Several large Norwegian companies are now looking for new senior managers – E24

Are you looking for a new job? Telenor, Schibsted and Statkraft are looking for new CEOs.

Schibsted CEO Christine Skogen Lund, 57, announced Wednesday that her time at the company has come to an end.

– Everything has its time. The fact that I have chosen to give up now is a result of what is happening in Shipstead. When we split the company into two parts, it was natural for me to leave.

In December, it was announced that Schibsted would split the company in two, with the media and newspaper operations to be sold to the company's largest shareholder – the Tinius Foundation.

What she will do next is still uncertain, but what is certain is that Shipstead must now find a new boss.

Shipstead is not alone, these companies are also looking for a new CEO:

• Telenor: After more than eight years on the throne, the telecommunications company is now looking for a replacement for Sigve Bryke (64 years old). The company still has some time to go before a CEO change, and Brekke has reached an agreement to step down as CEO at the end of the year.
• Statcraft: In October last year, Christian Renning Teunissen (64) announced that he wanted to resign from his position as CEO after 14 years. This does not mean that he will leave the company. according to Distinctive name Rynning-Tønnesen benefits from Statkraft's job change agreement for the CEO after he turns 62, which gives him 75 percent of salary and up to 50 percent of working time until the agreed retirement age of 67.

How do you find a new CEO?

– Not having a bad time

Shipstead this week formed a four-member board committee, three elected shareholders and one employee representative, that will work to find the new chairman.

Schibsted president Karl-Christian Agerup says the group has not yet held its first meeting, but he believes it is natural to bring in an outside consultant to help evaluate candidates, conduct interviews and check references.

The committee will also participate in interviewing candidates.

– For our part, the question is whether we should initially conduct an internal evaluation of all internal candidates or whether we should conduct an external evaluation as well. “We haven't decided on that yet,” Agerup says.

He says that the committee only set specifications for the qualities one looks for in a leader, but it mentions a few things:

Someone who is able to see the entire company as one, who is strategic and has domain knowledge in the “e-commerce” and “branded” areas.

The chairman says they are looking for someone with a clear understanding of the business and a desire to create shareholder value.

Regarding the appointment of the new appointment, Agerup says:

– We don't have a bad time. She's said she'll sit until the board makes a decision, but I don't think there's any reason to wait that long either. I think 3-6 months is a good goal.

Get outside help

In the search for a new Group CEO, Statkraft is receiving assistance from Backer Skeie, which is engaged, among other things, in management recruitment.

-We believe this is a very important position in Norwegian business, and especially since this is a state-owned company, it was important to make this opportunity visible. So we chose to advertise and conduct active research through a consulting company, says Statkraft President Alexandra Beck-Geurv.

She says they are looking for a strong business and strategic leader who understands the societal role, framework conditions and policy. Plus someone who understands the operation and development of a large organization in Norway and abroad.

Gjørv did not say when a new CEO will be appointed, but says they are working to appoint him as soon as possible.

More internal candidates

Among Telenor's top candidates is the company's CFO Tone Bachke, who in 2020 became the telecom giant's first female CFO.

Other candidates from the company's ranks are Jürgen Rostrup, who previously led Asia operations, and Peter Bori Vorberg, who has now taken charge.

Telenor CEO Jens Petter Olsen said it was normal for the board to now have a process regarding the expiration of Sigve Brekke's contract at the end of the year, but he would not say anything more about that process.

E24 is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Schibsted Group. Some E24 journalists own shares in Schibsted through the group's share savings scheme.