Dr Svein Richard

Brandtzæg

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Overview

Svein Richard Brandtzæg was President & CEO of Norsk Hydro ASA (2009–2019), where he led the global aluminium and renewable energy company through a decade of strategic transformation. Under his leadership, Hydro expanded its international footprint, built integrated value chains, and embedded sustainability and circular economy principles across its operations. He remains an Advisor to the CEO and Technology Board at Norsk Hydro.

Svein Richard is Chair of Dormakaba Holding AG, a Non-Executive Director at Mondi plc and Rotork plc. He is Chair of the Council on Ethics for the Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund.

Previously, he was a member of the International Council of Metals and Mining (ICMM), Chair of global aluminium extrusion company Sapa, Chair of Veidekke ASA, Vice Chair of DNB Bank ASA, Vice Chair at Swiss Steel Holdings AG and a Board Member of SLC Sibelco SA, and Eramet Norway A/S.

He was a member of the European Round Table for Industry (ERT) between 2009 and 2019, where he led the energy and climate group. In 2019 and 2020, he was a member of a government committee for new ethical guidelines for the Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund and chaired a government committee for business development. From 2011 to 2019 Svein Richard was the Norwegian Representative in the Bilderberg Meetings Steering Committee.

Earlier in his career, he held senior management roles in R&D and business units across Hydro’s aluminium divisions, where he built strong commercial, technical, and international skills.

He brings deep cross-sector expertise in:

• Industrial manufacturing value chains – leading R&D, vertical integration, and infrastructure innovation.

• Board governance and ethical leadership – chairing and advising across high-profile boards, including manufacturing, finance, and governance bodies.

• Sustainability and circular economy strategy – embedding environmental responsibility and product lifecycle thinking at corporate scale.

• International expansion and operational integration – steering global businesses through multi-jurisdictional growth and governance alignment.

A PhD chemist from NTNU and business graduate from BI Norwegian Business School, Svein Richard is a Fellow of the Norwegian Academy of Technological Sciences. He is widely recognised for his strategic clarity, operational pragmatism, and ability to align technical innovation with governance excellence. His leadership continues to shape industrial resilience, ethical investing, and sustainable growth across global manufacturing systems.

Major Career Roles

Norsk Hydro ASA

CEO

Veidekke ASA

Chair

Sapa A/S

Chair

DNB Bank ASA

Vice Chair

Dormakaba Holding AG

Chair

Swiss Steel Holdings

Vice Chair

Other Career Highlights

Eramet Norway A/S

Board member

Norwegian University of Science & Technology

Chair

International Aluminium Institute

Chair

SCR Sibelco SA

Board member

Chair Mentors International
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