Ignitas Advisory Board
Proudly presenting Ignitas’ Advisors:
Carl Espen Wollebekk – Senior Finance and Business Development Advisor
Carl Espen is currently CEO at Orion Securities. His career spans 20 years of experience in business development, finance, venture capital as well as M&A in reputable companies such as Nordea (Norgeskreditt), Tandberg Data, Merkantildata and Norsk Data. Carl Espen has built his own advisory consultancy and before joining Orion Securities he worked at 1st Corporate Technologies in Copenhagen. He has also been chairman of the board at Kitron and has held several board positions in companies listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange.
Erik Schwabe – Senior Finance and Business Development Advisor
Erik is co-founder and partner of Investment Banking boutique Alpha Corporate Finance. His primary focus in Alpha is the tech sector. Before founding Alpha, Erik worked six years in Danske Markets Corporate Finance where was advisor in a range of transactions in the technology sector. Before joining Danske Markets, Erik was COO and Director of Business Development in the price comparison company Kelkoo. Prior to that Erik has a varied background that stretches from politics to wholesale and consulting. Erik holds a business degree (siv. øk.) from Norges Handelshøyskole and a Masters degree from Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Boston, USA.
John Olav Teige – Stategic Sales Advisor
As CEO at Meetcon and former Director of Sales at Software Innovation, John Olav has over 20 years of experience in the software and information and communication technology industries. In addition his entrepreneurial and corporate experience, he holds degrees in Masters of Business and Administration and Master of Science.
Per Siljubergsåsen – Serial Entrepreneur
Per is a true entrepreneur – a Norwegian start-up guru now 3 years into his third start-up. After having founded the high profile Internet consultancy Mogul Media back in 1994 (later merged and listed as Mogul Group AB on the Stockholm Stock Exchange in 2000), he founded Zoomit in 1997, (merged with Kelkoo in 2000 to become Europe’s leading shopping search engine). Kelkoo was acquired by Yahoo, Inc. in 2004. Per currently lives in Brussels, Belgium, where he Chairman of the Board of his latest start-up Attentio SA, an Internet based market intelligence company. In addition to his experience with start-ups, he holds degrees in computer science and business administration.
Stig Even Jakobsen – Legal Advisor
Stig Even is a partner and lawyer in Legalteam advokatfirma DA. He works mainly with innovation, pension and securities law. He is currently Chairman of the Board in Pareto Forvaltning AS. Before starting as a partner in Legalteam, Stig Even worked six years in Telenor ASA – Group Legal (mainly with international M&A) and in Advokatfirmaet BAHR for five years (including one year with Slaughter & May Solicitors in London). He has also worked as a research assistant at the Faculty of Private Law at the University of Oslo. In addition to his legal education Stig Even holds a business degree (Siv. øk.) from Norges Handelshøyskole.
Steinar Kjærnsrød – Senior Technology Advisor
Steinar has worked professionally with web and Internet from the very early days. He was a co-founder of Oslonett, Norway’s first commercial Internet service and web provider and the origin for companies like SchibstedNett, Intervett, Infostream, SOL, Manamind and TraceTracker. In Oslonett, he conceptualized a number of innovative services like Kvasir, the Lillehammer Olympics Web Site, the EU Referendum Web site and more. He has worked with all aspects of the Net*, from development, operation, business development, consulting and teaching. He has deep knowledge on the building blocks constituting the Internet as well as the hottest technologies used in social networks. As the CTO of TraceTracker he is currently focused on how different social media consumer technologies can be leveraged into professional services for businesses. If you don’t see him online on @skibohemen he is probably out in the forests around Oslo on cross-country skiing or mountain biking during the summer.
Terje Berg – Futuristic Advisor
Terje Berg has joinedhas for more than 20 years focused on the areas of Internet, innovation, futurology and new technologies, especially energy, biotech and electronics. He is one of Norway’s foremost nanotechnology experts with deep knowledge of how this development will change our media consumption patterns as well as our daily lives. At present he is involved in developing solutions based on a mix of machine2machine communications and Web 2.0 solutions. Or WebSquared, as it is being relabled. Terje will strengthen our innovation and strategic advisory team and work with both our established customers as well as taking part in developing our portfolio companies.
Tom Haavardstun – PR and Communication Advisor
With more than 10 years of experience within the fields of journalism, PR and communication consulting (3 years at iGambit/Hill&Knowlton), Tom is the CEO of PR-Laboratoriet. Tom has led the Norwegian PR activities of some of the world’s leading IT brands but he has also important experience from other areas of business. Tom holds a degree in Political Science from the University of Oslo.
