Board
Espen Strøm – Chairman of the Board, Investment Director EV Private Equity
Espen has worked for EV Private Equity (former Energy Ventures) for more than 12 years. In his tenure with the firm he has great experience from investing into technology growth companies, developing and commercializing new products, building strong teams, and taking an active role in assisting the companies execute on their strategic plans. Prior to EV Private Equity, Espen started his career with EY and ExxonMobil.
Espen has served on the board for several oil and gas service companies, and is currently a board director for Reach Production Solutions, Rival Downhole Tools LLC and Workover Solutions Inc.
He received his MSc in Finance from Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration (NHH), and is a Certified European Financial Analyst (CEFA/AFA) from NHH.
Per Arne Jensen – Board Member, Operating Partner EV Private Equity
Per Arne Jensen has 30 years of industry experience, working as board member/chair and CEO in international markets with internationalisation, technological development, M&A and growth. He has extensive experience from technology, software, energy, industry, and public organisations.
He has had responsibility for 20-25 M&A transactions over a period of 20 years. He has also been responsible for identifying and processing investment opportunities throughout the career in Private Equity, with a global responsibility and scope and focus on USA, Canada, UK, Scandinavia and Europe.
Per Arne has developed a substantial knowledge of companies globally within software, technology, energy, and in the energy transition space. He is currently advising several software companies, investment companies and a PE fund, and holds a position as Senior Advisor to the software and tech boutique investment bank Silverpeak in London.
He is also a former Chairman of the Board of both the Norwegian Design Council and the Norwegian Centre for Design and Architecture.
He holds an MSc in Strategy and Finance from the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH) and an MSc in Software Development from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).
Jørgen Arnesen – Board member, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), btwn
Jørgen has 26 years of experience working globally in the oil and gas industry, developing and managing drilling and service companies.
He began his career with Odfjell Drilling working both onshore and offshore. He spent 14 years with Odfjell Drilling and Odfjell Well Services during which he held several senior management positions in Norway and internationally. In 2006 he moved to Stena Drilling in Aberdeen as Deputy Managing Director.
In 2008 he joined Awilco Offshore in Norway as a Vice President Operations, responsible for building the company as a new drilling contractor in the North Sea. When COSL Norwegian acquired Awilco in 2008 Jørgen became VP Operations and two years later the CEO and President of COSL Drilling Europe AS. In May 2019 he joined Deepwell AS as CEO.
DeepWell was sold in the summer of 2021, he then went on to start up the company «btwn» as CEO. «btwn» helps companies with digital transformation.
Jørgen holds a Bachelor of Business and Administration from the BI Norwegian Business School (BI Bergen), a BSc in Electro-Technology from the College of Engineering in Bergen and a BSc in Petroleum Technology from the University of Stavanger (HSR Stavanger).
Per Kristian Nagell – Board member, Partner in Raadvill Ledelse
Per Kristian Nagell has 25 years of senior management experience in the oil and gas industry.
He started his career in the Norwegian Air Force as a helicopter pilot and served as an officer for 10 years. He joined the industry through the offshore helicopter sector in which he has held positions as chief pilot, operations director and CEO. After 15 years he moved to an onshore position as CEO of SAR, a company which handles and treats all types of hazardous waste for the oil and gas industry. Under his leadership SAR underwent major growth including a successful international expansion. He has broad experience from M&A activity during his time with SAR.
Mr Nagell has held a variety of Board positions as a Director and Chairman.
In May 2019 he joined Raadvill as a Partner.
He studied at the Air Force academy in Trondheim. And has a Master of Management degree from the BI Norwegian Business School
Jim Geddie – Board member, Owner of Apex Tubulars Ltd
Jim Geddie has more than 35 years’ experience in the oil and gas industry, 28 of these as company director and owner. He started his career as a tubing inspector working both offshore and onshore and was just 28 when he first achieved director status in 1991 after a management buyout of Oiltube Ltd. Jim continued to grow the business before selling to John Lawrie Group.
Jim started work with Apex Tubulars in 1997 as General Manager to focus on the start-up of the service division. In 2000 he took part in a management buyout to take control of 60% of the company before a full buyout the following year. The tubular inspection division was sold in 2011 to operate under another name and Jim continues to own and run Apex Tubulars, the OCTG trading business which is forecast to turnover over $35m in 2019.
In 2014 Jim set up IOS, recognising the need for a lower cost alternative for storage and tubulars, and in the downturn was able to grow it to a £2m EBIDTA business within five years before being acquired by WellConnection in 2019.
Jon Arne Ramsland – Board member, Partner in Ramsland Holding
Jon Arne Ramsland has more than 12 years management experience from the oil and gas industry. He has held several administrational and operational management positions in the Oil Service industry and was the MD of Wepco from 2014 to 2020 and the Chairman during the sale to WellConnection. Under his management, Wepco was restructured and further developed and improved, leading to a sale of the shares in 2020. John Arne holds several board positions through his active ownership in Ramsland Holding.
Jon Arne holds a Bachelor of Business Management from Scandinavian School of Management.
