All posts by Janice Gundersen

AmCham Mentorship Program Kickoff 2024-2025

AmCham News

AmCham Mentorship Program Kickoff 2024-2025 – Leading for Impact & International Perspectives

The 2024-2025 and ninth edition of the AmCham Mentorship Program kicked off at BI Norwegian Business School’s Oslo campus, including 78 program participants from 34 Patron member companies across 10 industries – emphasizing the unique, cross-industry design of the program.

A Unique Collaborative Platform

Welcoming guests to BI Norwegian Business School was BI’s Provost for Research, Learning, and Impact, Harald Øverby. Øverby has extensive experience in teaching and has published over 100 academic papers and has taught and developed university courses for more than 20 years. His opening remarks provided insights, deep purpose, and the history of mentorship – including the importance of shaping the leaders of tomorrow. 

The session’s first keynote speaker, BI’s Thomas Hoholm, Head of Department – Department of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, presented Leading for impact in times of turbulence and uncertainty. 

Hoholm, drawing from his research on innovation and entrepreneurship, guided us through expertise and practical knowledge in “future-making,” as well as the importance of creating an environment for learning and openness. His presentation centered on his deep experience in mentoring innovators and change-makers.  

"Understand the meaning, stay open.”

Thomas Hoholm
Photo: Alexander Eriksson / BI Norwegian Business School
Photo: Alexander Eriksson / BI Norwegian Business School
Photo: Alexander Eriksson / BI Norwegian Business School
Photo: Alexander Eriksson / BI Norwegian Business School
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Harald Øverby

Thomas Hoholm

Amber S Gell

Amber S. Gell, Director of Strategy and Partnerships at Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT), gave us a crash course An International Perspective on Leadership: Best practices and perceptions that transcend cultural boundaries. 

Amber is passionate about space exploration, particularly human spaceflight, where teamwork is essential. With extensive experience in the American aerospace industry, including contributions to NASA’s Orion Spacecraft and the UK’s Spaceflight Program, she excels as an executive leader and strategist within the international space and defense sector. She informed us on communication styles and function, as well as deftly demonstrating how “business is a team sport!” 

“You can lead from any place and any position..”

Amber S Gell

Participating Companies 2024-25:

About the AmCham Mentorship Program

With its unique cross-industry orientation, AmCham’s Mentorship Program offers a dynamic, internationally minded arena for leadership development. 

The program pairs emerging corporate talent with seasoned executives from AmCham Patron-level member companies. The result: a collaborative arena that fosters improvement and reflection, prepares young leaders for the challenges of the international marketplace, and forges bonds between AmCham’s transatlantic member companies. 

The Mentorship program is available to Patron-level members of AmCham Norway. For further information and interest in the program, please contact Janice Gundersen at jg@amcham.no.  

Past Mentorship Program Events

Equinor inngår partnerskap med Standard Lithium

Business News, Energy

Equinor har inngått en avtale med Standard Lithium Ltd om å kjøpe 45 % i to litium prosjektselskaper i Sørvest-Arkansas og Øst-Texas.

– Bærekraftig produsert litium kan bidra til energiomstillingen, og vi tror dette kan bli en lønnsom virksomhet. Denne investeringen er en opsjon med begrenset initiell økonomisk forpliktelse. Vi kan utnytte teknologi fra olje- og gassvirksomheten i et komplementært partnerskap for å modne disse prosjektene frem mot en mulig endelig investeringsbeslutning, sier Morten Halleraker, direktør for New Business and Investments i forretningsområdet Teknologi, Digital og Innovasjon i Equinor.

Read full article, here.

ConocoPhillips begins oil production from $1.2 billion Eldfisk North project in North Sea ahead of schedule

Business News, Energy

(WO) – The licensees of the Eldfisk Field, operated by ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS, announced successful first oil production on the Eldfisk North Project, in the Greater Ekofisk Area of the North Sea. Oil and gas resources from the new project development are being produced ahead of schedule.

In December 2022, the Norwegian authorities approved the Eldfisk North Plan for Development and Operation (PDO), with original production start scheduled in the second quarter of 2024. Cooperation and efficiency across companies has allowed oil to flow earlier than expected.

