The Norwegian Shipowners' Association's Annual Conference 2025

Susannah Streeter

Susannah Streeter moderates the annual conference. She has been a reporter and news anchor at the BBC for over 20 years. Streeter has extensive knowledge of financial markets and has been used as a moderator at several large international conferences on climate and economics.

Harald Fotland

Harald Fotland, President of the Norwegian Shipowners' Association and Chief Executive Officer in Odfjell SE will give the opening address. 

Espen Barth Eide

Espen Barth Eide, Minister of Foreign Affairs. Barth Eide became Minister of Foreign Affairs on 16 October 2023. From 14. October 2021 he was Minister of Climate and Environment. He is elected to the Norwegian Parliament as a representative from Oslo. Previously, he was Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defence in Jens Stoltenberg's Second Government.

Sigmar Gabriel

Sigmar Gabriel is chairman of the Atlantik-Brücke e.V., member of the Trilateral Commission and the European Council of Foreign Relations. He is also a member of the board of trustees of the International Crisis Group and the Deloitte advisory board. He regularly hosts the geopolitical podcast “World Briefing” where he shares his view of a changing world . 

Gabriel was Germany’s Federal Minister of the Environment from 2005 to 2009, and from 2013 to 2017 he was Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy. From 2017 to 2018 Sigmar Gabriel was Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Gabriel has been a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany since 1977 and from 2009 to 2017 he was its chairman. 

James Kynge

James Kynge has spent 16 of the last 28 years living and working in China, first
as a journalist for the Reuters news agency, then for the FT as China
bureau chief from 1998-2005. After that, he headed up the Pearson group
of companies in the People’s Republic until 2008. 

His award-winning book China Shakes the World, published in 2006, was
an international bestseller translated into 19 languages.

A fluent Mandarin speaker, Kynge is a regular commentator on Chinese
and Asian issues for media outlets including NPR, CNN and the BBC.

Hilde Eliassen Restad

Hilde Eliassen Restad is Associate professor at Oslo New University College and author of the book American Exceptionalism: An Idea that Made a Nation and Remade the World (Routledge, 2014).

In the fall of 2024 she was a Fulbright Visiting Fellow at the Clements Center for National Security at tje University of Texas, Austin.   

Arsenio Dominguez

Arsenio Dominguez assumed office as the 10th Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on 1 January 2024. 

Dominguez has chaired several flagship IMO intergovernmental meetings, including: the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), the Technical Committee of the 29th Assembly, and the Maritime Security, Piracy and Armed Robbery Group, as well as a number of Vice-Chair and Board member roles.

His last apponitment before becoming Seceretary-General was as Ambassador of Panama to IMO. 

Dominguez will participate on link from London. 

Helene Tofte

Helene Tofte  is the Executive Director of the Department of International Cooperation and Climate. She has the overarching responsibility for the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association’s international engagement and climate activities, with special focus on monitoring international climate processes and our participation in the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS). 

Tofte will take part in a panel on reaching net zero in the maritime industry.

Lasse Kristoffersen

Lasse Kristoffersen is the CEO of Wallenius Wilhelmsen. With extensive experience in the shipping industry, he is committed to driving innovation, and decarbonization to shape the future of global supply chains. Before joining Wallenius Wilhelmsen in 2022, Kristoffersen served as CEO of Torvald Klaveness. 

Kristoffersen will take part in a panel on reaching net zero in the maritime industry.

Knut Arild Hareide

Knut Arild Hareide became CEO of the Norwegian Shipowners' Association on August 1, 2024. Hareide came from the position of Director General of Shipping and Navigation at the Norwegian Maritime Authority. Previously, he has been a Norwegian politician and party leader in the Christian Democratic Party.

Frithjof Jacobsen

Frithjof Jacobsen is the Political Editor at Dagens Næringsliv.  

He has extensive experience as a commentator and journalist at NRK and VG, as well as the production company MONSTER. Jacobsen was awarded Riksmålsforbundets Gullpenn in 2015. 

Jacobsen will be moderating the political panel on Norweigan maritime policy. 

Jan Christian Vestre

Jan Christian Vestre has been the Minister of Health and Care Services since April 2024 and is one of the deputy leaders of the Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet). He previously served as Minister of Trade and Industry from 2021 to 2024. Before entering government, he was the CEO of Vestre AS, a family-owned company specializing in sustainable urban furniture. 

Vestre will participate in a political panel on Norwegian maritime policy at the annual conference.

Erna Solberg

Erna Solberg has been the leader of the Conservative Party (Høyre) since 2004 and served as Norway’s Prime Minister from 2013 to 2021. She has been a member of parliament since 1989, and is currently a member of The Standing Comittee on Foreign Affairs and Defence, and The Enlarged Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee. 

Solberg will participate in a political panel on Norwegian maritime policy at the annual conference. 

Sylvi Listhaug

Sylvi Listhaug has been the leader of the Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) since 2021 and a Member of Parliament since 2017. She has held several ministerial positions, including Minister of Agriculture and Food, Minister of Immigration and Integration, and Minister of Petroleum and Energy. Listhaug is currently a member of The Standing Comittee on Foreign Affairs and Defence, and The Enlarged Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee. 

Listhaug will participate in a political panel on Norwegian maritime policy at the annual conference.

Trygve Slagsvold Vedum

Trygve Slagsvold Vedum has been the leader of the Centre Party (Senterpartiet) since 2014 and served as Norway’s Minister of Finance from 2021- February 2025. He has been a Member of Parliament since 2005, and and is currently a member of The Standing Comittee on Foreign Affairs and Defence, and The Enlarged Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee.  

Vedum will participate in a political panel on Norwegian maritime policy at the annual conference.

Jarle Andhøy

Jarle Andhøy is an Arctic sailor known for the Berserk Expeditions to the world's most extreme corners. He is also a producer who began filming war veterans in 2005.

When the Norwegian heroes of the merchant marine returned home to betrayal and bitterness after five years of sailing for the Allies in 1945, Jarle became curious to learn their stories—tales that are salty, dramatic, and full of adventure. The result will soon be seen on television as an epic series about our last unknown heroes—and their enemies.

Batten down the hatches and hold fast!