Star Information Systems (SIS) has established a new base in Rio de Janeiro to serve Brazil’s thriving offshore sector. To support the manuever, SIS sent Hans-Kristian Fjaerem, one of the firm’s most experienced consultants, to lead the operation, recruit a local team, and service SIS’ growing portfolio of customers in the region. The pace of economic change in Brazil – now the sixth largest global economy – has been accelerated by the discovery of huge oil and gas reserves in the country’s pre-salt basin, opening up an array of opportunities for national and international offshore operators.
SIS has been servicing clients in the region for the past five years, but is now investing in a permanent office to ensure that its customers there – such as Norsul, Teekay Petrojarl, Farstad Shipping, Solstad Offshore, Ocean Rig, BW Offshore, and Siem Offshore – get the best possible service, from a dedicated, local team of professionals.
Fjaerem, a key figure at SIS over his 12 years with the business, sees massive potential for the market, and for SIS itself: “We have had activities in Brazil for some time, but we felt the exceptional growth of the market, particularly with regard to the oil and gas sectors, meant that the time was right to commit to a permanent base. We’re looking to build a full-service company there providing all the services that we currently provide from Norway – that’s advisory services, project management, support, implementation, training and sales across all of our software modules.
“These cover CMMS and asset management, QHSE, fleet supply management, project management, document management, KPIs dashboards, and more. Having a local team on the ground, with local industry and language abilities will give our Brazilian and international customers a valuable point of access to SIS and our product range, while helping us to take advantage of an exciting and fast developing marketplace.”
SIS’ existing clients in the region are in agreement with Fjaerem, with Knut Olsen, CMMS Manager at Siem Offshore, and Roar Bye, Operations Strategy and Support Manager Teekay Petrojarl, throwing their support behind the development of the permanent base. Siem Offshore currently has five vessels operating in Brazilian waters and Olsen welcomes SIS’ arrival.
“It’s very important for us to have access to local support, consultation and training,” he says, “so it’ll be great to have SIS in the area.”
Bye adds that his firm will require local system support as it looks to build up its operations in the region. “Brazil is a prioritized area,” he explains, “ and it’s important, as we expand, to have the right training and courses on the ground there, preferably in Portuguese.”
Initial plans are for a team of five to six Brazilian based SIS professionals under Fjaerem’s direction. As well as offshore, the recruits will also be focusing on the country’s dynamic shipping sector.