Eriksen to succeed Madsen as DNV GL CEO

The Board of Directors of DNV GL Group has appointed Remi Eriksen as the company’s new Group President & CEO.

Eriksen is succeeding Henrik O. Madsen, who is retiring on August 1, 2015.

DNV GL says that, since October 2014, the Board of Directors has undertaken an extensive executive search and selection process to find and appoint the new DNV GL Group President & CEO, due to the planned retirement of the current Group President & CEO Henrik O. Madsen. Candidates from many countries, both inside and outside of the organization, and both men and women, have been reviewed, DNV GL notes.

Leif-Arne Langøy, Chairman of the Board of DNV GL Group says: “On behalf of the Board, I am very pleased to announce that Remi Eriksen has accepted the position as DNV GL’s new Group President & CEO. Eriksen has a solid track-record in leading positions within the company for two decades. He has gained extensive international experience in the oil & gas, maritime, and renewable energy industries, and has led our operations in Asia, Europe and the Americas.

“His success in these positions led him to his current role as DNV GL Group Chief Operating Officer. In addition to his strong performance in managing the integration of DNV and GL, Eriksen has deep knowledge of our core markets and key industry technologies. Not least, he has displayed an acknowledged ability to foresee industry challenges and drive responsive solutions.

“I am also glad that after a thorough executive search and selection process, the best candidate was found among our own people. This will ensure the continuity of the company’s values, culture and strategic direction. I really look forward to working with Remi Eriksen in the next phase of DNV GL’s development,” says Langøy.

“I believe the future will be characterized by a very complex and fast-changing world and a period of slower global growth,” Eriksen said. 

Remi Eriksen says, “I am very humbled and thankful for the opportunity to lead this company where I have worked for the past 22 years.”

“We now see challenging market developments in both the maritime and oil & gas industries. DNV GL will not remain unaffected, but I have strong confidence in our ability to constantly improve and develop our services. Even in tough markets, there will be a need for expert advice and services that can help improve efficiency, qualify new cost-effective technologies, and that can help drive standardization of specifications and work processes – just to mention a few examples. In the energy sector and the business assurance market, I expect positive development in the next few years,” says Eriksen.

“I believe the future will be characterized by a very complex and fast-changing world and a period of slower global growth. However, the world economy is still on track to more than double in size over the next 40 years. I see a future where trusted independent parties are increasingly needed to enable safe and responsible business performance and sustainable value chains. In this context, DNV GL’s innovation capabilities, as well as our role as a standard setter and driver of joint industry collaborations, will be an increasingly relevant strength. It will be important for me that we continue our investments in people, R&D and innovation to develop new thinking, insights and solutions to the benefit of our customers and society,” Eriksen explains.

“As Henrik O. Madsen is retiring after more than 30 years of service with us, the last 9 years as Group President & CEO, I want to sincerely thank him for his commitment and extraordinary achievements in heading the company towards the world-leading positions we are in today,” says Chairman Langøy.