STAKEHOLDERS

New dialogue channels

Our internal information policy emphasises the importance of openness towards and dialogue with stakeholders. As a natural extension of this, we worked considerably in 2009 to make use of social media. CEO, Terje R. Venold, began his own blog where he shares his reflections on the market, the company and our society in general. Terje posted 74 blogs in 2009. New social media present unique opportunities for dialogue with stakeholders. In turn, they give our stakeholders more opportunities to more accurately assess Veidekke, and to better understand the drivers that are important to us. In addition, Terje's blog is a good arena to send clear messages to those stakeholders who are involved in shaping our framework conditions. As part of this strategy, Veidekke has also begun to actively use Twitter.

Looking to reach more

We view the new media as an important channel for reaching out to multiple stakeholders, and for getting more direct feedback on how we run our business. Therefore, we are also present in other media such as Flickr, Facebook, LinkedIn and SlideShare. Openness and willingness to enter into dialogue with critical voices is important, especially for a business like Veidekke, which at any given time has about a thousand ongoing projects throughout Scandinavia. We are present in many people's everyday lives, both directly as a supplier, customer or employer, and more indirectly, as part of the local communities where we build. Every construction project has its special challenges. In densely populated areas, noise and dust levels may be relevant issues, whereas in other places, biodiversity and protected natural areas may be the main challenge. These unpredictable working conditions, in which we constantly face new challenges on different local projects, require a high degree of openness and dialogue with the surrounding community. We know from experience that good communication is a key factor for success in our industry, and therefore, interaction is integral to the operation of Veidekke. Good dialogue helps us improve our overall risk assessment, as it is easier to locate, monitor and resolve potential problems before they develop into bigger business challenges.

Continuous Dialogue

As yet, no primary analysis or prioritisation of the Group's stakeholders has been conducted but, each country and each business unit works continuously with stakeholder dialogues as an integral part of their everyday work. We have also performed analyses in connection with the preparation of corporate communication plans and strategies. Our main stakeholders are students, researchers, employees, journalists, investors, customers and partners. In 2010, we will ask a number of our stakeholders what they expect of us as a company, in the field of social responsibility. We do this as a natural part of the Group's continuous improvement processes, including CSR.