Kjerstin Braathen
Kjerstin Braathen | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1970 Lillestrøm, Norway |
| Occupation | Banking executive |
| Known for | CEO of DNB ASA since 2019 |
Kjerstin Elisabeth Rasmussen Braathen (born 1970) is a prominent Norwegian leader in the banking and finance sector. She has held the position of CEO at DNB ASA, Norway’s foremost financial services corporation, since September 2019. Braathen completed her master's degree at the École supérieure de commerce in Nice and spent four years working with Hydro Agri before beginning her career at DNB in 1999.
Biography
Braathen was born in 1970 in Lillestrøm and gained early exposure to business through assisting with her family’s clothing shop. She is married to Henning Braathen, and together they have three children.
Driven by an interest in French, she pursued higher education in France, obtaining a master's degree in Management and Finance from École supérieure de commerce in Nice in 1995. Following her tenure at Norsk Hydro, she joined DNB, where she concentrated on sectors including shipping, offshore, and logistics. She advanced to become the Group Executive Vice President responsible for Corporate Banking.
A strong proponent of gender equality within the corporate world, Braathen stresses the importance of merit-based recruitment over fulfilling diversity targets. Her tenure as DNB’s CEO highlights both the obstacles and advancements experienced by women leaders in publicly listed Norwegian companies.