ICTP's new senior administrative officer brings a wealth of experience-in both the public and private sectors-to his job.

ICTP's New Administrator

Dag Harald Johannessen

"Here at ICTP, scientists are our customers. The staff's primary job is to provide our customers--our scientists--with the best services and products we possibly can."
That's the prevailing philosophy that Dag Harald Johannessen, the Centre's new senior administrative officer, brings to his position. Johannessen arrived in Trieste in mid October.
His management philosophy is based on his wide-ranging experience in sales, service and personnel.
He began his career as a sales area manager for Jotul, an international corporation headquartered in his home country of Norway. At the time, Jøtul was the world's largest manufacturer of cast-iron wood-burning stoves and stone fireplaces.
From there, he worked with the Norwegian-based management consultant firm, AVANT, participating in a successful effort to 'turn around' an international firm that manufactured elegant 'facings'--in-laid wood, glass and composite material--for furniture wardrobes sold to hotels, corporate offices and upscale residential homes around the world.
"When I arrived, the firm we were hired to help was heavily indebted and overstaffed. Over a period of 6 to 8 months, we introduced budget and management controls that put the firm back on its feet. Its new-found profitability ultimately led a larger multinational corporation to purchase it for several million dollars. When the firm moved to a new location, I decided to move on too."
Taking on new challenges, he assumed a position with Informatics Engineering Company (INENCO), a licensed importer in Oslo, Norway, specialising in software databases. In addition to heading the company's administrative and accounts offices, Johannessen helped to develop a database designed for large accounting systems that is now used by most universities in the United Kingdom.
After spending nearly a decade in the private sector, Johannessen entered the second phase of his career not as entrepreneur and 'corporate change-agent' but as a civil servant with the Norwegian Space Centre, dividing his time between a rocket launch facility in Andoya and satellite stations in Tromsø and Spitsbergen in northern Norway. He also served as Norway's delegate to the European Space Agency (ESA) responsible for administrative and financial matters.
"Working for Norway's space agency," Johannessen notes, "provided a welcome introduction to the world of science, enabling me to learn first-hand the unique requirements of research institutions."
Moving from 'space' to 'trade,' Johannessen was hired by the European Free Trade Association's (EFTA) Surveillance Authority, a one-of-a-kind European organisation headquartered in Brussels and closely tied to the European Commission.
The Authority is responsible for ensuring that Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway respect the full range of rules, regulations and rights stipulated under the 18-member European Economic Area--a political and geographic entity that includes the 15-member European Union plus the three nations cited above. Johannessen oversaw administration and personnel for the organisation, which employs about 65 people.
"My responsibilities at the Authority were very similar to my responsibilities at ICTP. Like the Centre, it also has an international staff. In fact, I think every European language--except Portuguese--was spoken there. My family and I very much enjoyed our stay in Brussels, missing only the sea and sunny blue skies of Norway."
Arriving at ICTP just a few months ago, Johannessen has had "a favourable first impression of both the staff at ICTP and the city of Trieste."
"The staff is highly skilled and friendly and the beautiful surroundings in which we work certainly adds to the appeal of the job."
"As for Trieste, the sea and sun are indeed welcome. The city's steep terrain, hillside houses, squares and cafes, in fact, remind me of Bergen, Norway, where I went to university. Now, if I can learn to get by in Italian, I should feel right at home."

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