Welcome to our series of interviews presenting our talented board candidates. These interviews give you a unique opportunity to get to know our talented board candidates, who are ready to bring their expertise and insight to the boardroom.
We have access to Norway’s most comprehensive database of board candidates, and from it we have handpicked a selection of experienced leaders with a broad range of backgrounds and expertise. They represent a diversity of perspectives, and all share an understanding of the importance of good governance in achieving strategic and operational goals.
Through these interviews you will gain insight into what motivates them, their views on board work and, not least, the personal qualities and skills they can offer. We hope this will give a fuller picture of each candidate and inspire engagement and discussion about the role of the board in modern business management.
This time we talk to board candidate Cecilie Kjelland
Cecilie has a strong Norwegian and international legal background (PhD) with a focus on corporate governance. She has more than 17 years’ experience from Hydro and Yara, including work on transactions and company and stock exchange law, as board secretary and as head of data protection. Since 2019 she has been an executive vice president responsible for legal, compliance and HR at B2 Impact ASA, and she is now set to build up the compliance function at the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (Statens Pensjonskasse).
Cecilie has experience as a board member of companies including Yara Norge AS, NoriDane A/S, Sileo Kapital AB and OK Perinta OY. She sits on the industry council for business law and economics at BI Norwegian Business School and on the compliance committee at Juristenes Utdanningssenter. She has also served on the council for ethics and corporate social responsibility at the Norwegian Contractors Association (EBA).
Cecilie is Vice-President of the European Company Lawyers Association (ECLA) and has a number of publications and talks to her name on corporate governance, company law, board responsibility and sustainability/compliance.
What motivates you to serve on a board?
I am motivated by thinking strategically and being able to apply knowledge across disciplines. I am also motivated by being able to contribute in challenging processes, being a good sounding board and getting to grips with new business areas.
What do you think are the most important qualities of a good board candidate?
A good board candidate must be able to understand the business well without becoming too detail-oriented in her approach. She should be able to put her own expertise into a wider context and to think beyond her own field. She should be up to date on the requirements and expectations placed on the industry and have a good understanding of the board’s role.
What is your philosophy on board work?
The board should function as a team, while each board member must have integrity and dare to ask the necessary questions. The board should contribute to a good strategy and value creation. It is therefore important to foster a good dialogue between the board and management by listening to management’s knowledge and experience, while also properly safeguarding the board’s control function.
How would you like people to describe you after a board meeting?
I hope to be a valuable contributor to the company – and a pleasant board member.
What is the most valuable lesson you have taken from your previous board experience?
It is important for the board to understand the business and the business model in order to make a real contribution. It is therefore important that board members are willing to spend enough time on this, and that the necessary resources in the business are made available.
What do you hope to contribute as a board member?
I hope to contribute to value creation through a good understanding of the company’s operating conditions in relation to its business model and strategy. Companies face ever-increasing requirements in areas such as sustainability, corporate social responsibility and compliance, and it is important to understand how these requirements can be met in a way that is also realistic and achievable for the company.
Do you need new board members? Get in touch!
