
In
the driver’s seat
The Head of MAN Cryo in Sweden admits she is
most comfortable working at ‘300 km per hour’. But it’s all part of her drive to help ‘connect the dots’
in our portfolio and make us the leading solution provider for liquid energy
forms.
Our interview
with Louise Andersson gets off to a rough start when we ask what is so unique
about MAN Cryo’s products. “You mean solutions,” she says with a friendly
laugh. But it demonstrates that as Head of MAN Cryo, Louise is serious about
transforming the world-renowned production facility of cryogenic tanks in
Gothenburg, Sweden into a provider of all-around solutions.
A company of world renown
She explains that after building thousands of
tanks over the past five or so decades, MAN Cryo has a worldwide reputation as
the go-to experts when advanced fuel systems involving cryogenics and liquefied
natural gas (LNG) need to be developed. “When there’s a new LNG innovation on
the market, then people tend to come to us and say, ‘Ok, we want to try this
completely new, crazy solution.’ Because they know we can do it,” she says.

At
the office, a shrewd negotiator… and at the production facility,
able to dive
into the details of cryogenic engineering
Establishing
that reputation was of course not easy – and it can evaporate as quickly as LNG
above minus 162 °C. To make sure MAN Cryo stays at the top of the field, she looks to
her agile team of engineers, R&D staff, procurers working to develop the
next generation of storage facilities for future fuels like hydrogen. “They
have such deep technical knowledge. I’m really proud of them. They can do
anything.” The admiration seems to go both ways. Her team members describe Louise
as ‘tough, but caring’. Markku Eriksson, Head of QHSE in Gothenburg, has seen
Louise in action in a variety of settings and suggests her straightforward
communication style makes her a unique leader. “Whether she’s discussing minute
technical details with a welder on the production line, or presenting a
business case to board members, she’s the same person. That’s impressive,” says
Markku. At the same time, she is a shrewd negotiator when discussing contract
details with customers. “Some people might be more hesitant and accommodating.
But she tells it like it is,” he adds. “She’s really in the driver’s seat.”
Our job is to connect the dots in different Parts of the MAN ES portfolio and add value for our customers. We can sell a comprehensive package that includes tanks, heat exchangers and everything in between.
Close cooperation with IGCs
To stay in
the driver’s seat, Louise maintains a brisk work tempo of about ‘300 kilometres
per hour’, according to her estimates. And while she values the input of her
team, she does not hesitate to be demanding and even a bit ‘pushy’ if it means
reaching a goal. That approach has paid dividends already. Since MAN ES
acquired MAN Cryo in 2016, the team completed development on a unique liquid
hydrogen fuel gas system for marine applications which is ready for commercial
sales. And it conducted the first larger container vessel retrofit for
Hapag-Lloyd. Louise and MAN Cryo seem to be just getting started. “Our job is to
connect the dots in different parts of the MAN ES portfolio and add value for
our customers,” she says. “We can sell a comprehensive package that includes
tanks, heat exchangers and everything in between.” Much of her time is spent
connecting with IGCs in China, Singapore or Malaysia to locate new potential
leads. “This is part of the beauty with MAN which I really enjoy,” says Louise.
“We’re a global company and can work across locations, cultures and
departments. The challenge is to break the silos. And that’s something cryo can
address, because we work with everyone. Were not picky.”