Norwegian has appointed Jacob Schram as its new CEO, starting 1 January 2020.
Schram has 30 years of experience from large international companies. He has previously held managing roles in Circle K, Statoil Fuel & Retail (SFR), McDonalds and McKinsey.
As CEO, he led the process of publicly listing SFR on the Norwegian Stock Exchange in 2010. When Couche-Tard acquired SFR in 2012, he held the position as group president for Europe until he stepped down in 2018. Schram initiated and led the global rebranding to Circle K at more than 10 000 stores across Couche-Tard’s international network and service stations.
Commenting on the appointment, Niels Smedegaard, chairman of the board of directors at Norwegian, said: “I am very pleased to announce that Jacob Schram has been appointed new CEO of Norwegian, after a thorough search process.
"His extensive management experience from global companies, proven leadership skills, strong commercial consumer orientation and impressive track record of value creation will greatly benefit Norwegian as the company enters into a new phase.
"I look forward to working with Jacob Schram and the rest of the Norwegian management team. Together we will drive efficiency and continuous improvements to the benefit of our customers, shareholders and employees."
Norwegian also announced that Geir Karlsen will continue as CFO and deputy CEO.
Smedegaard added: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank our CFO Geir Karlsen for his remarkable efforts since Bjørn Kjos stepped down in July. During the last months, the company has taken a series of measures which has resulted in strong financial improvements.
"Profits in the company’s third quarterly results were the highest ever and the company has also taken several actions to increase liquidity and reduce capital commitments. I am naturally very pleased with Geir’s decision to focus entirely on his role as CFO. Geir will also continue as Deputy CEO. With Jacob Schram and Geir Karlsen in the top management, we now have an outstanding team in place to take the company forward."
Commenting on his new role, Schram said he was honoured to take over as CEO of Norwegian.
He said: “The airline industry is characterised by strong competition and unforeseen events, but it is also an industry that is important to people everywhere. I look forward to using my experience to build on the strong foundation laid down by Bjørn Kjos, Geir Karlsen and the rest of the talented and dedicated Norwegian team. Now, my main focus will be to bring the company back to profitability and fortify the company’s position as a strong international player within the aviation industry."