People

As a pioneer of Montessori education in Norway, she founded a Montessori school catering to ages 3-15, thirty-five years ago, and chairs Montessori Norway. She actively participates in boards focused on social change, sustainable business, and climate challenges, including the global peace organization Search for Common Ground. With an educational background in economics and business, she has dedicated over three decades to social business and philanthropy, supporting diverse projects through her Family Office and serving on boards related to children, youth, education, and classical music.

Marianne Heien Blystad is an economist and lawyer. She has worked in banking (Citibank) and finance (Exportfinans), and as a business developer in maritime operations and real estate development, among others in the USA and Norway. For the last 15 years, Marianne has been associated with the law firm Ro Sommernes. She has extensive experience as a board member and chairperson in various companies, both listed and others. Currently, she is the chairperson of several family-owned businesses, a board member at Odin Management, Partnership for Change, and others, and the chairperson of the Henie Onstad Art Centre.

Jon Terje Svendsen has worked at Formue for 25 years as a wealth manager. His passion for social change led him to start a fundraising campaign among Formue’s employees in 2008. This initiative evolved into “Stiftelsen Et Rikere Liv” in 2012, where he serves as the chairman. In this capacity he initiated the foundation’s “ambassador program” and has been leading groups on annual project visits to Ethiopia since 2016.

Hilde Midthjell is considered one of Norway’s most successful female entrepreneurs, businesswomen, and leaders. In 2004, she won the Business Woman of the Year award and was a finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year in 2005 as the founder, owner, and leader of the Scandinavian conglomerate Dermanor/Dermagruppen. Later, she purchased the bankruptcy- threatened, traditional industrial company Dale of Norway and led the company through a comprehensive turnaround to significant sales growth and profit until it was sold in 2018.
Today, she runs the investment company HiMi Invest and the HiMi Foundation and is involved in various projects in both business and charity.