Careers
Gunvor Group employs approximately 1,500 people throughout the world, consisting of about 600 experienced professionals in our offices and about 900 specialists in various logistical facilities and assets.
We attribute our continuing growth and success to our employees, who provide a tremendous level of commercial, operational, functional and technical expertise across global energy markets. They are dynamic and engaged. They strive for the opportunities for growth and development that Gunvor provides. Joining Gunvor, you will work with passionate people operating at the highest level of integrity.
Culture
Gunvor is a company that works for the people who work within it. We are always looking to hire the best people to expand and improve our existing businesses, as well as to create new ones in trading and investments. We do all this while maintaining our company’s core values of respect and honesty. Decision-making processes are broad-based, and we strive to make Gunvor a place where all employees feel they belong and that their work matters.
Diversity
As the commodities industry has grown and competition ever increases, all companies look for an edge.
At Gunvor, we believe this comes from diversity and inclusivity. Many studies have demonstrated that companies with a diverse decision-making base are more successful and use this advantage to spark innovation and to create more ways of sustaining a competitive advantage. In this respect, Gunvor stands out as a company with a culture of inclusivity.
Gunvor aims to ensure our employees reflects the diversity of the global communities in which we operate. We are constantly looking for ways to expand the diversity of our global workforce.
Locations
Most of Gunvor’s offices feature aquariums. These fish tanks reflect Gunvor’s role as an ocean-going company, since we conduct more than 1,800 voyages of dry, wet and LNG/LPG cargo each year.
Since physical commodities trading is fairly distant and abstract work, our office aquariums provide a reminder of the environment in which we actually work every day.
Talent
The trading of today and tomorrow is increasingly dependent on analytic skills, including such things as machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI). Ten years ago, it mattered if you could speak English and Chinese. Today, the languages that matter are Python, C-Sharp, and SQL, among others.
We also know that better teams develop better strategies, implement them more successfully, and generate greater confidence among stakeholders. Part of Gunvor’s Talent Strategy is a focus on social, emotional, and advanced cognitive skills.
Energy Transition
For commodities traders, the Energy Transition has created new opportunities, while ushering in a generational shift, along with new trading in such areas as biofuels and renewables. We’re further working to trade traditional commodities in a more sustainable manner, while incorporating transitional commodities as the future.
New talents and new ideas are the solution. Our industry-leading activity in renewables and the Energy Transition is very much supported by a general trend in society, as well as among banks and investors. There is a strong appetite for projects in this area.
Experienced Professionals
Gunvor is very selective and our standards of performance are high. We encourage creativity and independence, and strive to maintain a diverse working environment.
Our more than 20 facilities and operations are run primarily by local management, who provide keen market intelligence and analysis. They are complemented by people with high strategic value.
Gunvor believes in developing individuals who have the professional and interpersonal skills to help drive our continuing success. We offer opportunities for professional and personal development, and enable employees to take ownership of their personal growth and development.
Gunvor Foundation
To uphold its place as a responsible corporate citizen, Gunvor since its founding in 2000 has annually allocated a portion of its net profit to charitable activities. To keep up with the growth of Gunvor’s efforts, the Gunvor Foundation was established to formalize the structure and direction of these philanthropic programs.
Gunvor Foundation provides scholarships, grants, and donations for initiatives that further the mission of empowering individuals to contribute meaningfully to the development of healthy communities, the reduction of poverty, and the improvement of environmental conditions on local and global levels.
Education & Awareness
Gunvor fosters a learning culture and invests in the capabilities that will help individuals and our organization thrive. We offer a mix of internally created programs and the best of external content. The goal is ensure our employees have the opportunity to continue building relevant skills, all while gaining a holistic appreciation for every aspect of our business operations.
Importantly, Gunvor also has mandatory annual training for every employee covering many areas such as Anti-bribery & Corruption (ABC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML), market abuse and market conduct, economic sanctions, and other areas. Risks and related policies are discussed. The latest developments in Compliance thinking are also addressed. These sessions are complemented by regular communications from Gunvor’s Compliance team to the company, highlighting topical compliance-related issues, such as market news of breaches and fines, and the latest developments around the world. All relevant staff must complete the training.
Apprenticeships
Since 2019, Gunvor USA has welcomed apprentices as a part of our participation in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship Program.
The Gunvor program prepares individuals for careers in commodities trading by combining technical instruction and paid on-the-job training. Over a two-year period, these individuals work in multiple departments, including contracts, operations, risk, compliance, and accounting. Some apprentices have gone on to join our teams permanently.
Grad Programs
To help field the next generation of trading talent, Gunvor supports the University of Geneva’s education program “Masters of Science in Commodities Trading”. It consists of an intensive 12-month academic course combined with a parttime job at a commodities trader. The academic curriculum consists of 16 modules structured into three complementary sections: components of trading; commodity hedging and price risk; commodity finance and financial risk management.
Flexibility
Gunvor maintains a flexible working environment. Having a balanced work-life schedule enables our colleagues to optimize their schedules and increase business performance. This includes telecommuting, part-time work, and flex-time, among other options—all undertaken in line with local and regional government guidelines and business and operational requirements.
Gunvor further maintains the highest information security protocols to ensure all work can be done securely.
What is “Gunvor”?
One of the most common questions that employees get about our company is in reference to the name Gunvor: Where did it come from? Gunvor is actually a feminine name common in Sweden, Norway and Denmark. It derives from the Old Norse name Gunnvör meaning “cautious in war” (gunnr or “war” is combined with vor or “vigilant, cautious”).
Torbjörn originally chose the name for one of his earlier trading ventures, Gunvor Energy, and decided to keep the name for Gunvor Group. “Although we began our operations from a regional European position, the goal was always to create an international trading house,” Torbjörn explained. “We needed a name that would be easy to pronounce in most languages. It is really as practical as that.”
When asked about rumors whether Gunvor is also his mother’s middle name, he said that “yes, it happens to be a nice coincidence.”