The Speakers
We have an amazing line-up of speakers this year. Get to know some of them here by clicking their picture and read more about them and their presentations.
Vegard Kolbjørnsrud
Associate Professor, BI Norwegian Business School
Nina Stien
Teamlead Planner at Nye Aker Sykehus, Sykehusbygg
Kjetil Steen Solberg
Planning Manager, Sykehusbygg HF
Bo Terje Kalsaas
Prof. Emeritus, Dr. Ing, University of Agder
Kristina Kjersem
Senior Advisor, NTNU
Kristin Mauland Larsen
Harbour Energy
Reidar Bratvold
Professor of Investment & Decision Analysis, University of Stavanger
Anne Kathrine Brugård Mello
IT Business Manager, Eyvi
Jan Alexander Langlo
Associate Professor, NTNU
Tor Ove Grønsberg
Planning Manager, Eyvi
Chris Ritson
Senior Risk & Uncertainty Consultant, Safran Software Solutions
Gøril P. Karoliussen
Product Manager Safran Project, Safran Software Solutions
Øyvind Røberg
Product Strategy Manager, Safran Software Solutions
Glenn Jarrad
Managing Director, Safran Software Solutions
Fredrik Dahlberg
Product Owner Safran Risk, Safran Software Solutions
Vegard Kolbjørnsrud
Associate Professor, BI Norwegian Business School
Vegard is a leading researcher exploring the blend of smart people and intelligent technology in organizations. With 16 years of experience as a strategy consultant and project manager at Accenture, he now teaches and oversees national executive programs at BI Norwegian Business School.
At Forum, Vegard looks forward to connecting with inspiring individuals and sharing insights from his innovative research. He will speak about the all-consuming topic of AI, with the entising title of his presentation being "Leading with Machines on Your Team".
Nina Stien
Teamlead Planner at Nye Aker Sykehus, Sykehusbygg
Nina has worked for general contractors, with a particular focus on the rehabilitation of buildings such as schools, police stations, offices and hospitals. A large part of my career has been dedicated to remodeling and rehabilitation projects at existing hospitals at OUS in Oslo. Here, I have gained valuable experience working with hospitals in full operation and all the planning, project management and the risk management that this entails. In addition, I use my experience working with BIM, Power BI and programming as a part for planning and project management.
At Forum Safran, Nina is looking forward to learning more about the latest developments and innovations in project and risk management, as well as hearing others’ ideas and best practices.
Kjetil Steen Solberg
Planning Manager, Sykehusbygg HF
Since the early 2000s, Kjetil has been working in planning within offshore, medicine, construction, rehabilitation, transportation, and events of various sizes and scopes. Some of the work he has focused on involves correcting projects that have gone off track and getting them back on course. He has extensive and comprehensive experience in practical risk management concerning progress and execution.
Bo Terje Kalsaas
Prof. Emeritus, Dr. Ing, University of Agder
Bo Terje is a seasoned researcher specializing in design processes and the impact of new contract models in the construction industry. With extensive experience teaching and mentoring at the master's and PhD levels, Bo Terje brings a wealth of empirical research knowledge to the table. He is also a co-author of a Norwegian book on design management, published in January 2024 by Fagbokforlaget. At Forum Safran, he looks forward to sharing his insights, receiving feedback, and engaging with fellow experts in the field.
Kristina Kjersem
Senior Advisor, NTNU
Kristina is an expert in industrial symbiosis and circular economy projects. With a background as a planner at Vard and a PhD dissertation on planning as a tool for effective communication in shipbuilding projects, Kristina brings a deep understanding of project planning and management. At Forum Safran, she is excited to explore the latest digital solutions in project management and connect with others who face similar challenges in their work.
