Special Advisors to SANA Board

Josef Noll is Professor at the University of Oslo (UiO) and Secretary General at the Basic Internet Foundation. He is Research Leader at the department of Technology Systems, with main focus on the digital transition of the energy sector, communications, IoT-security, and Societal Security. He also leads the cross-cutting theme “Digital Global Health” at the Centre for Global Health at UiO, having the focus on Health Equity. Besides his academic background, he has worked in SIEMENS (DE), European Space Agency (NL) and Telenor (NO).
Through the Basic Internet Foundation, he focusses on “Connecting the Unconnected” through addressing access, skills, regulation and inclusion. He advocates for “free access to information on the Internet is a Human Right”.

The Foundation is working with communities in 14 countries in Africa establishing information spots and connecting schools. School/community/health facility connectivity is the prime focus, providing adequate content for education, digital health and societal empowerment. The access to information on the Internet addresses directly the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 9.C and 16.10 of the Agenda 2030, and is catalyst for the majority of the SDGs, especially Health (SDG 3), Education (SDG 4), empowerment (SDG 5) and decent work (SDG 8).

Stein Christian Salvesen is a trained engineer with construction as his field of study. He is a former leader of the Kristiansand Labor Party and a member of the board of the Vest-Agder Labor Party. He has also been a member of the International Committee of the Norwegian Labor Party and is a member of the International Committee in the Agder Labor Party. Stein Christian Salvesen has also been Secretary-General of the European Movement in Norway and leader of the Vest-Agder Red Cross.
He is currently a senior adviser at the Arkivet Peace and Human Rights Center.

Paal Bjornestad is an economist and Columbia University graduate who has served as secretary of state and deputy minister at the Norwegian Ministry of Finance (2013 – 16). He was a senior advisor in the Prime Minister’s office (2011 – 12)and has held several positions at the Norwegian Foreign Service.

Most recently, Bjornestad was minister counsellor and deputy head of mission (2017 – 19) at the Norwegian embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, and deputy head of mission (2006 – 08, 2009 – 11) at the Norwegian embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He also served as second secretary at the mission of Norway to the EU in Brussels (2001 – 04). He was an advisor to the Swiss Executive Director of the African Development Bank in Tunis in 2008-9. He served as a city councillor in Bergen and as an alternate member of the Norwegian parliament between 1989 and 1993. He attended the University of Mannheim, Germany; the University of Oslo, Norway; and Columbia University, New York, where he took a Masters in international affairs, economic policy management.

Cathrine G. Jahnsen holds a Master of Business and Marketing degree from the Norwegian Business School and has completed the master courses Green Growth as Competitive Advantage and Digital Communication Management from the same institution. Ms. Jahnsen has more than 20 years’ experience from international trade with negotiations, CSR, anti-corruption, green technology, management training and political advocacy. She has held positions as buying and category manager in various Scandinavian retail chains with key supplier in Europe and South-East Asia. Over the last ten years she has worked at Virke, the Enterprise Federation of Norway where she has been responsible for programme management including management training programmes funded by Norad, various trade promoting programmes aimed at increasing export from developing countries to Norway and Scandinavia and heading the policy work for the Agenda2030. Her experience also includes management of official and state visits around the world on behalf of Virke and its members, with development of seminars and networking opportunities. Ms. Jahnsen has served as a board member the last three years at Norwegian-African Business Association (NABA) and is co-founder of the NABA Women Business Network. She founded Sustainable Partners, a consultancy firm advising on strategic partnership and sustainable opportunities. In addition, she is a member of the Norway-Hong-Kong Chamber of Commerce Senior Advisory Board. Ms. Jahnsen is passioned about sustainability, on both a local and global level, she is a driving force through chronicles, workshops and social media: Ranked on Global Top 500 influencers CRS, Sustainable, Green & Ethical Business.

Mcebisi Jonas is one of four Presidential Investment Envoys, appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa to attract USD100-billion to South Africa over the next five years. He is also currently a non-executive director in different company boards. Jonas previously served as Deputy Minister of Finance and as a Member of Parliament from 2014 to 2017, during this time he helped to steer South Africa’s economy through one of the country’s most difficult post-democratic periods. He also served as Chairperson and Non-Executive Director of the Public Investment Corporation, the state-owned pension fund manager and one of Africa’s largest investment managers. Before his appointment to national government, Mr Jonas played a key political leadership role in the Eastern Cape. Among other provincial ministerial positions, he served as a Finance MEC in the province. He served as Chief Executive Officer of the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC), a state-owned entity, which successfully amalgamated various smaller development institutions. He also served as Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Investment and Marketing in the Eastern Cape, developing the investment promotion agenda for the province, which resulted in the establishment of the ECDC, the Coega Industrial Development Zone and the East London Industrial Development Zone. Mr Jonas’ activism has defined his political career. During the anti-apartheid years he led a number of political activities both within South Africa and in exile. He played a key role in the establishment of the United Democratic Front (UDF) in the Eastern Cape. Upon his return from exile in the 1990’s, Mr Jonas was central to establishing the ruling African National Congress (ANC) structures in the Eastern Cape. More recently, he played a seminal role in the civic activism against state capture.

is the highest profiled young female shipping executives globally, and fronted the first public global #MeToo discussions in shipping. She has advocated the next generation, diversity, sustainability and the need for change across the global maritime industry. Liodden is Director of Sustainability, Ocean Industries & Communication in Oslo Business Region. She heads the business program for Oslo as European Green Capital 2019. Liodden holds board roles in The Norwegian Society for Sea Rescue, RS Sea Rescue Academy, Bellona Foundation, WISTA Norway and is Chair of the Norwegian Organization for Electric Boats. She is on the Executive Committee of Polytechnic Association, and advisory council to REV Ocean and Southern Africa Norway Association. She is the first female Director of Nor-Shipping, Founder & first Secretary General of YoungShip International. Featuring on numerous leadership rankings, she was awarded Shipping Name of The Year in Norway (2012), several consecutive years at Kapital business magazine´s Most Powerful Women, Top10 Bridgebuilder on E24 100 leader talents and was a finalist for World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders 2018.

Øystein Djupedal held the position of member of Parliament in Norway for sixteen years and was a former Minister of Higher Education and Research. For six years he served as å Governor of Aust Agder and three years thereafter was appointed as a senior adviser to the Rector of University of Agder. As of March 2019 he shall take up his new position as Regional CEO of Husbanken. Øystein is also the founder and head of the program committee for Arendalsuka. He is also the leader of several boards in culture and business amongst which are IVRE AS, Det Andre Teater, Næs Jernverksmuseum and Falstadsenteret. He has also held the position of Vice chairman of Sosialistisk Venstreparti (SV) for 10 years.

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