Board elections 2025: Faculty candidates for the period 2025 - 2029
15 candidates among the permanent and nonpermanent faculty are running for the board. You can read more about them here!
The NHH board election for the period of 2025 - 2029 will be held on May 21st. and 22nd.
Permanent faculty
From the permanent faculty there will be elected three board members and four deputy members.
Here they tell a little about themselves:
malin arve
Position: Professor
Department: Business and Management Science (FOR)
Education: PhD from the Toulouse School of Economics
Research areas: Contract and information economics, industrial organization
'My combination of a Norwegian and international puts me in a unique position to represent the whole spectrum of faculty. Although I work at only one department, I want to represent the entire faculty and contribute to an open and inclusive culture across all departments'.
'As a board member, I wish to contribute to NHH remaining a leading European business school with contribution of high quality both in terms of research and teaching'.
'I have prior board experience from Toulouse, Hanken and NHH, and my experience as vice rector has given me a deep understanding of NHH’s functioning and future possibilities'.
aline bütikofer
Position: Professor
Department: Economics (SAM)
Education: PhD in Economics, University of Bern
Research areas: Labor Economics and Health Economics
'As a board member, I will draw on my international background and broad experience at NHH to promote quality, relevance, and internationalization in the school’s core activities. With in-depth knowledge of NHH, including my role as Deputy Head of the Department of Economics, I am committed to strengthening its position as a leading business school – through education that shapes future leaders and research at an international top level that creates value for society and business'.
Ola honningdal grytten
Position: Professor
Department: Economics (SAM)
Education: Siviløkonom, Cand. Oecon, and Dr. Oecon
Research areas: Economic history, crisis economics, macroeconomic time series
'I want to work to ensure that NHH maintains its position as Norway's leading business school and moves even closer to the goal of being a top business school in Europe. This entails creating good conditions for research and teaching, benefiting both staff and students. Knowledge innovation is particularly important to me. At the same time, I am skeptical of reforms for the sake of reform. The workday for researchers can easily become fragmented due to numerous bureaucratic requirements, which we should review aiming at reduce them'.
katarina kaarbøe
Position: Professor
Department: Accounting, Auditing and Law (RRR)
Education: PhD in Business Administration, Umeå University, Sweden, Visiting professor Stanford University, 1997, 2006, and 2009
Research areas: Management Control and accountability systems, Social Science research approaches for understanding accounting practice. I am now involved in a project focusing on the relationship between digitalization, AI, and accounting.
'With years of experience in different roles at NHH, including being a current board member, I understand NHH’s strengths, culture, and potential. I will strive for a forward-thinking strategy that embraces innovation and collaboration. I will promote cooperation among faculty and administration staff, students, and partners to foster a dynamic environment. I’m committed to empowering staff and addressing real-world challenges, I’m ready to contribute with energy and insight to shape NHH’s future'.
Maximilian rohrer
Position: Associate Professor
Department: Finance (FIN)
Education: PhD Finance at BI Oslo
Research areas: Empirical Finance, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing
'With a hybrid Norwegian-international background, I am uniquely equipped to represent all faculty across all departments. Although I am not originally from Norway, I have a Master’s degree from NHH. My academic journey includes a PhD from BI Norwegian Business School in Oslo, multiple visits to foreign institutions, and an active international network of co-authors. Thus, I bring both an insider’s understanding and an outsider’s perspective'.
'To sustain its success, NHH must avoid echo chambers and reactive decision-making. On the board, I will advocate for an NHH that fully embraces its role as a leading international business school with strong local relevance — one that dares to make bold, forward-looking decisions in research, teaching, recruitment, and societal engagement. NHH can take pride in its history and reputation, but it must also have the courage to take calculated risks to remain innovative, relevant, and impactful'.
elin sarai
Position: Associate professor
Department: Accounting, Auditing and Law (RRR)
Education: PhD from the University of Bergen (UiB), Master of Laws. UiB
Research areas: The science of law (specialist in tax law, employment law, data protection, company law)
'My motivation for running for election is that I believe that legal expertise is important in order to be able to safeguard the board's supervisory and administrative role in a satisfactory manner. As a lawyer and academic, I am very concerned about the rule of law and that all processes are open and democratic'.
'I will ensure that laws and regulations are followed in matters that affect academic staff and employees (whistleblowing cases/personnel matters, impartiality, privacy, working environment, etc.), and I will work to ensure that NHH's regulations are adapted to all disciplines working at NHH'.
'I have worked in the business world for a total of 25 years (partner/lawyer at PwC and EY), and I contribute to the legal part of NHH Executive's Board Programme "The Board's Role and Responsibility", where I use my practical experience from boards I have positions on (including the Rasmussen Group and Inventura). If I am elected, I will contribute with professional expertise, innovative thinking and look with "fresh eyes" at the issues that come to the board's table'.
Øyvind thomassen
Position: Associate professor
Department: Business and Management Science (FOR)
Education: DPhil (PhD) in Economics, University of Oxford. MPhil in Economics, University of Oxford. Cand.mag. with Economics, Mathematics, and Philosophy, University of Bergen.
Research areas: Empirical Industrial Organization
Fundamental views: NHH should
- Itself contribute to the debate about what the goals of policy ought to be, and not simply be an instrument for achieving goals set by others.
- Contribute to Norwegian society through education, public debate, and influence on policy making, based on high-quality research.
- Foster the high intrinsic motivation of the academic staff, through codetermination, transparency, and autonomy.
