Download The Hertfordshire MBA visits Faroe Islands

The Hertfordshire MBA visits Faroe Islands
During a blustery December 2013, Hertfordshire MBA strategy
lecturer Dr Denise Dollimore visited the factory and Headquarters of
JFK, one of the largest fishing companies in the Faroe Islands. JFK is
the subject of Jogvan Hansen’s Applied Individual Project (AIP). In
partial fulfilment of the MBA programme, Jogvan is tasked with the
investigation and proposed resolution of an identified strategic
management issue at his place of work. He is supported in this
endeavour by both the CEO, Hanus Hansen, who acts as Jogvan’s
mentor and Dr Dollimore, who is his appointed Hertfordshire MBA
supervisor.
Jogvan with his father and CEO, Hanus
Hansen by one of the JFK fishing
vessels
Student, supervisor and mentor pictured
at the JFK Headquarters in Klaksvik
In operation since the early 1900s, JFK have had a significant
influence on the development of the Faroese fishing industry.
With a modern fleet of fishing vessels producing frozen- at-sea fish
to major fish merchants in UK and elsewhere, JFK also run the
high tech fish factory at Kosin which produces frozen, salted and
fresh fish for wholesale and retail outlets. JFK has been
successfully certified in accordance with the Marine Stewardship
Council’s (MSC) global standard for sustainable and wellmanaged fisheries. Its products are now eligible to carry the blue
MSC Eco label.
During the visit, Jogvan, General Manager at JFK, escorted Denise
around the pristine Kosin factory, the largest in the Faroe Islands.
She met the quality control team and factory supervisors and then
proceeded on a chilly factory tour which followed the entire
processing operation from caught fish to salted, frozen or fresh
neatly packaged end product. She was then taken dockside to step
on-board Gadus, one of JFK’s factory fishing vessels. Here as
Denise viewed the sophisticated machinery on-board the vessel,
Jogvan showed how operators were able to fillet and prepare fish
ready for freezing within 4 hours of being caught.
Denise and Jogvan preparing for a white
coat inspection of the factory
The Faroe Islands is a self-governing country within the Kingdom
of Denmark located in the North Atlantic approximately 300
kilometres northwest of Scotland. Amongst the traditional fare
sampled during her stay on these ruggedly beautiful volcanic
Islands, Denise especially enjoyed the dried haddock, salted cod,
rugbrød (dark rye bread) and rhubarb dessert. The same could not
be said, however, for the incredibly pungent Skerpikjøt (a type of
wind-dried mutton)!
Denise and JFK at the superb Aarstova
restaurant
At the time of writing Jogvan’s AIP project is ongoing with interviews being conducted with directors
and managers at JFK. The title of the study is “Aligning strategy, structure and culture for enhanced
performance and brand recognition at JFK”.