Kristin Mauland Larsen
Harbour Energy
Kristin is the Head of Project Services at Wintershall Dea Norge, with a rich background in project management, planning, and risk assessment. She began her career as a trainee Cost Estimator at Phillips Petroleum and has since held key roles at Aibel, Norske Shell, and Wintershall Dea, including Project Control Manager for major projects like Maria and Nova. She has also served as Head of Project Control and Risk Management in Corporate, Hamburg. At Forum Safran, Kristin looks forward to learning more about project delivery and networking with both familiar faces and new contacts.
Reidar Bratvold
Professor of Investment & Decision Analysis, University of Stavanger
Reidar B. Bratvold is a Professor of Investment and Decision Analysis at the University of Stavanger, specializing in decision and data analytics, including AI and machine learning.
He has extensive industry experience, having served as Vice President at Landmark Graphics and General Manager in Smedvig Technologies, and has worked as a senior scientist and engineer at IBM and Statoil. Reidar has published widely and co-authored the SPE book "Making Good Decisions". Early in his career, he worked offshore as a roughneck and roustabout. He holds a PhD in engineering and an MSc in mathematics from Stanford University.
Anne Kathrine Brugård Mello
IT Business Manager, Eyvi
Anne Kathrine is IT Business Manager at Eyvi, with overarching responsibility for IT and security within the company. With a strong background in project management and technology, Anne Kathrine has managed numerous IT projects and led the implementation of new systems, including Safran. She holds a Master’s degree in Strategy and Management from NHH Norwegian School of Economics. At Forum Safran, she looks forward to learning how others utilize Safran, connecting with fellow users, and sharing Eyvi’s experience with Safran in the cloud.
Jan Alexander Langlo
Associate Professor, NTNU
Jan Alexander is an Associate Professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, specializing in research and education within project management and project execution. He primarily teaches continuing education students—professionals seeking theoretical frameworks to build on their practical experience. Alexander's focus areas include project performance improvement, uncertainty management, communication, benefits management, and governance.
With a background as a civil engineer and a PhD on communication and information quality in projects, he has led initiatives like establishing the Norwegian Center for Project Management and has 20 years of experience at SINTEF.
Tor Ove Grønsberg
Planning Manager, Eyvi
Tor Ove is Planning Manager at Eyvi, responsible for overseeing project planning and refining processes following the implementation of Safran Project.
With 18 years of experience in planning, risk, and project management—primarily in large-scale oil and gas projects—he brings a wealth of expertise to his role. John Petter has worked extensively with Safran Project for the past 16 years.
At Forum Safran, he looks forward to gaining new insights on how others use Safran’s solutions, as well as sharing Eyvi’s planning approach.
Chris Ritson
Senior Risk & Uncertainty Consultant, Safran Software Solutions
Chris is an award-winning risk manager with over 13 years of experience in delivering complex infrastructure projects in the UK for the Highways Agency, Crossrail, Network Rail and High Speed 2.
Gøril P. Karoliussen
Product Manager Safran Project, Safran Software Solutions
Gøril has over 10 years of experience in planning and project management within the Oil & Gas sector in Norway and internationally.
She joined Safran as Product Manager for Safran Project, Planner, Viewer and Web Access in 2020.
Øyvind Røberg
Product Strategy Manager, Safran Software Solutions
Øyvind has been a member of the Safran team for more than two decades.
Prior to joining Safran, Øyvind earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics/Petroleum Engineering from the University of Stavanger, and a Masters in Marketing Management from the Norwegian Business School.
Glenn Jarrad
Managing Director, Safran Software Solutions
Glenn has over 25 years of experience in software development, with 14 of those in the Project and Risk Management space. During this time, Glenn has gained expertise in various technologies and methodologies.
Before joining Safran, he held senior development positions at Oracle, Primavera, and Pertmaster, to name a few.
Fredrik Dahlberg
Product Owner Safran Risk, Safran Software Solutions
Fredrik joined the Safran Team in 2014, and has worked with the development of project risk analysis tools for over 10 years, including several years at Oracle.
Fredrik is genuinely happy when he gets positive feedback from customers on new features, as well as when he has time to play a tune on his guitar.