Henriette Thygesen’s waterside office in Copenhagen’s Nordhaven area offers spectacular views of the Danish capital. Visible in the distance is the headquarters of AP Moller-Maersk, where the Svitzer chief executive first walked through the doors 25 years ago as a trainee.

Thygesen’s desk is only a couple of kilometres from Maersk's headquarters at Esplanaden 50, but her career with Denmark’s largest shipping group has taken her to Spain, Hong Kong, China and the US before returning to her native Denmark to lead Svitzer in 2016.