Council Members

Brandtzæg has a doctorate in engineering from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and a diploma in business administration from BI Norwegian Business School. Over the course of 34 years, he occupied a variety of positions at Norsk Hydro ASA, both in Norway and abroad. For 10 years up until 2019, he was the company’s CEO. Brandtzæg has served on the boards of directors of numerous enterprises and industry associations. He is currently  chair of  Dormakaba AG, vice chair of Swiss Steel AG, and a director of Mondi PLC.

Torstensen is a lawyer, who is currently EVP Legal & Compliance at Equinor ASA. She has worked for Equinor in various roles since 1998, mostly in the Legal & Compliance Department. She has previously served as the company’s Chief Compliance Officer. Torstensen also headed the CEO’s Office for three years until August 2019. Before joining Equinor, she worked as a lawyer with the law firm Cappelen & Krefting DA and in Stavanger City Council’s Legal Services Department.

Matsen holds a PhD in Economics from the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration (NHH) and is currently Professor of Economics at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). He also serves a member of KLP’s Board of Directors.

Matsen has previously served as Deputy Governor of Norges Bank, with particular responsibility for the Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG) and was a member of the Bank’s Executive Board. Immediately after completing his doctorate, he worked as a scientific advisor in Norges Bank’s research department. Matsen has previously been employed as CEO of Forte Fondsforvaltning, professor and head of the Department of Economics at the NTNU. He led the work of the independent commission (Coronavirus Commission) which reported on the government’s management of the Covid-19 pandemic in Norway (Report No. 2) and was a member of the commission which, in 2019–2020, reviewed the GPFG’s ethical guidelines.

Hellestveit is a lawyer, with a doctorate in humanitarian law. She also holds a MPhil in Middle Eastern Studies. Hellestveit has worked at various research institutions, including PRIO, SMR, NUPI, IKOS and ILPI. She has also worked as a non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council in Washington DC. She is currently a researcher at the Norwegian Academy of International Law and is a special advisor at the Norwegian National Human Rights Institution. Hellestveit has authored a textbook on the international law of war and several books on armed conflict.

Vandvik has a PhD in plant ecology and is a professor at the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Bergen, where she also heads the CeSAM Centre for Sustainable Area Management. Since 2017, she has been affiliated with the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research. Vandvik has gained international experience through participation in a number of international research projects and committees. She has also participated in various advisory councils and committees. Vandvik is a member of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and the Norwegian government’s Nature Risk Committee. She was previously vice chair of the main committee of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM).