She is still remembered for her efforts on Bornholm, where from 2013 to 2019 she was chief business officer (CBO) with a focus on business development for the offshore area. Among local business owners on the sunny island, she is called a "knife-sharp business developer" and one of the driving forces that helped make the Port of Rønne a shipping port for offshore wind.
Since then, the stations have been Muehlhan Wind Service and most recently SDK Shipping. Now, however, Ulla Kiersgaard is returning to the port industry, as she will become port manager for the Port of Rømø from the turn of the year. This is what board member of the Port of Rømø Søren Stougaard tells DOI.dk.
The main character herself is looking forward to her upcoming job.
- Yes, that's correct, and it's going to be fantastic. I'm really looking forward to the job, says Ulla Kiersgaard to DOI.dk, before emphasizing:
- But of course I'm also humble about the task.
She already has a plan ready for her start at work.
- It's important for me to get to know the port. Here I'm thinking of the employees, the port's users and the entire local area. Here I'm also thinking of the port's owner, Tønder Municipality, she says.
Various attempts to develop new business areas at Rømø Port have previously failed, but that doesn't scare Ulla Kiersgaard at all.
- I have great respect for the attempts that have failed in the past. But maybe something that couldn't be done before can be done today. It is an experience that I have with me as a business developer, says Ulla Kiersgaard, referring to the local conditions on Rømø:
- Here there are considerations that must be taken into account in relation to Natura 2000, the environment and the local community.
The port must be known and part of the green transition
But the ambitions are clearly present with the future port manager.
- The port must be able to contribute to growth in Tønder Municipality, the region and be part of the green transition. At the same time, one must be aware that even the low-hanging fruit comes with a price, she says.
The strategy is already clear, and you can also feel that she has tried port development before.
- We must be outspoken, so that the Port of Rømø gets on the map. Without being outspoken and curious about new trends and opportunities, there will be no development. At the same time, we must further develop the port's current customers together, Ulla Kiersgaard insists.
However, development is not free, and that is also something she knows.
- Of course, it costs to participate in trade fairs and networks, but if you can't see the challenges, you can't see the opportunities, she says.
And the opportunities can be many.
- It could be green energy, for example in storage. It could be food production or tourism, she says.
As port manager, Ulla Kiersgaard will also become one of Denmark's few female port managers. According to DOI.dk's research, this small, exclusive group includes Copenhagen Malmö Port's CEO Barbara Scheel Agersnap and Lisette Sønderby, who is the port director at Thorsminde Port.
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