Harald Ullevoldsæter named Orkla chief financial officer

Orkla has appointed Harald Ullevoldsæter as its new chief financial officer, effective 1 March 2020, to replace Jens Bjørn Staff.

Ullevoldsæter, 56, returned to Orkla earlier this year after having served as CFO of meat products supplier Nortura since 2014.

From 1996 to 2014, he held a range of executive finance positions at Orkla, including finance director and member of the management team of Orkla Brands and Orkla Brands Nordic.

Ullevoldsæter will succeed Jens Bjørn Staff, 52, who has served as Orkla CFO since 2014. Staff has decided to resign from his position to become CEO of utility company Skagerak Energi.

“I want to thank Jens Staff for his valuable contribution to Orkla in the years that he has served as CFO and member of the group executive board,” said Orkla CEO Jaan Ivar Semlitsch.

“He has played a key part in the development and professionalisation of the group’s finance and IT function. I wish him every success with his exciting new job outside Orkla. I am glad that Harald Ullevoldsæter has agreed to succeed Staff as CFO.

“With his solid finance experience and excellent business acumen, I am certain that he will play an important role in Orkla’s value creation going forward.”

Semlitsch became Orkla CEO earlier this year following the departure of Peter Ruzicka.

Orkla, which in March moved its headquarters to a new site in Oslo, recorded sales of NOK 41 billion ($4.49 billion) in 2018 and has approximately 18,500 employees.

In September, Orkla Food Ingredients, through its wholly owned subsidiary Sonneveld Group, acquired Dutch bakery ingredients manufacturer Vamo produkten voor de Bakkerij.