Team

Joachim founded The Governance Group in 2016 after several years with the United Nations, which included leading consultations on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and governance assessments. He has an extensive track record in  advising governments and corporates on sustainability, anti-corruption and human rights issues. He has served as a board member of CARE Norway and headed the Open Government Partnership Council in Norway. Joachim is an experienced public speaker and holds degrees from Georgetown University and the London School of Economics.

Kristian is a corporate governance expert with experience from large financial institutions. Before joining The Governance Group, he headed evaluations of board practices, sustainability, risk, and performance management at Norges Bank, including Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM). Formerly, Kristian headed external relations for UNDP in Norway, and he has worked for Aker Kværner in the UK. He holds an MSc from the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH) and is a Certified Bank Director (University of Cambridge/IoB).

Maria has 15 years’ experience in advising corporates on ESG strategies, management, and sustainability reporting. Prior to joining The Governance Group, Maria was a principal consultant at DNV GL. She holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Oslo. Maria has contributed to several publications on climate risk and the green transition and is an experienced public speaker and educator.

Anne has held leading positions in both the private and public sector and has more than 20 years’ experience working within ESG and sustainability. Prior to joining The Governance Group, Anne was EVP Chief Corporate Affairs officer in Telenor ASA with responsibility covering compliance, sustainability, communication, and regulatory affairs. She has worked extensively in the finance sector with responsible investments, including being Global Head of Ownership in Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM). She has also been general counsel in Norske Skogindustrier ASA. Anne holds a law degree from the University of Oslo, and an MBA from University College Dublin.

Jason Stanley recently joined The Governance Group as an associate partner. Prior to this, he served as Vice President of ESG for Tidewater, one of the world’s largest and most geographically diverse offshore energy support vessel owners and operators. During his nine years with Tidewater, Jason held several senior leadership positions, including heading up the company’s investor relations, and prior to this establishing and leading a subsea services division. Prior to joining Tidewater, he spent over 20 years involved with subsea remote technology, from offshore operations to technology development and leading sales and business development initiatives, most notably with Schilling Robotics. Jason holds a Bachelor of Science in Ocean Engineering from Texas A&M University.

Gro has more than 15 years’ experience in developing strategies and governance systems for companies with large project portfolios. Before joining The Governance Group, she was a trusted advisor at Metier OEC where she served clients such as the Norwegian Ministry of Finance, Statsbygg, Avinor and Kongsberg Maritime. She holds a MSc. in Industrial Economics and Technology Management from NTNU, and several certifications in project management.

Calum is an internationally recognised GRI sustainability reporting expert with over 10 years’ experience as a GRI report advisor and certified trainer. His ESG reporting expertise covers both recognised and emerging frameworks, including the Future-Fit Business Benchmark. He has advised and written sustainability reports for many of New Zealand’s leading listed and private companies. He joined The Governance Group in 2020 after establishing specialized sustainability consultancy Proxima. Calum frequently writes and speaks on the topic of sustainability reporting, its purpose and future direction. He holds an MSc in Environmental Systems Analysis from Wageningen UR in The Netherlands.

Henning has more than 20 years’ experience working with China and Asia. Before joining The Governance Group, he was Manager of Governmental and Public Affairs in Asia for DNV GL and served as Director of International Relations at BI Norwegian Business School and Manager of the Nordic Centre at Fudan University in Shanghai. He is experienced in advising companies on sustainable sourcing, has headed supply chain inspections, performed stakeholder analysis and public consultations. Henning is a frequently used public speaker on Chinese business culture, negotiations, and communication. He holds a MA in Social Anthropology and is currently doing an Industrial Ph.D. in partnership with The Governance Group and the University of Oslo – focusing on entrepreneurship and business in China.

Tariq has more than 10 years’ experience working in the legal sector and has been a solicitor of England and Wales since 2013. Before joining The Governance Group, Tariq worked for the UK-based human rights and law-reform organisation, Justice, as well as the Danish Institute for Human Rights. He has advised a number of business clients, worked with large law firms on ESG and sustainability, and his work on the human rights impact of large internet companies has been published in the Nordic Journal of Human Rights. Tariq holds an MA in International Human Rights Law from Lund University in Sweden.

Kristin recently joined The Governance Group as a Special Advisor. Before joining the TGG team, she worked as a Manger at Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). During her 3,5 years at GRI Kristin was responsible for corporate engagement in countries in Northern Europe and in the Middle East. She supported companies in various sectors and different level of experiences, through initiatives to raise the quality of sustainability reporting with the GRI Standards. She also worked closely with a wide range of other stakeholders, including GRI Certified Training Partners and Consultants. Kristin holds an MSc in Sustainable Development from Utrecht University.

Frithjof has more than 10 years’ experience advising companies on climate change and sustainability issues. He has been involved with more than 100 CDP reports for both listed and non-listed companies across various sectors. Frithjof is a GRI certified advisor, and well versed in internationally recognized ESG standards and frameworks. He has lead numerous workshops on TCFD, Science Based Targets and value chain reporting. Frithjof is a dedicated project leader and an experienced public speaker. Before joining The Governance Group, Frithjof served as a Senior Advisor at CEMAsys.

Josefine has extensive experience in finance and ESG analysis. As a Senior Associate at The Governance Group she advises companies from multiple sectors including shipping and financial services. Before joining the team, Josefine worked with sustainable technologies at the Sahara Forest Project and with corporate risk and capital structure analysis and advisory at SEB Merchant Banking. She holds an MSc in International Business from Copenhagen Business School.

Dyveke has comprehensive experience from strategic communications and public relations. As a Senior Associate at The Governance Group, Dyveke advises clients from both the public and private sector on ESG issues. She is trained in the GRI reporting standards from DNV GL, and an experienced author of sustainability reports. Before joining the team, she served as a communications adviser on sustainability issues at NorgesGruppen ASA. She holds an MA in International Political Economy from the University of Kent.

Amanda has conducted several climate data analyses for corporates and assisted in their sustainability reporting. Before joining the TGG team, Amanda was an intern at Norsk Hydro where she contributed to their materiality assessment and GRI reporting. She has also experience from Nordic Innovation, where she assisted with their program on Nordic Sustainable Business Transformation. She holds a MSc in Sustainability and Social Innovation from HEC Paris with a certificate in Energy and Finance, as well as continuing education in Business and Human Rights from the University of Bergen.

Julie has assisted several private and listed companies across various sectors with their sustainability reporting. Before joining The Governance Group, Julie was a consultant at Corporate Communications working with sustainability reporting and communications. Julie also has experience with research from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. She holds an MSc in Global Health and Development from University College London, and an MSc in International Environmental Studies from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences.