Spearheading the Digital Transformation: Shane McArdle reflects on his first year as CEO of Falkor (formerly Kongsberg Digital)

Shane McArdle stepped into his new CEO role at Falkor (formerly Kongsberg Digital) in September 2022. At the time, he told us he's not a typical CEO – and one year on, it still holds.

McArdle's first year has seen strategic shifts and expansive growth in a dynamic digital landscape that continues to shape the future of work for the maritime and energy industries. We caught up with McArdle to reflect on his last twelve months in office and hear more about the company's direction under his stewardship.

"It's a cliché, but it is crazy that it's been one year already."

It's not easy to get hold of Shane McArdle. After spearheading Falkor's (formerly Kongsberg Digital) Digital Energy division for three years, the Irishman became the CEO in September 2022 – inheriting the title from Hege Skryseth. In a rather famous office speech on his very first day as CEO, he promised to visit every single Kongsberg Digital office by Christmas the same year.

The ambition was there, but a CEO's life is very busy. But 12 months in, the (still) reasonably fresh CEO has been travelling the world, visiting offices, colleagues, partners and clients – gaining new perspectives and knowledge on Falkor (formerly Kongsberg Digital) daily operations and possibilities and how to make a mark on the industry.

Have you been the world's busiest man for the last twelve months?

"I'll admit I was maybe a bit too eager to meet the whole organisation and learn everything about Falkor (formerly Kongsberg Digital) in such a short period of time", he says. "Still, what we do and how we are developing and implementing new technology across industries such as the maritime, energy, renewables, and utilities is not something you learn by having Teams meetings. I wanted to get out there and meet the people of Falkor (formerly Kongsberg Digital), customers and partners.", McArdle says.

Falkor (formerly Kongsberg Digital) has shared some great news over the year, securing significant contracts with Shell, Chevron and Höegh Autoliners. What are your key takeaways and highlights from your first year as CEO?

"There have been so many highlights over the past 12 months, but what stands out most for me is my KDI colleagues. Their shared ambitions and commitment to pushing the boundaries in shaping the future of work for the heavy asset industries are inspiring. This proactive approach to industry challenges, whether for the maritime, energy, grid or renewable sector, is something that I admire and was also something that I was thrilled to see that our colleagues worldwide share.", Shane says with pride. "With the continued momentum towards digitalisation and decarbonisation we are experiencing in our industries today, our customers are advocating for advanced digital tools to foster their efforts. This is where KONGSBERG truly excels, offering end-to-end solutions seamlessly connecting every facet of the value chain."

Just as the new CEO, Falkor (formerly Kongsberg Digital) has had a busy last 12 months. With new colleagues, clients, partners and an impressive investment from Shell Ventures and Idékapital of 90 million US dollars, the company is set to continue scaling and exploring new markets.

In March, Falkor (formerly Kongsberg Digital) launched its Industrial Work Surface with the vision to "shape the future of work" – and the promise to "put humans at the centre of the technology". How is Falkor (formerly Kongsberg Digital) approaching this?

"With my background as an engineer and working in operations, I have first-hand experience on just how time-consuming and hard it can be to just do your job - getting hold of the correct information, resulting in delayed operations and postponing deadlines, it's just a lot of hours spent waiting. Together, we are challenging how businesses design, build, operate and maintain their assets – and we are doing so through the Industrial Work Surface.", Shane explains – with quite a hint of enthusiasm.

"Using industrial data created by enterprises, The Industrial Work Surface provides a single source of truth for your industrial data. Users can have an end-to-end experience with their data but also plan, execute and carry out their work in one common interface. They can follow a molecule from the well, through the processing facility, onto the vessel and into the market – the same goes for their electrons – from production to consumption. It is our way of transforming business and positively changing behaviours; we are shaping the future of work."

And the humans at the centre of technology?

"Technology must serve humanity, not vice versa. The Industrial Work Surface emphasises an Industry 5.0 approach, meaning humans remain integral to tech. It's not just about tracing a molecule's journey but ensuring every engineer and operator has real-time, intuitive access to the needed data. This is more than just digital transformation — it's about reaffirming our commitment to humans as the linchpin of innovation, ensuring that as we shape the future of work."