Board of Directors
Riulf Rustad Chairman of the Board
Mr. Rustad has more than 20 years experience from financial and management positions.
87-92 Alfred Berg, leading nordic investmentbanker, Head of equities, Partner
92-94 Optimum AS, Fund management company, co founder and head of equity management
94-97 CEO Storebrand Invetment Management and member of group executive commitee Storebrand ASA
97-00 CEO Kistefos AS, one of Norways largest privately held investment companies
00-dd Own investment companies Ousdal AS, Bekkelund AS and Zoncolan ASA(largest shareholder, listed Oslo)
Mr. Rustad holds /has held positions at Boards of numerous listed and unlisted companies including; Waterfront Shipping ASA chairman, Avenir ASA Chairman, Provida ASA board member, Merkantildata ASA (Atea ASA) Chairman, Technor ASA Chairman, Simrad Optronics ASA Chairman.
Mr. Rustad is a Norwegian citizen with residence in Oslo, Norway.
Geir Tore Hjelle Board member
Mr. Hjelle holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Norges Handelshøyskole, Bergen, Norway. He is the CFO of J.Hagenæs Shipping AS and was previously CFO of Active Subsea AS. He has more than 20 years experience from financial and management positions in the shipping and aquaculture industry.
Mr. Hjelle is a Norwegian citizen with residence in Ålesund, Norway.
Marianne Lie Board Member
Ms. Lie has studied Social Science at the University of Oslo. She is currently working as an independent consultant with several board memberships. Ms. Lie has an extensive background from managerial positions in the maritime and energy sector, including 16 years in the Norwegian Shipowners Association of which from 2002 to 2008 as President of the association. Her experience also includes three years as President of the hydropower company Vattenfall Norge AS.
Ms. Lie is a Norwegian citizen, resident in Oslo, Norway.
Anil Deshpande Board Member
Mr. Deshpande holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from Bombay University, a Degree in Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering) from Shivaji University in India; and first rank holder in the one year long Post Graduate diploma program in Professional Shipping at Oslo. Mr Deshpande is the CEO of Foresight Ltd. London and has some 34 years of wide experience in the marine Industry. During last 23 years he has been in London (except for 8 years in Cyprus as MD of Foresights Shipping Division) with the Foresight Group as Joint Managing Director and part of a team involved in Shipping, Offshore Drilling, Marine projects and Hospitality. He has been at the forefront in the industry both in the development and management of Foresights varied interests. He has been at the helm of techno commercial development of specialized ships, shipyard contracts, innovative Charter and financial structures and close relationships with customers in Europe, Far East, Middle East and Asia.
Mr Deshpande is an Indian citizen resident in the UK.
Philippa D Wright Board member
Ms. Philippa D Wright DMS, MBIM spent 20 years in various departments of the National Health Service before transferring to shipping and working with Mr Ravi K Mehrotra of the Foresight Group based in London. As Company Secretary and Executive Director of the Board she has responsibility for legal, administration and PR functions. She took the lead on legal matters pertaining to a Bond issue on the New York Stock Exchange and was part of the team in the negotiations relating to the subsequent Chapter 11 proceedings from which the company concerned came through retaining its fleet in full. Ms. Wright was President of WISTA – UK from 2000 to 2008 and contributed to Government run workshops on developing the role of women and increasing their numbers in the shipping industry.
Ms. Wright is a UK citizen, resident in the UK.
Heidi M. Petersen Board member
Mrs. Heidi M. Petersen is an independent businesswoman. She holds a M.Sc degree from University of Trondheim (now NTNU). In the period from 2000 to July 2007 she was managing director of Future Engineering AS and Rambøll Oil&Gas AS, (Future was sold to Rambøll Group AS in 2004).
Petersen was employed in Kværner Oil&Gas from 1988 where she worked as an engineer, project manager, department manager engaged on offshore and land based industrial assignments, until she became head of Kværner Oil&Gas, Sandefjord in 1997. Here she headed a management buy out that led to the start up of Future Engineering in 2000. Petersen has varied board experience of industrial, oil and gas‐based operations as well as of energy supply and financial enterprises.
She currently chairs the board of Sandefjord Airport and TS‐Group (Oil Services) is member of the board of Eitzen Chemicals ASA, North Energy ASA, Arendal Fossekompani ASA, Glamox ASA and Calora Subsea AS.
Mrs. Petersen is a Norwegian citizen.
Alex Vicefield Board member
Mr Vicefield is at present the Commercial Director of V.Ships Offshore, the offshore oil & gas and renewables division of the V.Group, and Commercial Director of V.Ships Asset Management, the group´s commercial management division. Since 2008, he has had overall responsibility for the commercial and technical operations of the Zafiro Marine fleet; a number of offshore construction, heavylift and diving vessels. Since joining V.Group in 2005, he has worked with several divisions across Europe with a number of the group´s partners as well as affiliated NGOs. Mr. Vicefield has worked with UK-based companies including Associated British Ports Holdings Ltd. and Kingfisher PLC.
Mr. Vicefield holds a Bsc (Hons) in Ship Operations, post-graduate diplomas in Ship Finance and Maritime Law and is a qualified member of the ICS.
Mr. Vicefield specialities include fleet investment strategy, marine asset management and commercial contracting. He also has experience of asset finance, leasing and corporate M&A processes.
Mr. Vicefield is a UK citizen, resident in the principality of Monaco.
