Telenor’s board yesterday approved the appointment of a new chairman, following the resignation of Harald Norvik earlier this month.
The telco has hired Svein Aaser to head up its board, and elected Anders Skjævestad chairman of its Corporate Assembly to replace Jan Erik Korssjøen, who quit in protest at Norvik’s departure. Aaser brings a wealth of experience as chief executive of several large Norwegian companies, including Den norske Bank, Nycomed, and Storebrand Skade.
“Telenor is among the largest mobile operators in the world and they have achieved a strong market position in a short period of time,” the new chairman notes.
Norvik resigned following criticism over his handling of the sale of Telenor’s TV2 subsidiary by Norway’s trade minister Trond Giske. The government is a majority shareholder in the telco, and appears to be unhappy that TV2 was sold to a Danish firm. The move sparked an an angry reaction from Korssjøen, who criticized the timing of Giske’s comments.