HitecVision : Gunnar Hovland appointed new CEO of Aneo

The board of Aneo has appointed Gunnar Hovland (58) as the new CEO. Mr. Hovland has held executive positions within power and finance. Most recently he was the CEO of Tine, the largest Norwegian dairy product cooperative.

"With Gunnar Hovland at the helm, we have a CEO for Aneo who can further develop the Aneo group and the management philosophy that underlies the values that have already been created in the company. We get a leader who understands and can lead within energy, finance, industry, and end-user markets, and who has led a large company with both production and customers inside and outside Norway. Gunnar's extensive experience as the top leader in large and complex organizations has been important to us," says Terje Eidesmo, Chairman of the Board at Aneo.

Aneo is TrønderEnergi and HitecVision's new Nordic renewable energy company, established in fall 2022. The renewable energy group has ambitious goals and plans to invest NOK 15- 20 billion in new renewable energy production, energy efficiency, and energy services throughout the Nordics. Several investments have already been made.

"We are confident that in Gunnar, we have found the right leader to realize Aneo's strategy and to inspire all of Aneo's employees to perform at their best in order to create the energy transition that the Nordics need, while also creating a solid return for our shareholders," says Chairman Eidesmo.

Gunnar Hovland is from Luster in Sogn, but he lives in Trondheim, where Aneo has its headquarters. Since 2018, he has been the CEO of Tine. Before that, he was the CEO of BN Bank, Deputy CEO of Fjordkraft, and CEO of Trondheim Kraft.

Mr. Hovland is clear that he is entering the energy industry to contribute to realizing the necessary energy transition in society. "Aneo is strategically positioned to contribute to solving one of our time's greatest challenges, with expertise, technology, solutions, and, most importantly, skilled individuals. Our important task is to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, we must maintain a sustainable energy system and ensure that the energy transition is sound, both for us and our customers. That's our mission, and the opportunity to work on this every single day is something I look forward to and find strong motivation in," says Mr. Hovland.

Gunnar Hovland will become the new CEO of Aneo, effective from 1 January 2024. He will use the time leading up to that to familiarize himself with the company, and Olav S. Austmo will continue to serve as the CEO in the interim phase. Mr. Austmo has been acting in the position since March and will return as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Aneo, in addition to having a central role as the Deputy CEO.

"We know we have a lot of talented people with strong skills and good knowledge of our various business areas. Therefore, we have been focused on recruiting a leader who can bring out the best in our people. We are confident that Gunnar, with his strong belief in trust-based leadership and leading through others, will create a solid foundation for the necessary execution power within the organization," says Terje Eidesmo, Chairman of Aneo.

Hovland is ready to get started and contribute to the energy transition. "Aneo combines 70 years of experience with some of the most exciting services in the energy markets. Now, I'm looking forward to getting to know the company and the people better. We have an important and exciting societal mission, and I'm excited to embark on this journey together with the rest of the organization and outstanding energy, industry, and knowledge partners in Trondheim, the technology capital of Norway," says Hovland.