Meet Ívar Helgason, Baseload Power Iceland’s Operations Manager. A diverse job that takes solution-minded thinking and a range of technical and communications skills.
Ívar, you have worked with Baseload Power Iceland since the start 2018. How was it back then?
“At first, when the company was started, we went into it in full force, maverick style and built our first ORC power plant at Kópsvatn. The start-up feeling in the company was high. Today the company has grown and is much more structured: a cultural change since back in the day, but our values are still the same. We are proud of what we have built and achieved since then.”
“When working with people in different parts of the country and globally, communication can be challenging. One of our innovative approaches was to buy a drone to take pictures at the sites. It helps to create a better understanding both internally and externally of what is going on at the construction site. Not everybody can make it to the sites, even if they are part of the decision-making. The data collected can also track changes and create some nice material for marketing.”
What do you like most about your job today?
“It’s the mix of different types of tasks and conversations, both in-house and external. My role is not a typical routine job. When you work in the field with the power plants, you must be solution-oriented, not getting stuck on problems, always trying to find the best way forward.”
“Depending on whether you are talking to a contractor in the field, or an upper management person related to funding and output, it requires different communication skills. I like that diversity.”