When Dirk Mausbeck became the new chief executive of Danske Commodities on January 5, the Danish trading firm was struggling to emerge from a difficult year. It reported pre-tax profits of €8.9 million ($10.1 million) in 2014, a drop of almost 80% from the year before. Danske also cut more than 100 staff last year, leaving it with 360 employees at the end of 2014.

Despite such turbulence, Mausbeck says the job was "a perfect match" for him. Prior to Danske he served as chief commercial officer