The Eldfisk North Project comprises three 6-well subsea templates approximately 7 km from the Eldfisk Complex. The PDO included drilling of up to 14 wells, nine of which are producers. The other five will inject water into the reservoir.

The Eldfisk North Project will use available capacity at Eldfisk 2/7 S for processing and transportation, utilizing existing infrastructure in the Greater Ekofisk Area.

Read full article here.



FREYR Battery’s update on operational milestones, strategic growth plans, and community engagement.

Business News, Energy

Dive into the latest from FREYR Battery with updates on our operational milestones, strategic growth plans, and community engagement.

A Peek Inside FREYR’s Customer Qualification Plant.
Located in the scenic Mo i Rana, Northern Norway, FREYR’s Customer
Qualification Plant (CQP) stretches over 13,000 m², embodying
cutting-edge battery technology and innovation. Our 4-minute video tour showcases the meticulous journey of semi-solid battery creation. Experience the precision and dedication behind our process, validating the next generation of batteries for a sustainable future.

Read full article here.

California and Norway Ink New Climate Partnership

Business News, Energy

LARKSPUR – California took significant new climate action with another partner today: Norway.

Governor Gavin Newsom welcomed a delegation from Norway led by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon. Following a stop at San Quentin focused on criminal justice reform, the California and Norway delegations visited the Larkspur Ferry Terminal – with the backdrop of one of the world’s first clean hydrogen fuel cell passenger ferries – to sign a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to advance climate collaboration.

The MOU outlines four years of cooperation between California and Norway on clean energy, zero-emission transportation and ports, carbon removal and climate-smart agriculture. 

Read full article, here.

Joint Statement from the United States and Norway on Cooperation on High-Standard, Market-Oriented Trade of Critical Minerals

Business News, Chemicals / Metals

Today, U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics Daleep Singh and Norwegian Minister of Trade and Industry Jan Christian Vestre signaled their intent to move forward with a U.S.-Norway Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Concerning Cooperation on High-Standard, Market-Oriented Trade of Critical Minerals. The MoU is an important step towards further strengthening the United States and Norway’s future strategic cooperation regarding critical minerals. Under this MOU, the United States and Norway intend to build on months of constructive dialogue through a coordinated approach to the challenges and opportunities that characterize markets for critical minerals. Key focus areas of this cooperation will include advancing high-standard labor and environmental conditions in global critical minerals supply chains and examining and identifying appropriate responses to non-market policies and practices in third countries that have contributed to volatile, distorted market conditions. With this MOU, the United States and Norway intend to deepen our partnership in pursuit of the long-term commercial viability of sustainable, high-standard, market-oriented critical minerals mining and processing activities in the United States, Norway, and globally.

Read statement here.

AbbVie satser tungt – flere oppkjøp og partnerskap på kort tid

Business News, Health

Oppkjøp og samarbeidsavtaler er en viktig del av den internasjonale legemiddel- og biotekbransjen. Mindre selskaper inngår gjerne avtaler om samarbeid og lisensiering av sine produkter til større selskaper for å sikre seg nødvendig kapital for videreutvikling av egne produkter. Ofte kan slike samarbeid ende opp i oppkjøp.

Ett av selskapene som har vært aktive på den fronten den siste tiden er legemiddelselskapet AbbVie. En gjennomgang av avtalene selskapet har inngått viser at selskapet siden oktober i fjor har inngått en rekke avtaler, inkludert flere oppkjøp.

Disse avtalene har selskapet inngått i løpet av det siste halve året:

I oktober kjøpte AbbVie biotekselskapet Mitokinin. Selskapet utvikler førsteklasses sykdomsmodifiserende behandlinger av Parkinsons sykdom. Selskapets ledende kandidat er en selektiv PINK1-aktivator som kan bli sentral i behandlingen av sykdommen.

Kun to måneder senere, i desember 2023, kjøpte AbbVie selskapet Cerevel Therapeutics. Oppkjøpet sikrer AbbVie en robust pipeline av potensielle fremtidige behandlinger av psykiatriske og nevrologiske sykdommer med stort umøtt medisinsk behov. De trekker blant annet frem legemiddelkandidaten Emcraclidine som en potensiell ny standardbehandling av schizofreni og andre psykiatriske lidelser

Read full article, here.

