He has had countless management jobs in the industry; this is how Hilde Merete Aasheim got to the top – E24

It disappears quickly and efficiently when E24 meets with CEO Hilde Merete Aasheim at the Hydro facility in Lysaker. This is far from his favorite activity, says the communications consultancy.

Cash ranks high on the list of adjectives that describe the CEO of Hydro. He hates shopping for clothes and therefore hired a personal shopper, he says on this week’s episode of the E24 podcast, Voksenpoeng.

Hear the full interview with Hilde Merete Aasheim on the player below, or where she usually listens to podcasts.

But then it becomes insecure, can it be perceived as extravagant? She emphasizes that throughout her career she has worked to find solutions that provide as much time as possible for the family along with a busy workday; putting clothes away is one of them.

Aasheim worries about being a mother, wife, and industry leader.

Teacher played

But from the beginning, it wasn’t obvious that she was the industry leader. Her father was a teacher, and he was often just a teacher she enjoyed playing with as a child.

– I had school in my playroom at home on the farm, where I taught street children to read and write, and I was able to grope for my father’s school books. I was both a teacher and a principal, and I was probably determined that this was what I was going to become, Aasheim says.

– Were you already a bit bossy when you were a child?

– Not bossy, but maybe she had a natural authority. I made these children stay still and was proud when I saw that they had started to read and write, she says.

In high school, he chose the English line. Friends and family who went to NHH, as well as part-time work at a bakery, still got her thinking about finances.

– I started on the “floor” making buns and school bread. I finally had the opportunity to move to the ordering office, the payroll and billing office. Then I became interested in business, but also in management.

Browse the gallery or follow Voksenpoeng_med_Nora on Instagram to read the Aasheim school journal.

The owner of the bakery became the manager’s first inspiration.

– He was very active – he himself was a baker and got up at night putting the dough. When he finished, he came over to us, sat on the flour sack, ate school bread, and asked how many orders we had received. He was very concerned for us and we were very excited when we were able to talk to him and hear his views, says Aasheim.

Interest in finance and business led to an additional year in business high school, before the path went to Bergen, to a degree in auditing and then to an additional degree as a state-certified public accountant.

I have a job offer at the hospital

It didn’t take many years as a regular accountant before the industry hired her. When she worked on the Elkem audit, they saw her cut to grab her and let her climb into the company.

Aasheim especially remembers how he was offered to move from CFO to HR Director. When she was eight months pregnant, she was told to have a cup of coffee with the CEO and consider a new position.

– I thought it was a special consultation now that I will soon be on leave, but I had that coffee. It was an exciting opportunity to think, but I said that now I have an important delivery to do, and that is having my first child, so I cannot position myself on that now.

At that time, an ad was placed in the newspaper when the boy was born, Aasheim says. The CEO saw the ad and sent a large bouquet of yellow roses to the hospital.

– The card said “Are you going to take the job?” Three months later, he was director of human resources.

Thrive in the job changer

Aasheim stayed in the position for eight years and led the company through a demanding period, with restructurings and downsizing, not just for a relatively recent leader of 32.

– But it is in demanding periods where you learn a lot. You get strong, says Aasheim.

On his way to the top of Hydro, he stopped at “every nook and cranny” of Elkem, before he was allowed to lead the merger of Statoil and Hydro’s oil and gas business. He has always loved changing jobs and believes that his ability to see people and do a good job where he is has given him the opportunity to rise to the top.

– I like to learn new things. Going through the ranks means that the stress is not that great, because you have something in your backpack that you are sure of, and then you add new knowledge and new colleagues, new knowledge. There is one piece of advice I would give young people: take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves, because that experience is not difficult to bear. If it’s wrong, there’s no defeat, because it’s also part of tasting what you enjoy, says Aasheim.

Hear more about Hilde Merete Aasheim’s career path, why she is passionate about the industry, and what she thinks it takes to become a good leader on E24’s Voksenpoeng podcast.