Business travel leader of the month: Carsten Østberg, CEO, Nomadic Global

Q: How long have you worked for Nomadic and what is your role there?

A:  I’ve been with Nomadic for almost two years. My role focuses on strengthening our global presence and elevating our service offering, especially as we grow within Fragomen’s expanding immigration capabilities. It’s been an exciting time to help shape our next chapter.

Q: Where do you live and work?

A: I’m Danish but have lived in Sweden for many years. I’m a frequent traveller and collaborate with Nomadic teams across the globe, from the UK and EMEA, to the US and APAC, so my “office” is often wherever I open my laptop.

Q: Tell us about one special tool, product or service Nomadic has for the corporate sector

A: Our mission is to remove complexity from corporate travel. Nomadic’s pre-travel assessment delivers fast, accurate compliance intelligence by assessing each traveller and destination to determine visa, work authorisation or EU Posted Worker needs. It then clearly maps next steps and links directly to our services so employers can act quickly and confidently.

Q: What is your number one piece of advice regarding how companies should look after the passport and visa needs of their travellers?

A: Be proactive, not reactive. Centralise data, track expiry dates early and partner with specialists. That’s the best way to avoid last-minute disruptions and costly compliance risks.

Q: Are you seeing an evolution in the way companies in the GCC manage their passports and visas?

A: Absolutely. Companies are moving away from ad hoc processes toward more structured, technology-enabled solutions with clearer ownership and stronger governance. The GCC has a long been leading on technology-led immigration and visa processes. You feel it immediately your aircraft touches down in the region.

Q: Tell us one trend in passports and visas that you think will be a hot topic over the next 12 months

A: Increased digitalisation, especially biometric passports, eVisas and pre-travel authorisation systems. While these tools promise faster processing and better security, they also introduce new complexity. Companies will need stronger forward planning, clearer policies and better traveller education to keep pace with constant regulatory and system changes.

Q: Which is your favourite country to visit as a business traveller?

A: The UAE, without a doubt. It’s easy to get in and out, meetings tend to be refreshingly direct and everything just works. Plus, the UAE lets you jump from boardroom to airport with a decent coffee in hand – that's hard to beat as a business traveller!