Berit Svendsen stepped down as CEO of Telenor Norway after failing to agree on a new role, as the operator looked to develop its management team and potentially identify future successors to group CEO Sigve Brekke.

Telenor said in a statement that Svendsen, who also held the role of cluster head for Scandinavia, had been in dialogue with Brekke and group chairman Gunn Waersted for six months about future career development and new areas of responsibility, but ultimately failed to come to an agreement.

The shake-up is part of Telenor’s board long term ambitions to broaden the scope of its group executive management team and “develop a wider range of leaders to take on more extensive assignments in the group, including potential successors to the group CEO”, said Waersted.

“Some candidates will benefit from more international experience whereas others will benefit from more exposure to the Norwegian market,” he added.

However, in Svendsen’s case, Waersted said she declined the offers of new roles presented to her, despite being “someone we saw as having a key role in Telenor’s future”.

Brekke added that he had tried to find a solution “tailored to Berit’s own wishes”, including an offer of keeping the role as head of the Scandinavian cluster and to take on the role as chair of the board for Telenor Norway, which she declined.

“I really hoped to continue working with Berit, while I was also clear that as leaders of Telenor, we must be prepared to rotate in the roles in order to increase the pool of competence and experience. Its disappointing that we have not succeeded in finding a role that Berit wanted to take on,” he said.

Svendsen will be replaced by Petter Furberg, the current EVP, cluster head for emerging Asia, and he is also part of the company group executive management.

New Sweden CEO
In other changes, Kaaren Hilsen, who was CFO of Telenor Sweden until 2017, when she left for gambling company Bettson AB, will return to the company to takeover as CEO of the unit.

She replaces Patrik Hofbauer, who announced in June that he would step down from the role.

Morten Karlsen Sorby was appointed as acting cluster head of Scandinavia for one year, replacing Svendsen.