“My drive has always been strong”

“I’m definitely looking forward to doing whatever I want. It’s not that,” she says with a smile. 

Still, stepping into retirement might come with a few challenges for someone who has always valued productivity and staying busy. At the end of April, Lisa will close the door on her workdays with the Omega Subsea team in Randaberg, Norway. She will leave behind her desk at the company’s rustic office space, “Drivhuset,” and turn her focus to life at home, family, and garden projects. 

“I suppose I am a bit dependent on working, but I’ll find things to do at home. There are projects I’ve never gotten around to. And they’ve said I’m always welcome to drop by, which I really appreciate.” 

Her Stavanger dialect carries a distinct American accent, a reflection of her international background. With a Norwegian father and an American upbringing, Lisa has spent many years living in Stavanger on the west coast of Norway. The combination is present in both her language and her attitude. Whether speaking Norwegian or English, her work ethic and loyalty to the team have remained strong. 

A key administrative link

Omega Subsea delivers project management, ROV services, and specialist consultants for subsea operations in the offshore industry. The company works on projects in oil and gas, renewable energy, and marine infrastructure. In addition to ROV operations, Omega Subsea also provides in-house survey and positioning services that support offshore construction and inspection. 

Lisa has played a vital role behind the scenes, supporting these operations through steady administrative management. At the Stavanger office in Norway, she has worked closely with Department Manager Øyvind Lunde, who has been a colleague through several companies and many years. 

“She has been with us since 2013. She stood by us during the financial downturn between 2014 and 2016, when we had to make tough decisions and go through layoffs,” Lunde says. “Lisa stayed with us through that period and has been part of our journey from being mainly a consulting firm to developing a full operational model. Today we deliver project management, construction personnel, ROV, and survey services across six Solstad vessels. We are very grateful for her contribution.” 

Lisa has also served as a key link between Omega Subsea and the administrative department in the Omega 365 Group. She has supported order processing, onboarding, training, and a wide range of tasks that often fall between roles. Lunde describes her as someone who always finds a way to contribute. 

“She is dedicated and precise, and she comes from the old school. If she arrives ten minutes late, she will stay ten minutes longer. That’s just how she is. I’m really glad she joined the Subsea team.” 

Bridging two cultures

To understand Lisa’s journey, it helps to start from the beginning. Her father emigrated from Norway to the United States, where he started a family. Lisa grew up on the other side of the Atlantic. Although Norwegian values and traditions were always around her, day-to-day life was American. 

“That’s why my dad suggested I spend some time in Norway. He wanted me to learn the language,” Lisa recalls. 

She spent a year and a half in Norway and started first grade at Stangeland School in Sandnes, where her grandfather was the principal. 

“It was a success. Kids learn languages quickly. And it was important for us to spend time with the Norwegian side of the family. My mother had already learned Norwegian during a three-month honeymoon here, so she had no trouble adjusting.” 

Several years passed before Lisa returned to Norway. When she turned 15, her parents gave her a trip as a gift. 

“I remember being really nervous, especially about changing flights in Copenhagen. I didn’t practice Norwegian much though, because my cousins thought it was more fun to speak English all the time.” 

Choosing to stay in Norway

When Lisa’s parents retired, they began spending their summers in Norway. They invited Lisa and her sister to visit. The sisters brought their husbands, and one thing led to another. In 1993, Lisa and her family made the move to Norway permanently. 

She had previously worked as a licensed insurance agent and was motivated to learn the language and find her place in the Norwegian workforce. 

“My grandmother was 92 when we moved here. A big part of my motivation to learn Norwegian was to be able to talk to her directly, without a translator. I’m very glad I managed to do that.” 

Ten years later, Lisa’s son, who was 21 at the time, chose to move back to the United States, where he still lives. Around the same time, Lisa’s marriage came to an end. 

“There was a lot going on, but I chose to stay in Norway, and I’m thankful for that. I had family, friends, and my church community here. I didn’t want to start over again.” 

A steep learning curve

Not long after moving to Norway, Lisa entered the workforce through a small company selling parts for ROVs. 

“It started as a temporary secretary role, but I convinced them that they would still need me even after the original employee returned. She was an engineer and saw the value of having me stay on. I was very grateful for that.” 

Lisa dove into the work, improving her language skills and getting used to the Norwegian workplace. 

“They told me to just try things, even if I didn’t understand everything. That’s how I ended up learning the most.” 

When the company merged with another, she became concerned about job security and started exploring new opportunities. Several job offers came her way. 

“One offer came from a shipping company, but it didn’t really feel right. I was more interested when Sonsub, an ROV company, showed interest. That’s actually where I first met Øyvind Lunde. He was Head of Operations there, and I started shortly after as an Operations Secretary.” 

“I’ve always liked administrative and financial work. If the company is doing well, then I’m doing well. That’s how I look at it.” 

A period of growth

Sonsub eventually became Saipem, and Lisa moved into the role of Project Coordinator. 

“I didn’t have a technical background, so I told my manager, ‘You handle the technical part, and I’ll take care of the administration.’ That included marketing, invoicing, and keeping track of equipment and personnel. It worked well, but the workload was intense.” 

At the time, Lisa had recently remarried, and her mother became seriously ill. 

“I thought, I can’t do this anymore. I need to stop.” 

Meanwhile, Øyvind Lunde had helped start a new company that would later be acquired by Omega 365. Lisa reached out to ask if there might be a place for her in Omega Subsea. There was. 

“I started in 2013 and had to more or less shape my own position. I noticed that too much time passed between the end of a project and when the invoicing was done.” 

“Cash flow was too slow, and that’s not good for any company. I introduced a system where we sent invoices as soon as personnel came ashore from a project. There was no reason to wait.” 

Omega Subsea had a clear goal of becoming more than a consulting company. Today, Lisa can look back on a period of significant growth and development within a business that is now a key part of the Omega 365 Group. 

“It’s really nice to see how much we’ve achieved. Many of the goals we set early on have become reality.” 

Always moving forward

Lisa has always stayed focused on the next task. She strongly believes that time at work should be used wisely and create value. What she will miss most are the challenges, the sense of achievement, and the colleagues—many of whom she has worked with for years. It will be a big change not showing up at the office each morning. 

“I want to thank all my wonderful colleagues in Stavanger, Bergen, Ølensvåg, and Aberdeen. It’s the people who create a great workplace. I also think my drive to achieve and build something has always been strong. Now I’ll use that energy in volunteer work, and there’s no shortage of tasks at home and at the cabin, so I’ll have plenty to do.” 

“We also love to travel. With family in California, it’s natural for us to visit the U.S. a few times each year. My mom is turning 90 soon, so of course we’ll celebrate that over there. It’s also great to be able to explore new places. We love experiencing different cultures and seeing the world. And now, we can travel whenever and wherever we want, which is a great feeling.”