Ronald Hansen retires after nearly four decades with Blue Water

26 May 2026

In 1988, Ronald Hansen walked into a brand-new Blue Water office in Odense with 12 colleagues, a phone book and a typewriter. This summer, he walks out again for the last time. After nearly 38 years in Blue Water, Ronald is stepping down from the sales team and heading into retirement – though he admits it will feel strange to finally switch on an out-of-office reply with no end date.

Becoming part of Blue Water

Ronald Hansen entered the shipping industry in 1976 as a 20-year-old trainee in the sea and air freight department at Inter-Service. Over the following years, he helped build up the company’s road export activities towards Germany, Benelux, the UK and France. Then, in 1988, everything changed when DFDS acquired Inter-Service.

After a few months under new ownership, Ronald and his 12 Inter-Service colleagues made a collective decision to look for a fresh start somewhere else. At the same time, Blue Water founder, Kurt Skov, and his companions Jørn Bøllund and Allan Junge were looking to expand. Through the 80s, Blue Water had opened offices in Denmark as well as abroad in the Netherlands and France, and now their eyes were set on the island to the east, Funen.

Ronald reflects on the initial talks that led to an office opening in Odense.

“We were looking for a company to really match the DNA we knew from our time at Inter-Service, and it didn’t take long to find out that Blue Water was exactly that – a family-owned company with its values in the right place and a flat organisational structure.”

On 1 December 1988, Ronald and 12 colleagues officially opened the doors to a new office in Odense, manned by local experts, who quickly had to grasp what being part of Blue Water meant.

“At first, the West Jutland guys had to figure out who these singing Funen people were,” Ronald laughs. “But once a ‘jyde’ accepts you, they back you all the way.”

What Ronald remembers most from those early days is the freedom.

“The cooperation between Esbjerg and Odense was built on trust and a shared understanding of how we wanted to do business. There wasn’t far from idea to action. We were trusted from day one, and if something made sense, you just got on with it. That autonomy really drove us to deliver right from the get-go.”

Relations outside the office mattered as well, Ronald noticed when he became part of Blue Water.

“If you were into sports, football or handball, you were probably already a few points ahead. And a bad day on the golf course is still better than a good day at the office,” he laughs.

Ronald Hansen on the cover of Blue Water's internal magazine in December 1988. Pictured second from the left in the bottom row.

A salesman by heart

Sales has always driven Ronald Hansen in his work. He liked being on the road. Visiting customers. Talking. Listening. Calling again the next week – and Ronald excelled at it back in 1988 as well as today.

“It was a different era of doing business. You had to earn people’s trust back then. You couldn’t hide behind PowerPoints or long email correspondences. Blue Water provided a company car and a phone book, and then you had one goal: do business, and do it well. We prepared offers on a typewriter, which were delivered physically by the postman. You could also fax it, so in that sense we were very modern.”

Today, our sales department works a tad differently. As the internet turned out to not just be a flash in the pan, Blue Water today offers extensive IT solutions and operates in a far more digital world. For Ronald however, our sales department has never thrived the way it does today.

“I think we have one of the industry's strongest sales teams. My colleagues work hard, they care about our customers, and they take pride in what we do. I feel incredibly proud to have been part of this group of people and have no qualms about handing over my responsibilities to them.”

With the introduction of our new CRM system in 2019, the sales process changed in many ways – but some things also stayed the same. Ronald admits the newer systems were not always his favourite part of the job.

“Of course, changes are always a challenge, and maybe more than my younger peers, I felt this shift. I grew up with typewriters and fax machines. Suddenly, everything had to be registered, tracked and updated. Without our support teams, I wouldn’t’ve been able to keep up. But in the end, the things important for us and our customers haven’t changed much. We keep our promises and go the extra mile – that’s what Blue Water’s all about.”

Taking the foot off the gas

This year marks half a century on the job market for Ronald and nearly 38 years since stepping into a newly opened Blue Water office in Odense. Since then, the business became faster, more digital and more complex. Ronald felt the change in tempo as well, and eventually it became evident that something had to be done.

“I could see that I was not able to run as fast as when I was a younger man, but I still enjoyed chasing a contract at a customer event, negotiating with clients and closing deals.”

“I went to my boss, Jeppe Rind, and together we found out that a 4-day work week would be the best fit for me. My tasks and targets were adjusted accordingly, and it worked wonders for me to have more energy during the workday, while also freeing up more time for my wife, children and grandchildren. I really recommend this solution to anyone nearing retirement age.”

Today, Ronald is officially going from a 4-day workweek to a zero-day workweek. And while work becomes such a strong part of our identity, Ronald is looking forward to activating the out-of-office reply with no end date.

“Retirement is the natural next step for me. I’ve reached an age where it makes sense, and I also want to spend more time with my family. During my years at Blue Water, I’ve seen a lot of changes and worked with many different people. But when I look around today, I have no doubts about leaving it in their hands. It’s a really strong group of people.”

After nearly four decades in Blue Water, Ronald Hansen is finally taking his foot off the gas, leaving behind sales targets, customer visits and contract negotiations. While the typewriter has long since been replaced by CRM systems and Teams meetings, Ronald Hansen still believes good business comes down to the same things it always did: trust, relationships and keeping your promises.

Fortunately for Ronald, those principles still guide Blue Water today, allowing him to enjoy his retirement knowing the business is in good hands.