Thomas Wilhelmsen has his sights set on growth and greater use of technology.

Wilhelmsen, the chief executive of Oslo-listed Wilh Wilhelmsen Holding, says the company had an "intense year" in 2016 which set it up for expansion.

Writing in the WW annual report, he said the sale of the safety portfolio to Survitec Group and Callenberg Technology Group to Trident Maritime Systems, coupled with the stock listing of Treasure ASA were all part of the same plan.

“For the first time since we bought a share in the bark Mathilde in 1865, we find ourselves soon only as indirect owner of vessels through the newly established Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics,” he said.

“All these changes were part of our strategic plan to position the group for future growth. Combining a leaner and more efficient organisation with our ambition to shape the maritime industry, we have built a solid platform for future growth.”

Wilhelmsen said his own ambitions for 2017 included being more engaged in potentially game changing technologies or business models.

“At the start of 2017, we are engaged in discussions related to automated vessels, utilising drones, 3D printing, and blockchain to mention a few,” he wrote.

"We have hired new competencies to meet our focus on digital. We have established new partnerships, like with Digital Norway and Singularity University, to ensure we have access to environments that can stimulate our thinking.

“We might have 156 years of experience and wisdom, but we are still curious and eager to learn and develop.”

As group chief executive, Wilhelmsen's pay package sat at $1.016m in 2016, down from $1.229m a year earlier.

His base salary reduced to $552,000, while his bonus of $92,000 was down from $279,000 in 2015.