PROFESSIONAL
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What I Like …
■ An insight: The journey of raising your self-awareness!
■ An influential person in my career: Frank Beck, my personal mentor since I was 18.
■ An out-of-the-box idea: Breaking all the branding rules and introducing a pink professional sailing team!
■ A timeless idea: Highlight the legacy and history of what you are doing. Legends and history never go out of fashion!
■ A business deal: Closing my first main sponsor for the Whitbread race [former name of the Volvo race]: $8 million from the Kvaerner Group.
KNUT FROSTAD
CEO, Volvo Ocean Race
■ Where I'm from: I am from Oslo, Norway, but live in Alicante, Spain.
■ Where I Went to School: Oslo Business School.
■ My First Job: Working at my grandfather's graphic and printing company running around with Letrasets and putting headlines, letter by letter.
■ A sports facility: The Abu Dhabi Yas Marina Circuit for Formula One. Stunning!
■ A sports event: The Lillehammer Winter Games in ’92. Made for and by the people!
■ A strategy: Us against the rest of the world — building a tribe! (Apple’s Steve Jobs)
■ A hire: My whole team at Volvo Ocean Race is the best you can get!
■ A brand: Apple.
■ A trend: Fitness — can only be positive!
■ An innovation: Social media.
■ A pro league or team business initiative: McLaren’s video promos building the relationship between Hamilton and Button.
■ A story that bears watching: Can’t think of one — there are too many …
■ An idea or invention I wish I had thought of: The 3-D animation by Pixar: Cars! Could be done with boats! Brilliant idea and execution!
■ A fantasy job: Movie director.
What I Like About …
■ My job: A global challenge, to make it work with 10 countries and cultures and at the same time manage an event where Mother Nature still rules.
■ Sports fans: Passion and enthusiasm regardless of background, nationality and culture!
■ Sports: It unites the world across any borders and reminds us that the world is still a great place to be! Sport can also move and make impact beyond the athletes and their race.
■ Sports business: Passion, passion, passion and lots of people with it!
■ Sports media: Helping build the reputation of sports to become a more professional industry.
■ Sports technology: When you add a real competitive element to R&D there are no limits how far athletes and teams will go — and the boats will just become faster and faster!
■ Competing: The best way to receive feedback!
■ The future of sports business: It’s bright.
What I’d Like To …
■ Change: How we preserve the ocean.
■ Change in what I do: Build our event into something much bigger and double the audience in 12 months!
■ See: Nepal.
■ See more of in sports: Passion and true personalities.
■ See more of in sports business: Real statistics showing the reality.
■ See less of in sports: Talks about money and salaries.
■ See less of in sports business: Boring advertising and branding with just logos and no creativity.
■ See different: People — can always see others differently.
■ Eliminate: Technical barriers stopping the fans.
What I Don’t Like …
■ In general: Anyone who talks more than he walks.
■ Pet peeve: When things are not straight and symmetric (when they are supposed to be).
■ In business: Someone not delivering what was agreed.
PERSONAL
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What I Like …
■ That would surprise those who know me: I would have loved to be a saxophonist!
■ Above all else: My family.
■ About myself: Never ever give up …
■ Hero: Steve Jobs.
■ Player: Lionel Messi.
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■ Team: FC Barcelona.
■ City: London.
■ Possession: Pictures from the past.
■ Memory: First day across the ocean in Whitbread 1993-94.
■ Time of year (because): Autumn — more wind!
■ Music: Jazz.
■ Books: Not a big reader.
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■ Magazine: National Geographic.
■ Gadgets: The Mac and great loudspeakers!
■ Hobby: Windsurfing.
■ Trip: The Amazon.
■ Concert: The Wall — many years ago …
■ Artist: Jamie Cullum.
■ Food: Sushi.
■ Dessert: Ice cream.
■ Drink: Water.
■ Vacation spots: Maui, Perth, Sardinia.
■ Car: Volvo XC60.
■ Singer: Radka Toneff.
■ Quote: “Be the change you want to see in the world.” — Gandhi
