The former head of Nemko, Dr. Reidar Kuvaas (82) has suddenly passed away.
He joined Nemko in 1995 and dedicated his career to Nemko until his retirement in 2007.
He was a visionary leader who was instrumental in the transition of Nemko to become a truly international organization
After Nemko was privatized and became a self-own foundation in 1990, serving especially the IT-industry with getting access to East European markets was a successful business.
Subsidiaries were already established in USA (San Diego) and Taiwan before Reidar joined Nemko. For the company to stay independent, however, it was crucial to have someone who could lead with a growth strategy to build the company into an international organization. Reidar was the perfect fit for this role due to his broad international experience and extensive expertise within mergers and acquisitions.
Under Reidar's leadership, the operation was expanded with laboratories in China, Korea, Canada, Italy, England, Finland and Germany as well as expanded in USA and Taiwan. His strong belief in empowering people and fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration was instrumental in transforming Nemko into the global entity it is today.
He will be remembered not only for his professional achievements but also for his kindness, wisdom, and the positive impact he had on all who worked with him. Apart from the family and friends, he will be missed also by Nemko colleagues who still had contact with him.
With his language skills from studying and living many years in USA and his continued interest for and insight in our business, he has since his retirement in 2007 and right up to his death, been a valued contributor to the quality assurance of this monthly newsletter, which certainly the editor will miss !
(This article is based on the information provided by John Bekken and edited by T. Sollie)
