Helge Lund
Helge Lund | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 16, 1962 Oslo, Norway |
| Occupation | Business executive |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Known for | Chairman of BP and Novo Nordisk; former CEO of BG Group, Statoil, and Aker Kværner |
Helge Lund (born 16 October 1962) is a Norwegian executive currently serving as chairman of BP since January 2019 and of the Danish pharmaceutical firm Novo Nordisk since 2018. His previous leadership roles include CEO positions at BG Group, Statoil, and Aker Kværner, along with a tenure as a board member of Schlumberger from June 2016 until April 2018.
Early life
Lund was born in Oslo, Norway, and obtained a Master of Arts degree in business management from the Norwegian School of Economics in 1987. He further advanced his education by earning an MBA from INSEAD.
Career
Lund started his professional journey as a management consultant with McKinsey & Company and also worked as a political adviser for Norway’s Conservative Party before joining Hafslund Nycomed in 1993. Between 1997 and 1998, he held the position of vice president at Nycomed Pharma. In 1999, he became part of Aker RGI, ascending to CEO of Aker Kværner in 2002. Lund took over from Olav Fjell as CEO of Statoil in 2004, maintaining his role through the company's merger with Norsk Hydro’s oil and gas division in 2007, which resulted in the formation of StatoilHydro.
On 15 October 2014, Lund stepped down as Statoil CEO to assume the role of CEO at the UK-based BG Group starting February 2015. In December 2014, BG Group adjusted his initial £12 million "golden hello" share award down to a range between £4.7 million and £10.6 million, contingent on performance metrics; his base salary was set at £1.5 million with total potential remuneration reaching up to £14 million annually.
Following Royal Dutch Shell’s acquisition of BG Group, Lund departed the company but received £5.5 million for his eleven months of service alongside £9.7 million worth of shares in February 2016.
In June 2016, Lund was appointed to the board of directors at Schlumberger. On 26 April 2018, BP announced his appointment to their board effective from 1 September 2018, with plans for him to succeed Carl-Henric Svanberg as chairman beginning 1 January 2019.
Lund has encountered scrutiny from investors and analysts concerning BP’s governance practices, especially about decisions impacting the credibility of the company’s net-zero ambitions.
In September 2023, Lund participated in a centennial commemoration event in Azerbaijan celebrating Heydar Aliyev, whose leadership has been characterized as authoritarian. BP stated that Lund’s attendance was intended to "honor" Aliyev’s role in Azerbaijan and the surrounding region. Notably, BP stands as Azerbaijan’s largest foreign investor.
Personal life
He is married to Else-Cathrine Lund, with whom he has two children.