceanbox creates insight into what happens beneath the surface, enabling fish farmers to understand the ocean around them and their sites in an entirely new way. Becoming part of this journey is incredibly exciting, Davidsen concludes.

Martin Davidsen will be based at Oceanbox’s office in Tromsø.