AmCham Defense Forum: A New Security Environment

AmCham News

AmCham Defense Forum: A New Security Environment

Rud Pedersen Public Affairs recently hosted AmCham’s first Defense Forum of the year, centered on the “Development of the Norwegian Armed Forces in a New Security Environment and Opportunities for Industry,” featuring esteemed speakers Kjetil Skogrand and Ine Eriksen Søreide.

Skogrand, Partner and Director of Defense & Security at Rud Pedersen, provided a comprehensive overview of Norway’s strategic landscape, emphasizing its critical position in a challenging neighborhood and the implications of its role as a significant energy supplier and coastal nation in potential conflicts. He underscored Norway’s increasing importance, particularly in light of Sweden and Finland’s NATO membership. Skogrand further discussed the Norwegian armed forces and the forthcoming long-term defense plan (LTP), noting the country’s track record of effectively implementing such plans.

Speakers

Ine Eriksen Søreide

Acquisition Pace & Standardization

Subsequently, Ine Eriksen Søreide, Member of Parliament for the Conservative Party and Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs & Defense, shared insights from her recent participation in the NATO exercise Nordic Response. Highlighting the evolving nature of Nordic cooperation, Søreide stressed the significance of the enhanced ability for information-sharing and mutual protection, especially in the face of Russia’s escalating activities in the Arctic region and overall military scale-up.

While not divulging sensitive details about the impending LTP, Søreide emphasized the imperative of streamlining acquisition processes to meet defense objectives. She indicated that reducing Norway-specific adjustments to military procurement and investing in readily available materials, akin to practices adopted by allied nations, could be one of the several measures needed in addressing existing deficiencies in the national force structure effectively.

In conclusion, the Defense Forum highlighted the critical strategic considerations facing Norway in the evolving security landscape, alongside opportunities for enhanced cooperation and streamlined defense procurement processes. Optimism abounded regarding forthcoming investments in the defense sector, promising improvements in both materials and personnel. However, the anticipated influx of funding poses challenges in absorption, necessitating careful planning for administration and staffing of new initiatives and solutions. As Norway prepares for these transformations, it underscores the necessity of adaptability and foresight in navigating the complexities of modern defense.

Kjetil Skogrand

About the AmCham Defense Forum

In partnership with the US Commercial Service, the Defense Forum supports US defense industry partners in Norway. Key Patron-level and defense industry representatives gather quarterly to forge enhanced public-private sector collaboration – sharing insights, developments, and trends to secure long-term transatlantic bonds.

Please contact amcham@amcham.no for interest in future meetings.

 

AmCham Sustainability Forum: Regulation as Opportunity & Operationalizing Across the Organization

AmCham News

AmCham Sustainability Forum: Regulation as Opportunity & Operationalizing Across the Organization

Cross-industry member leaders gathered at Lucid Motors’ studio for a morning Sustainability Forum focusing on how organizations can best orient themselves toward climate accounting and the methodical integration of sustainable practices across departments. 

Jack Huiman, Head of Retail & Marketing, shared Lucid Motors’ journey from the start – from modular battery innovations to producing EV’s that travel farther using less energy. This positions Lucid as EV industry leaders, with technology at the core of the expanding California company. 

Position Green’s Executive Chairman Joachim Nahem and Managing Director Morten Skodbo shared insights on how sustainability disclosure regulations present opportunities for business efficiency action. For its part, Position Green’s own software is designed for processes and systems to operate within digital taxonomy – enabling businesses to keep up with regulations and sustainability documentation.

Jack Huiman

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Kerry M. Bommen

Joachim Nahem

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Morten Skodbo

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What Does Success Look Like for Your Organization?

Kerry M. Bommen, Director Sustainability at Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, presented on integrating sustainable practices into the core processes and future-proofing the business. With 4,635 employees in 16 countries, Kongsberg is a global technology leader and at the forefront of sustainable industry standards, as evidenced in their Annual & Sustainability Report 2023. Bommen emphasized collective responsibility with purpose – and a top-level leadership mandate. 

