Cadeler Chief Executive Mikkel Gleerup has rejected recent media allegations regarding a toxic workplace environment at the offshore wind installation firm’s Copenhagen headquarters, describing them as concerns that have previously been investigated and addressed.
An article published on June 11 by Danish financial news outlet Finans claimed that Gleerup had contributed to a work environment marked by psychological insecurity and stress-related sick leave. In response, Gleerup said the company “does not recognise this picture being painted.”
“The recent criticism raised in Finans appears to be the same as earlier concerns raised which led to both a whistleblower investigation and anonymous reports to the Danish Working Environment Authority (DWEA),” Gleerup said in a statement. “The whistleblower case was examined impartially and thoroughly by our Speak-up Committee, the Board of Directors and an external consultancy. No breaches of our code of conduct or signs of a poor workforce culture were found.”
Gleerup, who has led Cadeler since 2017, acknowledged that “it is important to me that we take criticism seriously,” but maintained that the allegations were not new and had been formally reviewed.
He also cited Cadeler’s recent DWEA inspection, which resulted in a single comment regarding high work pressure—something he said “is not unexpected for a fast-growing company.” The company is projecting a record turnover of €485 million to €525 million in 2024.
According to Gleerup, workplace assessments, low levels of sick leave, and high employee retention rates point to “a workplace where people thrive and people want to contribute.”
“As CEO, I must be the first to acknowledge that we foster an ambitious and high-performance culture,” he added. “It can be intense, and I won’t deny that in moments of high pressure, I may have spoken too forcefully or expressed myself too sharply. This calls for self-reflection and I of course take it seriously. If anyone has experienced this as anything other than passion and commitment, I do apologise – and I will carry that insight with me.
