– Leif was the best person we could have in the driver’s seat

Tough period as CEO

“Leif suddenly faced major challenges when he took over from me, with the pandemic and soaring raw material prices. He probably hadn’t imagined those challenges when he accepted the job as CEO. But I can say, hand on heart, that he was the very best person we could have in the driver’s seat during this period, which was actually quite tough for Møre Trafo,” says Chair of the Board, former CEO and one of the owners of Møre Trafo, Tor Rieve Kristiansen, about Leif Leira.

Very satisfying

Tor is full of admiration for how Leif and the rest of the company turned a demanding situation in 2022 around in the best possible way. When Leif Leira left Møre Trafo in March, he could present the best quarter ever in Møre Trafo’s history. With both record revenue and a record order intake.

“It was incredibly satisfying to be able to leave the table with such good results. But Tor is absolutely right that it took some tough work,” says Leif.

Sudden Shift

The tough demands and the manager role meant Leif slammed into retirement at full speed. After years of keeping a high pace, handling piles of phone calls and emails every day, he suddenly met total silence. There was no natural slowdown.

“I was afraid the change might be a bit too abrupt, and I guess it has been. But it will be fine. I’ll fill my time with other things like family, golf and, not least, photography,” says Leif. He will miss the environment, all the skilled, capable people and the workplace, maybe even the ferry, after commuting every day for so many years from Spjelkavik in Ålesund to Sykkylven.

Longing for Home

Leif graduated as a business economist from BI in 1981 and could have become a banker. But he grabbed the chance when an opening came up as finance secretary at Møre Trafo (then AS Møre Transformatorfarbrikk). Simply because both he and his wife Marit really longed to move back to Sunnmøre.

Never Regretted It

There have probably been moments when he was on the verge of considering other opportunities. But because he has had so many different and exciting positions, he chose to stay loyal to Møre Trafo, where for so many years he has played a very important role.

“I have never regretted it. I’ve had a great career, many different positions, always been close to management and always had the opportunity to influence the development,” says Leif, who will still stay in touch with the group through board positions.

Spreadsheets, Graphs and Analytical Skills

After starting as a finance secretary he became CFO, then spent 22 years as Head of Finance and IT, and later Group Finance and Procurement Manager. He has held a number of board positions, has always been part of the team management, and was Tor Rieve Kristiansen’s second-in-command until he himself took over as CEO.

– Whatever the role, he has been deeply committed and carried it out in the best possible way. With his spreadsheets, analytical skills and understanding of people, he has prepared decision support based on facts, not opinions. This has made decisions in management much easier, says Tor Rieve Kristiansen.

Strong qualities and well liked

Tor says that Leif has a lot of strong qualities and has always been well liked. The quality Tor probably values most is Leif’s strong loyalty to the company and to Rive Kristiansen’s family interests.

“We’ve always had a very good collaboration and relationship. Both privately and at work. He has always supported me in the best way and been an important advisor during the period when I was in charge,” says Tor.

Golf

Together they will keep swinging their golf clubs, where Leif, by his own account, just gets worse and worse. In his glory days he was close to a handicap of 10, but he still loves the activity and the sport. Now he also has much more time to pursue his great passion for photography as a highly skilled and recognized amateur photographer. He has previously played a key role in Ålesund Kamera Klubb, where he also taught photography courses. The subjects he hunts for are mostly nature and architecture. In his images he looks for the slightly unusual and offbeat.

Passionate About Photography

“I’ve had cameras for as long as I can remember, and I’ve had more cameras than I want to admit to anyone, haha. Unlike video, photography has always fascinated me and is still something I’m passionate about. Photography as a hobby has given me an incredible number of great moments and memories – and there will be many more,” says Leif, who has two children and a grandchild.

Close to the adventure

He has been close to and followed Møre Trafo’s enormous, almost fairy-tale development. He is certain that Scandinavia’s largest producer of transformers and substations will reach new heights, not least because of the green transition and electrification. Because behind all electrification, there is always a transformer. Now there is no longer a Leif Leira behind the important decisions that must be made. But he finished in superb fashion, with figures that were all-time high in Møre Trafo’s history.