In 2015, the United Nations outlined its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to be achieved by 2030. In October 2024, Kristian Mjoen, the founder of Norsk Barekraftsenter (NB), a sustainability consultancy, wondered how to implement these SDGs in his progressive country, Norway. He created a methodology to systematically deliver localized, data-driven sustainability solutions to local governments and institutions in Norway. Although NB had managed .....more

Ole Fjordal, owner of Bjorg’s Ski Rentals (BSR) in Norway’s Skardalen Ski Resort, faces a critical opportunity when resort management offers to extend BSR’s exclusive contract, provided he can present them with a viable plan to open a second rental shop on the opposite side of the mountain within one month. BSR, which is known for high-end ski and snowboard rentals, still relies on a single-user Excel spreadsheet for tracking customers, equipment, .....more

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. had been, up until 2024, growing at an accelerated pace while achieving industry-leading profit margins and related cash flow in the fuel convenience store industry globally. Its growth had been fuelled by acquisition, which in its case meant paying a premium to purchase large groups of stations in current and new markets, primarily in Europe, the United States, and Canada—a global success story. However, the company's .....more

Kongsberg Maritime, a Norway-based company well known for its high-tech ship equipment, succeeded in acquiring Rolls-Royce Commercial Marine in April 2019. Kongsberg Maritime aimed to strengthen its position as a global technology leader by expanding its product portfolio and revenue, enhancing its international setup, and improving overall performance. In the following years, the company faced the challenges of integrating people and products from .....more

Led by iconoclastic founder and chief executive officer Torstein Hagen, Viking River Cruises, Inc. (Viking) had revolutionized river cruising and established a leading market share in that segment of the cruise travel industry. In 2022, the firm chose to enter the fast-growing expedition segment of the industry with two newly constructed ships. It faced a critical strategic question: could Viking’s proven formula in river and ocean cruising convey .....more

In June 2021, the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Peruvian-based Austral Group S.A.A. (Austral), one of the six largest producers and traders in marine-based foods and ingredients in the Republic of Peru, was concerned about two major ongoing challenges: gender equality and cross-generation employees. In May 2006, Austral merged with and became a subsidiary of Austevoll Seafood ASA (Austevoll), the world-leading Norwegian conglomerate in the .....more

In January 2019, the telecommunications industry was under severe threat of disruption. Telecommunications companies (telcos), which had historically been able to cope with technological disruption by moving from first-generation through to fifth-generation cellular network technologies, were now threatened by digital service providers (DSPs)—firms that came with a new business model that threatened the telcos’ existing business models. Telcos were .....more

In 2010, the recently appointed chief executive officer of VOSS Water (VOSS), a Norwegian luxury bottled water company, had been given an opportunity to take the brand in a new direction. He knew that take-home retail markets represented a huge opportunity for growth for a company that was used to selling its water in on-premises, luxury locations such as resorts and restaurants; however, the company’s past attempts to grow into the retail space had .....more

The investment manager for Norfund, a Norwegian development finance institution, is seeking additional investors for a private equity fund focused on the African nation of Angola. After several large development banks reject the investment opportunity, the European Investment Bank agrees to conduct due diligence before making a potentially significant investment in the fund. The investment manager sees Angola as an investment area with high potential, .....more

In 1995, the United Nations began to ease sanctions on Iraq in what was known as the “Oil for Food” program. One of the first companies to return to Iraq under the UN program was U.S.-based International Farm Equipment Co. (IFE). IFE had been an important supplier of agricultural equipment to Iraq until the Gulf War in 1990. Shortly after IFE established its Iraq office upon returning, the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture demanded a direct payment of .....more