Bjørn Erik Næss new CFO in DnB NOR

Bjørn Erik Næss (53) has been appointed group executive vice president and new CFO in DnB NOR. He will join the Group at the beginning of March 2008, leaving his current position as EVP and CFO in Aker Kværner ASA. He has previously held corresponding positions in Carlsberg and Orkla. `Bjørn Erik Næss has broad expertise, and his experience from international operations will be of great value to DnB NOR in the future. I am therefore delighted that he agreed to take over as CFO when deputy CEO Tom Grøndahl expressed his wish to wind down,` says group chief executive Rune Bjerke. `I am really looking forward to getting started. Still, I must add that I will be leaving a very good workplace,` says Bjørn Erik Næss. `To me, this is an exciting challenge, and it will be interesting to sit on the other side of the table after being a customer for close to 30 years. I have many years of management and professional experience from leading Norwegian and international companies. At the same time, I have great respect for all the new things I will now have to relate to,` says Næss. Næss is a graduate of the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration in Bergen and completed an executive programme at Darden Business School in the USA.