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Kinar Kent

18. oktober 2024, 2 min. lesing

Stilling / Styreverv: CEO, Westgass

Skjermbilde 2024-10-18 kl. 09.13.31

Kinar grew up in Kenya, spent the early part of his career in the UK and have lived in Norway since 2017. He has 20 years of experience from both the corporate world (Shell and Equinor), and as an entrepreneur at Westgass. Westgass started in 2016 as a gas marketing and distribution company. They built up a customer base of blue-chip industrials across 6 European countries and achieved a revenue of EUR 200m within 5 years through a highly digitised model before selling their gas arm to focus on renewable energy. The company now operates across the green hydrogen value chain, from production development to distribution and sales in the Nordics and Africa.
 

What do you believe characterizes a well-functioning board?
A good board finds the right balance between corporate governance and value addition. It has a blend of relevant, diverse experience that provides strategic direction, manages risks, considers wider stakeholder expectations, and ensures that both near-term and long-term shareholder value is delivered.

Its members have a thorough understanding of what the business is going through – current challenges, opportunities, potential pitfalls, competitive landscape, industry trends and regulatory changes. They develop a good dynamic and strong engagement amongst each other, and between themselves and the company’s executive management. Finally, they foster a culture of healthy debate and challenge appropriately when assessing information to ensure robust decision making.
 

How have you seen board work evolve over the years?
Boards have always had to adapt to changes in the business world and priorities amongst their stakeholders. Recently, rapid advances in technology, wider access to information, disruptive competition, geopolitics, ethical accountability and a greater consideration of social values have led to more agile, collaborative boards with a deeper insight of business operations.

In practical terms, whilst board work is specific to each company, you see some parallels in multiple organisations. They meet more frequently to remain current and allow more time for strategic dialogue. There is an increased focus on forward looking assessments, not just historical results. You find a growing number of mentorships between board members and senior management. Topic-specific advisory groups are becoming commonplace. And succession planning now goes a layer or two beyond the top executives.
 
In short, boards have evolved from being concerned mainly with control and compliance to becoming sparring partners that add value. A closer relationship is beginning to develop between them and the businesses they represent.
 

What are you most proud of in your career?
I have been fortunate to work with fantastic teams to deliver strong commercial results throughout my career, including the commercial management of large-scale assets at Shell, negotiating multiple-billion dollar deals at Statoil, and overseeing rapid revenue growth at Westgass. However, I’m most proud of taking the courage to focus on work aligned with my values, leading to the day my nine year old son told me “It’s ok for you to be at work. What you do matters.”

What do you believe are the most important qualities a board member should possess today?
In my view, a board member should be trustworthy, inquisitive, well prepared, an active listener and willing to guide. They must be committed to the company and have a genuine interest in getting to know its business beyond management presentations, without getting bogged down in detail. They should not be afraid of asking questions, instead of making assumptions. They should value different perspectives, even if they do not agree. They help top management shine, without taking control. They communicate openly and honestly, and work well with others in an inclusive manner. Most importantly, they accept accountability for their decisions and actions.

What is the best advice you have received in your career?
Keep learning, empower others and enjoy the journey!