The Change Maker - meet Anette Borge
Piling positive energy into bold transformation, one conversation at a time.
Meet Anette Borge, CEO of Global Business Services (GBS), Wilhelmsen's internal services arm.
AI summary: Anette Borge, CEO of Wilhelmsen’s Global Business Services (GBS), is driving transformation with purpose and positivity. Since joining in 2024, she’s championed culture, empowerment, and transparency. With her background in finance, tech, and consulting, Anette quickly aligned GBS’s strategy with leadership to shift from a support function to a proactive, value-adding partner. Her focus on psychological safety, kindness, and teamwork underpins her leadership style. She's implementing clear service models and data tools to boost trust and efficiency. Guided by the mantra “See the future. Make the change. Together with people,” Anette leads change not through command, but through connection and clarity.
When Anette joined Wilhelmsen in 2024 to lead GBS, she hadn't actively been looking for a change. She was quite happy in her previous job but the opportunity to take on a vital part of a global, complex company – steering change, building people and shaping culture – was too good to miss.
"GBS and Wilhelmsen were a perfect fit for me," she says. With a background spanning finance, technology, supply chain and consulting, Anette found herself drawn to the breadth and depth the role offered. "Wilhelmsen’s international footprint was particularly exciting. Previous roles were mostly regional – Nordics, Baltics, India – but here, the whole world is relevant."
And there was something more: the spirit of Wilhelmsen. A deep focus on people, innovation and culture. "The company’s commitment to taking care of its employees while constantly seeking improvements was a strong match for my own philosophy: See the future. Make the change. Together with people."
Tackling heavy headwinds (with eyes wide open)
Anette didn’t shy away from the fact that GBS was in flux. If anything, the prospect of transformation was part of the attraction.
Just six weeks into her role, she had aligned a change journey with the board, key stakeholders and her own management team. "Making things better for our employees and customers – that’s what makes me love my job," she says.
GBS delivers HR, Finance, Technology and Procurement services across the group. It's a 600-person organisation spread across 39 countries, supporting nearly 6,000 colleagues worldwide. A huge responsibility—and an even bigger opportunity.
Early on, Anette noticed something that needed attention: the GBS community, long operating behind the scenes, didn’t always see themselves as a fully empowered company. She saw huge untapped pride and capability. "We have people exposed to all the complexity across the entire group," she says. "GBS is a learning powerhouse. We just needed to start thinking – and acting – like the vital business we are."
Her message was simple: "We are not just supporting the business. We are the business."
Step by step, she and her team have been building that identity, aiming to move GBS from a reactive service provider to a proactive business partner – and eventually a preferred external partner in the maritime industry.
Fixing misconceptions
One hurdle was perception. "A lot of internal customers thought we were slow, costly or inflexible," Anette says. "That’s common in internal service operations because all the competence shifts away from the users into the delivery side."
Her strategy: shine a light. Build transparency, trust and measurable outcomes. "If you don't know what you're paying for, you won't be satisfied," she says. "It's like living in a house and paying a blank check in rent every month without knowing what’s included."
Anette is introducing a clearer service catalogue, pricing models and data tracking tools. This way, GBS can not only show its value but empower customers to make fact-based decisions.
And she has brought a refreshing business philosophy: "I don't want customers who are prisoners. I want customers who choose to work with us. There's a big difference."
That spirit of openness, choice and mutual respect is now shaping GBS’s next chapter.
Culture first, always
Ask Anette what keeps her awake at night, and it’s not the usual corporate KPIs.
"It’s when our people face barriers that prevent them from mastering their roles," she says. "If engagement and wellbeing are at risk, that’s when I lie awake wondering what I can do."
Culture, she believes, is the ultimate secret weapon of high-performance enterprises. And psychological safety – the ability for employees to speak up, fail safely and grow – is non-negotiable.
"Kindness is essential," she says. "You need an environment where people believe together we are smarter than me. Where different perspectives are welcomed, not feared."
It’s a lesson she’s lived herself. As a former elite volleyball player, Anette learned early that success depends on teamwork, passion and internal motivation. "If you do something you love, hard work becomes fun," she says. "True energy comes from passion, not just being good at something."
Today, she tries to lead her team more like a coach than a commander. "There’s no ‘I’ in ‘We’," she smiles. "No one wins alone."
At Wilhelmsen, she’s found the perfect stage for that philosophy. "There’s a lot of laughter here," she says. "Kindness and a positive atmosphere aren't just nice to have — they’re strategies. When people enjoy working together, the results speak for themselves."
Cyclist, coach and (reluctant) conductor
Anette’s leadership style also reflects her personal habits. She cycles to work year-round, through snow, rain and Oslo winters. "It started with just summer cycling," she laughs. "But the benefits – exercise, fresh air, saving time and the planet – were too good to give up. Now it’s just part of life."
She’s aware that some might see her role as being like a conductor. But she says it’s less about orchestrating people and more about changing mindsets. "It's not about telling people what to do. That’s the easy part. It's about helping them reflect, mature and build something bigger than themselves."
Her daily work, she admits, involves a lot more listening, aligning and removing roadblocks than delivering concrete outputs. "If someone shadowed me for a week, they’d be surprised by how much time is spent helping others succeed."
And when she talks about leadership, she doesn’t mince words. "Top-down command-and-control leadership?" she says, with a glint in her eye. "Sorry, but that ship sailed 20 years ago."
Building for the future
Anette’s vision for GBS is clear:
- 2024–2025: Build GBS into a structured, commercial organisation with full transparency and fact-based decision-making.
- 2026–2027: Move from reactive service provider to proactive partner, using process optimisation, automation and data-driven insights.
- Beyond: Trust-based growth – serving 100% of Wilhelmsen’s needs and selectively offering services externally.
But even with the detailed roadmaps and KPIs, Anette knows real transformation is a human journey. "You have to celebrate the small wins," she says. "Recognise the effort. Stay humble. Stay positive."
"Because at the end of the day," she smiles, "it's people who make it happen."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bonus Q&A
Q: "What’s a guilty pleasure you’re completely unapologetic about?"
A: Watching bad crime shows on TV.
Q: "What’s something you’re passionate about outside of work – and how would you describe it in one sentence?"
A: The wellbeing of my two daughters and how I can be the best mom for both of them (despite the fact that are very different from each other and don't always understand that fair and equal parenting does not mean treating them absolutely the same).
Q: "If you could instantly master any skill, unrelated to work, what would it be and why?"
A: Speak French and play the piano! The whys are kind of obvious.
Q: "What’s a life lesson you learned the hard way but are now grateful for?"
A: Being able to separate what others think you are from what you actually are. That makes it possible to work towards becoming the best possible version of yourself, be content and not chase unrealistic goals that will drain you of energy and happiness. Work on the right things, not just working harder.
Q: "What’s one experience you believe everyone should try at least once?"
A: Nothing specific. People like different things. I love being outside in still nature on a lovely day. But even nature can’t help if I don’t feel free and happy in my own life.
Q: "If you could swap jobs with anyone for a week, who would it be?"
A: I would like to understand how top-level politics differs from working in business, and what the prime minister or president of a free, democratic country can actually do to make the world a better place, if they try hard enough.