Bjørn Arve Ofstad new Ocea CEO
Bjørn Arve Ofstad has been employed as President and CEO in Ocea Gruppen. Mr. Ofstad comes from the position as managing director of the business areas Plough Equipment (Norway) and Crop Care (Holland) in Kverneland Group.
Mr. Ofstad (38) holds an MBA, and has broad management experience, also from listed companies. Over the last years he has held a number of leading positions in Kverneland–Group, both within sales, distribution and production. He has among others been responsible for sales in Europe and been in charge of Kverneland’s subsidiary i Germany. Besides working for Kverneland, Mr. Ofstad has also worked for KPMG and InfoCare ASA.
Together with the existing experience and know-how in Ocea about products, markets and customers in the aquaculture industry, Mr. Ofstad’s experience will complement and strengthen the basis for the future development of Ocea Gruppen.
Mr. Ofstad’s main tasks will be to manage Ocea Gruppen and support the operating business units in reaching their goals. He will also be responsible for the future development of Ocea in accordance with the group’s strategy. In carrying out this work Mr. Ofstad will build on the good competence which already exists in the different business units, in order for Ocea Gruppen to continue to be one of the leading suppliers of goods and services to the aquaculture industry, both nationally in Norway and Chile as well as internationally in other markets. Mr. Ofstad will report to the Board of Directors of Ocea Gruppen AS and will begin in his new position as October 7, 2008.
Hans Runshaug, who until now has been engaged as managing director in Ocea Holding AS, will continue to work for Ocea Gruppen, at least until the summer of 2009. Until Mr. Ofstad assumes his position as CEO, Mr. Runshaug will continue in his present position as managing director in Ocea Holding AS. His future tasks will be decided when Mr. Ofstad has started in his new position.
For further information, please contact:
Gudmund Rønningen, Chairman of the Board, Ocea Gruppen AS: Phone.: +47 90 85 44 41
Bjørn Arve Ofstad: Phone.: +47 99 55 07 80