Varied background:
- Work experience from Seoul National University, Korea (9 years) and KU Leuven, Belgium (2 years)
- Varied education (including philosophy and mathematics)
ALEXANDER L.P. WILLÉN
Position: Professor
Department: Economics (SAM)
Education: PhD (Cornell University), MA (Cornell University), MPP (Georgetown University)
Research areas: Labor economics, economics of education, and applied microeconomics
'I want to help lead NHH into its next chapter – with energy, ambition, and a strong commitment to the school's development and future. I lead an NFR-funded Young Talent project, publish regularly in top international journals, serve as Associate Editor at REStud, and have solid board experience. At NHH, I have been active across departments and taught core foundational courses'.
'I bring a future-oriented perspective shaped by global research networks, practical teaching experience, and a strong engagement with how NHH can play a leading role in a changing world. I will stand for evidence-based and transparent governance, interdisciplinary collaboration, meritocratic systems, and meaningful societal engagement. My goal is to help move NHH forward as a global leader in research, education, and societal impact'.
Nonpermanent faculty
The following six nonpermanent faculty are running for the board.
One member and two deputy members are to be elected by this group.
Esra aslan
Position: Ph.D. Research Scholar
Department: Strategy and Management (SOL)
Education: MSc Economics and Business Administration, NHH
Research areas: Judgements and decision-making
'I currently represent PhD candidates on the NHH Board and have served on both the Board and the Research Committee for the past two years. Previously, I was the welfare representative for NHHdoc. In these roles, I’ve supported candidates through challenges, worked to improve PhD contracts, and promoted better mental health and career support for temporary staff. With academic and professional experience from Turkey, Sweden, Denmark, and the USA, I understand the diverse challenges faced by both international and Norwegian researchers'.
'My focus is to advocate for fairer conditions, reduce uncertainty, and increase awareness of the issues temporary staff face at NHH. Specifically, I aim to continue working on three priority areas: Strengthening the career support system, improving funding opportunities for research conducted by non-permanent staff and addressing the power imbalance between supervisors and PhD candidates, and ensuring more equitable and consistent support for assistant professors'.
ERIK ENSTAD
Position: PhD Research Scholar
Department: Business and Management Science (FOR)
Education: MSc Økonomi og Administrasjon NHH 2023, CEMS Master in International Management NHH/WU Wien 2023
Research areas: Environmental Economics and Microeconometrics
'Having studied and worked at NHH during my bachelor’s and master’s, I know how the institution functions — both formally and informally. My experience from consulting and the public sector has taught me how to speak up for others and get things done within public organizations. I will work for stability, fair employment, and real recognition for temporary staff. I believe in transparency and being accessible to those I represent — you deserve solid support, professional respect, and a meaningful voice in NHH’s most important decisions'.
ANDREY KURBATOV
Position: Assistant Professor
Department: Finance (FIN)
Education: PhD INSEAD
Research areas: Corporate Finance, Takeover defenses, Mutual funds, Household finance
'I would like to focus on three main issues if I get elected'.
'Firstly, I believe it is crucial to improve educational standards at NHH for the school to be competitive. This involves a complex set of measures affecting various aspects of the educational process, starting with lecture timeslot allocation and ending with master thesis evaluation procedures'.
'Secondly, creating a suitable environment for research production and dissemination is vital if NHH wants to be recognized as a leading institution. Among other things this would involve facilitating data acquisition for research purposes and promoting cooperation between departments'.
'Lastly, the long-term goal would be promoting international cooperation and making sure that NHH becomes and remains relevant beyond Norwegian context'.
'I believe that my experience makes me a perfect candidate for the job, and I am certain that my international background lets me bring a much needed new, fresh perspective to the board'.
DOROTEA ROSSI KRISCAK
Position: PhD Research Scholar
Department: Strategy and Management (SOL)
Education: MSc Economics and Business Administration, NHH
Research areas: Sustainability-related strategic change
'I am originally from Italy and have worked in the UK and Ireland before coming to Norway to complete my master’s degree at NHH, where I am now a PhD candidate. I have experience working with boards in different contexts (corporate and non-profit) and have previously served as a student representative. As a board member, I would focus on: ensuring that work duties for PhDs and postdocs are balanced and genuinely support long-term career development & promoting better institutional support to address the job insecurity faced by temporary academic staff. Equally, I am committed to strengthening the voice of international staff and contributing to a more transparent and integrated academic environment at NHH'.
INE CELISE SORTLAND
Position: PhD Research Scholar
Department: Professional and Intercultural Communication (FSK)
Education: Integrated Teacher Education Program with a Master's in Nordic Languages, including additional courses in English, Spanish, and French, specializing in Norwegian as a Second Language, University of Bergen.
Research areas: Communication and language learning in multilingual workplaces, Intercultural Communication and Second Language Acquisition
'I aim to engage in dialogue and actively listen to temporary employees to ensure their voices are heard and their concerns and expectations are taken seriously. Having lived abroad and worked in multilingual environments, I am committed to ensuring that international staff feel genuinely welcomed and supported. I want to help make NHH a place where temporary employees have clarity around expectations and workload, supported by strong information flow and structures that enable them to grow, succeed, and shape their futures, both within and beyond academia'.
KYRIAKI TSELIKA
Position: Assistant Professor
Department: Business and Management Science (FOR)
Education: PhD, NHH
Research areas: Energy markets, Environmental Economics
'I am originally from Greece, but I have lived in Norway for the last six years. After completing my PhD at NHH, I worked at SINTEF Energy and have gained valuable experience navigating both Norwegian and international research environments. This background makes me well prepared to represent the diverse group of temporary employees at NHH. I know the challenges early-career researchers face, from career uncertainty to limited research opportunities. I will work to strengthen mentoring and career development, expand access to internal and external funding, support independent research initiatives, and ensure that early-career researchers are included in important institutional decisions that shape their careers'.