Claes Westerlind

President and Chief Executive Officer, Nkt

Search every verified Claes Westerlind interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Claes Westerlind, who became CEO of NKT about a month before the interview, stated that the company's order backlog had grown from 1.4 billion in 2019 to nearly 7 billion in the first quarter of 2023. He attributed this growth to the company's ability to deliver and to customer trust, and said the backlog provides the foundation for a major new investment. Westerlind noted that NKT's cable solutions have become critical for the green transition and for European independence from Russian gas, and that the company was raising capital to finance existing orders and support a significant increase in earnings. Westerlind described NKT as a fundamentally different company than it was five to ten years ago, having proven its ability to execute large projects and keep its promises. He said the company aims to continue its growth trajectory and requires additional capital to do so. He also acknowledged that cables involve risks related to time, safety, and quality, but stated that NKT's strength lies in its ability to manage and mitigate those risks.