OSLO, Norway, Nov. 27, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Helge Holen (46) has been appointed president and CEO of Elkem AS and will take office on 21 December 2007. He succeeds John G. Thuestad, who is due to become president of Alcoa's aluminium and alumina business in the USA on 1 January 2008. Helge Holen (46) has been appointed president and CEO of Elkem AS and will take office on 21 December 2007. He succeeds John G. Thuestad, who is due to become president of Alcoa's aluminium and alumina business in the USA on 1 January 2008.
Mr. Holen was with Elkem from 1993-98 when his posts included heading the divisions for ferrosilicon and for materials and business development. He will report to Dag J. Opedal, group president and CEO of the Orkla group.
Having taken an MSc in business economics at the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration in Bergen, Mr. Holen also holds an MBA from Columbia University in the USA.
Previous appointments include CEO of Hydro Polymers, head of consultancy activities at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Norway and CEO of Atlas-Stord in Denmark. Before 1993, he was a consultant with McKinsey & Co.