Change of generation at Norsk Eiendom

Morten Chr. Jakhelln and Peter Groth are stepping down from Norsk Eiendom. In come Stian Berger Røsland and Salman Saeed

There are major changes on the board of Norsk Eiendom. Peter Groth and Morten Jakhelln are leaving and are being replaced by Stian Berger Røsland and Salman Saeed.

Stian Berger Røsland is a senior lawyer at the law firm Selmer and former city council leader in Oslo.

Salman Saeed is managing director of Bonum Utvikling and is, among other things, a board member of Ung i Næringseiendom.

"Morten came in as a breath of fresh air to our association six years ago, he quickly made himself visible and joined the board early on. It has worked very well, he has been re-elected twice," says chair Thor Olaf Askjer of Norsk Eiendom.

The board has introduced a rule that one can only be re-elected twice.

"Morten has been good at seeing new trends, seeing the real estate industry as a developer of society. That we cannot live in project bubbles, but that we must collaborate with the municipality and the rest of the world around us. He has clearly helped influence thinking at Norsk Eiendom," says Askjer.

Peter Groth retired in 2015 from his position as managing director of Aspelin Ramm Eiendom AS. He is still very active through a number of board positions in property and contracting companies, including AF-gruppen. He has been behind good urban development projects in several places across the country. The best known are Tjuvholmen and Vulkan.

According to Askjer, Norsk Eiendom was originally an Oslo phenomenon. Little by little, the industry association has stepped outside the capital.

"Those of us who live in Oslo need to be reminded that there are places other than here. And Morten has been someone who has reminded us of this," says the chair.
He believes many business people are stolid, polished, correct and uniform.

"Morten, however, he came in with colours and a northern Norwegian temperament we have experienced as both generous, honest and direct," says Askjer.

Inspiration to think differently

The chair of Norsk Eiendom describes Morten as someone who is not always as concerned with the strategic, but rather someone who also allows impulses room to play.

"And that is precisely how one opens up for innovation and further development. Then he is fearless, and has shown the rest of us that one need not have cap in hand even if one comes from a city far north," says Askjer.

And most recently at Morten's last board meeting, there was talk of getting more people to think about social responsibility in their property projects.

"We want to cheer on those who do so," says Askjer.

Learn more

Morten Jakhelln himself says he joined Norsk Eiendom to learn more and increase his competence about the industry.

"They have helped me understand urban development, and that those of us working in this industry must think bigger than our own building," says Jakhelln.

He believes it is about thinking about the spaces between buildings, that they function so that people use them and enjoy their city.

"I have understood that this is also a great social responsibility," says the property developer.

For him, it has become important to think about the environment, facilitating for as many people as possible and at the same time thinking that one gives something back to the city.

Local branch

Jakhelln hopes Norsk Eiendom can establish a local branch in Bodø. The main task of the association is to be the members' mouthpiece towards central and local authorities, bureaucrats and politicians.

"Bodø is to develop into the world's smartest city with 'New city, new airport', and then it is important that the property industry is professionalised, that we can share competence and have a common mouthpiece," he says.

He believes a local branch will make it easier to find good framework conditions, both for the municipality and for the industry when building and developing.

"Throughout Norway, mistakes are made, both by municipalities and by the property industry. A professionalised business sector is therefore very important," says Jakhelln.

Environmental focus

After his years at Norsk Eiendom, Jakhelln has seen the importance of being environmentally and climate efficient.

"Norsk Eiendom has influenced us to gain environmental focus. Hundholmen Byutvikling is now part of Grønn Byggallianse and Norwegian Green Building Council (NGBC)," he says.

The purpose is to increase the environmental standard in Norwegian buildings, beyond the authorities' minimum requirements, and thereby help drive themselves and the rest of the construction and property industry in a more sustainable direction.

"We now want to environmentally certify our buildings according to NGBC's environmental standard, BREEAM. We have already started with Firkanten, where we are building a new commercial building where Jakhelln Bil is located."

BREEAM has its own guidelines on how to build sustainable buildings in practice.

"It is not just about the external environment, it is also about the indoor environment. We believe this will become a requirement from tenants in the future. That in addition to focusing on the environment, they want access to light, bicycle parking and, for example, screens in the entrance area showing bus times," says Jakhelln.