Chairman

Aage Thoen (Thoen Group)

Aage Thoen has been with the chamber since 2005 and has a 30 years career within banking, shipping and offshore.  He holds BSBA and MBA degrees and is trained as a banker. Thoen held leading positions in DNC and Aker AS, and executive positions as President of the Lorentzen Skips Group and Star Reefers Inc, London.

​Moreover, he also has elective board positions such as Chairman of Bank2 and NYK-STAR Pool Inc and member of the Boards of Privatbanken ASA, Ivaran Lines AS, DSND ASA and lastly past board member of the Norwegian Shipowners Association and currently Chair of Oslo Shipowners association.  ​

Fredrik Wiik (DNB)
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Head of Global Export Finance team in DNB. Responsible for structuring and advising on export finance transactions for the Large Corporate and International business area within DNB.

Banking experience from several Nordic and Continental European banks and worked in Norway, Singapore and The Netherlands. Hold MSc in Shipping, Trade and Finance and Master Degree in Business Administration. He joined the board in 2019.

Ottar Hermansen (Innovation Norway)

Ottar Hermansen joined the Board in September 2014 representing Innovation Norway. He works within innovation and international business development. He is also the Program Manager for the Innovation Norway Business Network Program. 

Innovation Norway is the most important instrument for innovation and development of Norwegian enterprises and industry. They aim to assist Norwegian businesses grow and find new markets. Local presence is therefore of crucial concern to them. Innovation Norway Brazil-office is located in Rio de Janeiro.

Celma Regina Hellebust (Hellebust Int.)

Celma Regina Hellebust is Brazilian lawyer and one of the founding members of BNCC. She has served as a Board member for more than 10 years. 

She has worked with Brazilian Law in Norway since 2002 and comparison of HSE regulations for the oil industry between Norway and Brazil in the past 5 years, through her own company, Hellebust International Consulting AS.

Silvana Polich (Embassy of Brazil in Oslo)

Minister Silvana Polich joined the Board in 2016 representing the Embassy of Brazil. She has a vast experience in Brazil and being active in the diplomatic relations of Brazil and Norway, she has an important role at BNCC.

The Embassy of Brazil supports the work of BNCC integraly besides opening communication with Brazilian officials. 

Tor-Ove Horstad (Norsk Hydro)

Tor-Ove Horstad joined the Board in 2012 as representative from Norsk Hydro. Tor-Ove was President for Norsk Hydro Brasil for 3 years before returning to Norway in 2011. He is now Senior Vice President within Norsk Hydro responsible for energy sourcing globally, including Hydro’s business in Brazil. 

While based in Brazil, he worked closely with Brazilian partners and was engaged in the acquisition of Vale’s aluminium business. He has also held position as board member in NBCC, including served as Chairman.

Jan Tore Linstad (The Kongsberg group)

Jan Tore Linstad was elected to the board in 2017, representing the Kongsberg Group. He is President Offshore Americas, Sales & Marketing and has been Kongsberg's director in Brazil.

Aas has extensive experience from working with international trades and is involved in Brazilian deliveries in many years.

Vanessa Wottrich (Equinor)

Vanessa works in Equinor’s global strategy and business development unit with focus on Latin America, and joined BNCC board in 2018. In her current role, she advises the company on national and regional political developments and trends in Latin America. She joined Equinor in 2009 and has worked on project advisory and strategy roles covering Equinor’s international portfolio. 
 
Vanessa holds an MSc in Strategic Project Management from Herriot-Watt University (UK), Politecnico di Milano (Italy) and Umea University (Sweden), as well as an MSc in Strategy from the Federal University of Santa Maria (Brazil).

Aleksander Skaare (Scatec Solar)

Aleksander Skaare joined BNCC board in 2016. Mr. Skaare has held different roles within Supply Chain in Aker Solutions since 2013, working with projects in Norway, UK and Angola.  Aker Solutions has a strong local presence in Brazil, having won large contracts over the past years.

Skaare has previously worked 5 years as a Tax Advisor. He holds a Bachelor Degree in Economics from the University of Oslo and a Master Degree in Business Administration from HIBU/NUS. Skaare’s 2013 master thesis explored Norwegian-Brazilian business relations in the oil and gas industry.

Patricia Medina (Aker Solutions)

Patricia Medina moved to Norway in 2007, when she joined Aker Solutions. During her career in the  company, she held management positions within project management and manufacturing focusing on the operational side of the business. Patricia now works as Vice President of Manufacturing at Tranby Technology Centre which is one of Aker Solutions’ most modern facilities for manufacturing of subsea equipment. She holds a degree in Business Administration and has an MBA in Financial and Economics Engineering.
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Patricia joined the Board in 2019 representing Aker Solutions.

Tommy Bjørnsen (DNV GL)

Dag Ekelberg (Yara)

Dag Ekelberg has served as Head of Government and NGO Relations at Yara since September 2018. Before he came to Yara he served as Executive Director in NHO Service (The National Federation of Services Industries), Director Governmental Relations in Telenor Group, Director in the think tank Civita, and as a political adviser for Høyre (the Conservative Party) in Parliament. He has studies in political science, law and economics.