KARI SOFIE BJØRNSEN ENGLISH CV

Work Experience

 

March 2013 – : Advokatfirmaet Normann & Bjørnsen AS, Asker

Partner, lawyer and consultant. Management for hire: Legal and Corporate Affairs Manager in Sahara Forest Project, Oslo

 

  • Main client: Sahara Forest Project AS and Foundation

Innovative environmental solutions within water, food and energy nexus. Business Development, Corporate Affairs, Compliance, Management Development, Capital increase processes, funding, recruitment, project management and coordinating, working towards Norwegian government, EU, governments abroad

 

  • Various legal and consultant assignments. Business development and general business law (contracts, company law, employment law), financial transactions. Board of Directors appointments

 

January 2008 – March 2013: Teller AS, Oslo

Senior Vice President Business Affairs

Financial Institution; international cards acquiring business (Visa, MasterCard, American Express).

Vice President HR and Corporate Affairs, HR, Information, CSR, Legal. Senior Vice President Business Affairs, Compliance, CSR, Communications. Reported to CEO.

 

December 2005 – December 2007: yA Bank and Insurance, yA Holding ASA, Oslo

Established a new Norwegian Internet-bank together with the founder: Director HR and Legal. Reported to CEO.

 

April 2002 – December 2005: Lawyer and consultant in own law-firm.

Mainly financial institutions and start-ups as clients.

 

December 1998 – April 2002: SpareBank 1 Gruppen AS: Legal Director. Reported to CEO.

 

May 1993 – December 1998: Various appointments: Lawyer in Norway´s 5th biggest law-firm, Deputy Judge in District Court, consultant in International Affairs for Local and Regional Authorities.

 

Board Experience

 

Board Member

  • Asplan Viak AS: 2017 – … (engineering and consulting company)
  • Grieg Investor AS: 2007- … (Investment Consulting)
  • Elsirk AS: 2014 – 2016 (Collecting and recirculating EE-waste)
  • Brusselkontoret AS: 2012 – 2015 (Consultancy Business in Brussels)
  • Incepto ASA: 2007-2009
  • Freyer Holding AS: 2007-2008
  • i-Kommunikasjon AS 2005-2008
  • Rainmakers AS: 2005-2007
  • Lie & Co AS: 2004-2006
  • Odin Forvaltning AS: 1999-2001
  • Visa Norge AS (Teller AS): Control committee 2000-2002

 

Board Secretary

Teller AS, yA Holding ASA, ya Bank AS,  SpareBank 1 Gruppen AS and subsidiaries(First Securities ASA, SpareBank 1 Skadeforsikring AS, SpareBank 1 Livforsikring AS)

 

Education

 

Master of Law; University of Oslo 1987-1993. Specialization from University in Poitiers, France; European Law.

Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) in Strategic Management; Norwegian School of Economics 2003-2005.

Various legal and business courses (economy, compliance, negotiations).

 

Languages

 

Mother tongue: Norwegian

English: Fluent

French: Basic skills writing. Fairly good reading and oral

 

Miscellaneous

2015 – present, Member of Asker Community Counsel, Executive Committee and Group Leader of the largest political party

2011 – 2015 Member of Asker Community Counsel, Committee for building and planning