StatoilHydro has been strongly affected by the news that three colleagues were on the Air France flight which disappeared over the Atlantic on 1 June. It is the Rio de Janeiro office that has been hit the hardest.
Geologist Marcela Pellizzon (29) and lawyer Gustavo Peretti (30) are Brazilian citizens, while lawyer Kristian Berg Andersen (37) is a Norwegian citizen.
A Swiss citizen who is the nephew of a Norwegian employee at the group’s office in Rio de Janeiro is also among the missing.
Country manager Jorge Camargo in Brazil held an employee forum yesterday afternoon local time for all employees in Rio de Janeiro to come to terms with and give expression to emotions aroused by the accident.
“This has been a terrible day for us, and the loss of three fine colleagues is very hard to bear,” says Mr Camargo. “We are doing all we can to support the families of the missing colleagues."
“We will spend time coming to terms with this and helping each other get through this difficult experience. We have been in close contact with the families of our missing colleagues and have a crisis counsellor available to all employees at our office.”
Ms Pellizzon joined StatoilHydro as a contractor in mid-2008 and became a permanent employee in October. She is married to another StatoilHydro employee in Brazil.
Mr Peretti was hired in mid-2008, and made a key contribution to building up local expertise in Rio de Janeiro. From 1 January this year, he has worked at the group’s Vækerø office outside Oslo, but had recently returned to the Rio office.
Mr Andersen joined Hydro in January 2002. Posted to Rio de Janeiro on 1 January 2008, he has played a key role in the take-over of Brazil’s Peregrino field.
Missing
Two other Norwegian citizens are on the missing flight. Karsten Moholt and Karsten Alexander Moholt worked for Karsten Moholt AS, which has been a StatoilHydro supplier in Norway for 35 years.
The two were well known and highly respected among the group’s electrical specialists.
StatoilHydro’s corporate executive committee today cancelled or changed its planned activities. While commercial activities are largely continuing as planned, social events have been cancelled this week out of respect for the missing, their families and their colleagues.
Chief executive Helge Lund says that this incident has made a strong impression on the whole organisation.
“Our focus is now on supporting and assisting the families and colleagues in both Brazil and Norway,” he says.