Remco van Gilst

"Focused on getting things done”

When it comes to careers, Heerema either fits or doesn’t. At least, that is what Remco van Gilst believes after 20 years with the company. Remco joined HMC after his studies and worked on jackets and topsides developing into a structural engineer.

Working closely with HFG at one stage, he was asked to set up an engineering department for this division in Vlissingen. He soon moved on to project management and, five years later, got promoted to Manager of Projects, overseeing both the commercial and technical aspects of each project.

Now VP Business Development and Sales, Remco focuses on the oil and gas industry. Having spent a decade each with HMC and HFG, he knows exactly where to find the right people, how to get things done and to provide clients with the best possible solutions. Fascinated by the dynamism of commerce and cultural diversity, he loves the travel that is typical of the breadth of HFG’s business.

In spite of his passion for commerce, Remco is still an engineer at heart. He occasionally lectures at the Delft University of Technology on offshore projects and jacket fabrication, sharing his and Heerema’s knowledge with the future generation of engineers.

“We give people lots of responsibility and focus on getting things done. It’s also a family business with short lines of communication, so quick decisions can be taken and personal relationships are essential to our success. That’s why I also enjoy spending a lot of time in the UK, Norway and Denmark, and sometimes traveling to Houston, Angola or Kazakhstan, to personally interface with everyone on our global team.”