Basabdutta Bose, VP - Head of Contract Management

What do you do as VP - Head of Contract Management at Cadeler?

My primary role is to follow the contract through its entire lifecycle. In the pre-execution phase, I negotiate and finalize the contract with the clients with commercial alignment with Sales. In the operations phase, I support Projects in meeting the contractual obligations, managing claims towards and from clients. A big part of our role is to act as a link between Sales and Projects and implement the lessons learned from the execution phase into tender phase for future projects.

What has been your career path so far?

I started my career as a lawyer for a national oil and gas company in India working on a multi-billion-dollar international LNG project. The excitement and steep learning in the project led me to make a slight pivot in my career. I decided to add a business hat to complement the legal skills. A move to Denmark gave me the perfect platform to make a green energy transition professionally! I completed my MBA from Copenhagen Business School and then joined Cadeler in 2021 in Contract Management.

What makes a good negotiator in your opinion?

It rests on mainly three legs. First, you must be assertive. This develops with an internal process of good subject matter knowledge, communication skills, self-belief and the ability to collaborate with internal stakeholders who will give you valuable input for the negotiations.

Secondly, you must have a high level of empathy and knowledge of what your clients need and want. Asking the right questions early in the process is essential. You must build trust with your clients. I think being empathetic rests on knowing that the aim is to build a long-term relationship that will reap future benefits. Being empathetic is key to finding a solution where both partners will gain value.

Finally, you must be adaptable. We always go in with a rough process. But once in the room, we are often dealt unknown cards. The key is to be flexible, read the situation holistically, foresee various outcomes – and then make a decision.

What makes you feel proud of your job?

I feel proud of my job when I think of the impact we create. To know how important a piece of the puzzle we are, in the quest towards building the clean and cheap offshore energy and to accelerate the green transition.

When we negotiate contracts, they are often far out in the future. But I know that one day I will stand looking across the ocean and see these beautiful turbines towering up on the horizon harnessing the free power of wind, and creating the change we need to sustain our lives. That makes me feel proud.

Can you remember a specific situation that felt particularly meaningful?

Every time I receive feedback from the clients that we are solution oriented and pragmatic.