Interview with Leiv Kreyberg, CEO of ACAMS. “In aviation you don’t sell technology, you deliver trust.”
After more than a decade at the helm of ACAMS, CEO Leiv Kreyberg will step down at the end of June this year. Under his leadership, the company professionalised, signed major international contracts and positioned itself as a specialist supplier in tower automation and remote tower environments. We spoke with Kreyberg about his background, ACAMS’ evolution, and the future of ATM technology.
Can you introduce yourself ?
Leiv: “I graduated in 1982 from the Norwegian Institute of Technology (now NTNU). My degree was mechanical engineering, but my thesis focused on what we would today call industrial or technical economics – operations research, queuing theory, and investment analysis. So from the beginning I had a mix of engineering and business thinking.
Like many Norwegians at that time, I started in the offshore sector. I worked for Norwegian Petroleum Consultants on very large oil-and-gas projects, often exceeding several billion euros in value. My role was project control and contract management. Those years were extremely formative – Norway learned to manage large complex projects by working together with international engineering companies such as Bechtel and Foster Wheeler.
Later I moved into consulting and that is how I first entered aviation. Around 1989–1994, I worked on the procurement and contract administration on behalf of Luftfartsverket (Norwegian CAA) for the new ACC in Røyken, negotiating with Raytheon and supporting the overall project management. I also worked on the construction of Oslo’s new main airport – Gardermoen.
After that my career moved more into technology companies. I became managing director of Digital Consulting in Norway, later headed Bull Northern Europe systems integration and services across Scandinavia and the Baltics, and then held CEO and COO roles in several technology businesses. One particularly relevant period was in a radar technology company developing a FMCW obstacle-warning radar system later sold to Vestas.
I joined ACAMS in 2013 initially as an interim CEO. After a difficult ownership situation, the founders stepped up, regained full ownership in 2014, and I stayed on as CEO.”
What were for you the key milestones in ACAMS’ history?
Leiv: “ACAMS already had a strong technological foundation when I arrived. The founders saw a clear operational problem: air-traffic controllers were dealing with many separate systems and interfaces in the tower. The idea was to unify those into a single, intuitive interface – a coherent HMI for controllers.
That may sound simple, but aviation is conservative for a reason. You cannot just introduce a “cool feature.” You are affecting safety. Every step must be validated according to international standards, understood and accepted by the ANSP’s and their controllers.
One of the early major successes was Brazil, beginning around 2006–2008. Maintaining and expanding that long-term cooperation was very important because it demonstrated reliability and continuity – not just technology.
After 2013 we focused on further professionalizing the company. We professionalised operations, implemented ISO certifications and aviation standards, and positioned ACAMS to work with major industry players. Our philosophy was simple: profit before growth and no unnecessary risks. We grew organically rather than by acquisitions.
If you ask me the important milestones that I have been part of then it would be these:
Working with demanding customers helped us improve. High-level requirements -cybersecurity, reliability, and operational stability – raised our competence significantly.
But one milestone I value as much as any contract: company culture.
We built a flat, project-oriented organisation with strong trust in employees. Respect for customers and respect for employees are our core values. We lead by example and we do business ethically. In aviation your reputation is part of your product. “
What happens after you leave the company?
Leiv: “I will step down on 1 July. ACAMS will continue with an internal succession. The new CEO will be Erik Nyberg, coming from the company’s sales organisation. A broader management team has been established including a COO, a CFO and technology leadership. We guarantee continuity.
The founders remain involved – one as chairman and one in business development – so their industry knowledge remains in place. The next generation has been part of building the company and understands both the technology and the culture.
I believe internal growth is healthier than bringing in someone unfamiliar with the business. They know our customers, the industry and our values.”
How do you see the future for ACAMS and ATC solutions?
Leiv: “Air traffic management is entering a complex phase. Technologies like Digital/Remote operations, AI, web services and digitalisation are important, but they are only part of the story.
The bigger question is resilience.
These questions are becoming central. Aviation is a safety-critical infrastructure and geopolitical realities now matter more than before. The industry must balance innovation with redundancy and security.
ACAMS’ role is to support these choices – integrating systems, making them usable and reliable. We must anticipate what customers will need before they ask, because when they decide, they need a working solution immediately.
Another challenge is perception. Airlines sometimes see ATM services as expensive. We must show that ATM technology is part of the solution – improving efficiency, preventing failures, and enabling safer operations – and reducing costs.
AI will play a role, yes. But aviation will not change overnight. Progress will evolve in careful steps, just as it always has.
In aviation you are not selling software and systems. You are delivering safety and trust. And trust is built thoroughly and slowly.”
Many thanks Leiv for your time but also the amazing contribution in turning ACAMS into a major ATM player.