 About AmCham Sustainability Forum 

Future success is dependent upon running a sustainable business – for people, planet, and profit. Hence, AmCham brings select, cross-industry member company representatives together on an ongoing basis to discuss opportunities, facilitate open exchange and determine how AmCham members can best contribute to Norwegian and US sustainability agendas going forward. 

Please read more about our Sustainability Forum and contact Janice.Gundersen@amcham.no for interest in future meetings. 

AmCham’s 2024 AGM & Transatlantic Assembly

AmCham News

AmCham's 2024 AGM & Transatlantic Assembly

Managing Director Jason Turflinger extended a warm welcome to attendees at AmCham’s 2024 Annual General Meeting, graciously hosted by EY. He presented the organization’s robust results, future initiatives, and strategic priorities. AmCham Chair Ketil Nordengen (3M) emphasized transatlantic collaboration and adaptability in navigating evolving business landscapes. He expressed optimism for the coming year, highlighting talent cultivation, technological advancements, and sustainable practices as key for overcoming challenges and seizing opportunities.

A Renewed AmCham Board of Directors

Nominees for AmCham’s Board of Directors were announced and confirmed, with Trine Strømsnes appointed as AmCham’s First Vice Chair, and Hilde Bech (BMS), Birte Marie Horn-Hanssen (BI), and Thomas Huuse (Baker Hughes) welcomed as new board members. The renewed Board of Directors boasts extensive cross-industry expertise, well capable of advancing key pro-business initiatives.

Outgoing members Pål Rokke (Citi) and Elisabeth Hellemose (AIG) were warmly acknowledged for their invaluable contributions to the Board. Rokke’s remarkable 14-year tenure, which included serving as Board Chair from 2013-2020, solidifies his position as the second longest-serving Chair in AmCham’s history. Similarly, Hellemose’s dedicated service as a Board member from 2021-2024, culminating in her role as First Vice Chair, has left a lasting impact on AmCham’s endeavors.

Notable AmCham Board Changes & Additions

Trine Strømsnes

First Vice Chair

Cisco Norge – Managing Director

 Hilde Bech

Director

Bristol Myers Squibb Norway – General Manager

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Birte Marie Horn-Hanssen

Director

BI Norwegian Business School – Head of Outreach

BI

Tom Huuse

Director

Baker Hughes – Global Executive Account Director

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Trade & Investment, Bilateral Collaboration, and Industrial Transition

Following the AGM, the annual Transatlantic Assembly commenced, focusing on trade & investment, bilateral collaboration, and industrial transition. Keynote speeches by Christin Bøsterud, Country Managing Partner & Nordic Chief Sustainability Officer at EY, and Bård Ludvig Thorheim, Member of Parliament (H), set the stage.

Bøsterud emphasized the pivotal role of sustainability in corporate responsibility, noting its impact on global trade dynamics amidst geopolitical shifts, while Thorheim highlighted the potential of the US-Norway relationship to drive job creation and innovation through cultural exchanges and expertise synergies.

The subsequent panel discussion, featuring Thorheim alongside industry leaders Trine Strømsnes, General Manager at Cisco Systems Norway, Mads Ribe, Associate Partner at EY, and Sharon Hudson Dean, Chargé d’Affaires at the US Embassy, addressed critical imperatives for transatlantic cooperation.

Panelists advocated for harmonizing regulations between the EU and the US to spur interoperability and innovation. They stressed the urgency of bolstering competencies in cybersecurity and AI to tackle emerging challenges across industries. Public-private partnerships were identified as essential for developing technological solutions and timely and effective regulatory frameworks.

While acknowledging the robustness of the US-Norway relationship, panelists identified avenues for its further enhancement:

  • Norway’s role as a pioneer in adopting new technologies should persist, setting a precedent for others and offering itself as a testing ground for early adoption.
  • Emphasizing self-reliance in energy production and fostering dependable supply chains among allies are imperative.
  • Collaboration on green digital transformation is essential, recognizing that technology is indispensable for realizing sustainable transitions.
  • Exploring the possibility of a US-Norway free-trade agreement warrants consideration.
  • Sustaining collaborative efforts for global stability remains paramount.

In conclusion, the assembly highlighted the significance of leveraging transatlantic partnerships to navigate geopolitical uncertainties and drive sustainable economic growth in a time of transition.