After joining Strohm three years ago as business development manager for Africa, Norman Lentsch has established a passion for the continent and the opportunities it provides across the conventional and new energy sectors. Working alongside regional partners, prospective clients and regulatory bodies, Norman must adapt to the varying rules in different countries, regulations and cultural diversities on a daily basis.
Reflecting on his time developing opportunities across the region, Norman said: “Each country in Africa has a unique challenge and different environments to contend with, meaning that clients working on the continent require new technologies for varying applications to meet their goals. Working with companies in the region has broadened my horizons in terms of the different cultures we work alongside and the varying requirements for each region.
“Every country I visit gives me a new experience and allows me to meet new people. The countries in Africa that are developing their footprint in the energy industry have a lot of potential to support the energy mix and I’m very passionate to engage with the growth of these nations as well as securing opportunities for Strohm.
“I have been exposed to different cultures from a young age, with my family moving to Bangladesh when I was 11. This gave me a real enthusiasm for embracing new countries and cultures. My partner and I regularly travel to different places across the world and particularly enjoy visiting her family in Asia.”
Growing up across developing nations has also given Norman a passion for supporting ESG projects. As part of this, he has been instrumental in driving Strohm’s ongoing donation programme, which has delivered over 140 kilograms of donations to communities that need them.
“When I first joined Strohm, I worked with the wider team to set up a donation bank at our headquarters in IJmuiden. When we travel for work, to countries such as Angola or Nigeria, our colleagues bring along these donations with the excess luggage, so they reach the people of rural communities that are in need of support. This is also supported by our outstanding local partners in Angola and Nigeria.
“So far it has been a successful project and the team at Strohm have shown their enthusiasm by donating many different items, from clothing to toys. At the start of the year, I even brought over a child’s bicycle to a village in Angola and spent an afternoon in the village meeting the wonderful community.
“The Strohm team are also currently fundraising to help drill a water well in the same village in Angola, meaning the community will no longer need to walk three hours to obtain water, and recently made a donation to flood victims in Brazil. This is something which we at Strohm are very proud of as it’s so important to invest in the communities and countries in which we do business in.”
Having worked across the region for three years, Norman recognizes how many countries are looking to scale up their footprints in the conventional and new energy markets. “There are many opportunities across the region for many different energy projects. Not only are there many greenfield activities currently being explored and developed, but West Africa also hosts some of the oldest offshore oil fields on the continent, for example across Angola, Nigeria and Congo.
“With these a lot of brownfield projects offer an opportunity in terms of sustainable practices, by maximizing production from fields already in operation through long-life technologies, such as Strohm’s TCP. These long-life solutions result in less operational downtime and a reduction in carbon emissions as replacement and repair activities are greatly reduced.
“Not only this, but the new energy projects across Namibia, Egypt, Morocco and Mauritania are exciting developments which are showing potential for TCP to add value.”
Norman is eager to embrace challenges in his professional life, by bringing TCP to emerging energy markets, and in his personal life. In his free time, he enjoys scuba diving and sailing, testing his skills both in and on the water. When living and working in the Middle East, in his previous role, he also took up golfing and has continued to enjoy the sport having moved to the Netherlands. Norman is also taking on home renovations and is fully embracing the challenges of various DIY projects.