he holds the siv.øk. degree from the norwegian school of economics and military training from the befalsskolen for infanteriet i sør-norge. he has been an executive in vard, maritime group, iko, aker norcem and saga. he has also worked as a civil servant in the ministry of the environment, the ministry of industry and as secretary in the standing committee on local government. from 1995 to 1999 he worked as a partner and broker in fondsfinans. he has thereafter been an adviser in procorp, which notably was contracted by yukos oil in 2001.