Board of Directors

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors consists of six members elected by the shareholders at the Annual General Meeting each year in March, and three members elected every fourth year by the employees in accordance with applicable laws.

A highly competent Board of Directors with proven experience in key fields, is essential for the success and growth of NKT when striving to ensure that the Board of Directors has a mix of competencies that cover all critical aspects of the business and support NKT’s growth in new markets.

Therefore, annual Board evaluations are conducted assessing not only the Board’s efficiency and commitment, but also the Board’s experience and competencies which should reflect NKT’s strategy. NKT’s latest Board assessment was conducted in December 2021 and shows that the Board, collectively, has skills and competencies within the cables industry, sustainability, manufacturing, international management of business operations, as well as CEO and CFO experience. Not only are the Board evaluations used for identifying potential competency gaps, it is also used for succession planning of Board members ensuring that the Board always has the skillset as a group that match NKT’s needs.

  • Jens Due Olsen

    Chair
    Jens Due Olsen

    Born 1963, Danish national

    First elected in 2006

    Not considered independent due to tenure

    MSc Econ.,1990

    NKT Committees:
    • ESG Committee
    • NKT Photonics (working committee)

    Board of Directors’ annual remuneration: DKK 1,125,000

    NKT shares at 31 December 2023: 51,891

    Other positions and directorships:
    • Advantage Investment Partners A/S, Chair
    • BørneBasketFonden (non-profit foundation), Chair
    • KMD A/S, Deputy Chair
    • NIL Technology A/S, Chair
    • European Energy, Chair

    Special qualifications: 
    • Industrial management
    • Management of listed companies
    • Economic and financial matters
    • Risk management

    • René Svendsen-Tune

      Deputy Chair
      René Svendsen-Tune

      Born 1955, Danish national.

      First elected in 2016

      Considered independent

      BSc Eng. (hons.)

      NKT Committees:
      • Nomination Committee, Chair
      • NKT Photonics (working committee)

      Board of Directors’ annual remuneration: DKK 750,000

      NKT shares at 31 December 2023: 6,666

      Other positions and directorships:
      • Nilfisk Holding A/S, CEO
      • Nilfisk Holding A/S, Deputy Chair
      • Stokke AS, Chair
      • Asetek A/S, Chair

      Special qualifications:
      • International management
      • Management of listed companies
      • Specialist expertise in technology, service businesses, large account sales and strategy development with sustainability focus

      • Karla Marianne Lindahl

        Karla Lindahl

        Born 1981, Finnish national

        First elected in 2020

        Considered independent

        MA in EC Competition Law 2009 Master of Laws (LL.M) 2005

        NKT Committees:
        • Audit Committee

        Board of Directors’ annual remuneration: DKK 375,000

        NKT shares at 31 December 2023: 0

        Other positions and directorships:
        • KONE Corporation, Executive Vice President for Europe

        Special qualifications:
        • International and industrial management
        • Expertise in leading service and project business and operations
        • Specialist expertise in strategy development and execution as well as competition and corporate law

        • Andreas Nauen

          Andreas Nauen

          Born 1964, German national

          First elected in 2017

          Considered independent

          MSc Mechanical Eng. 1991

          NKT Committees:
          • Remuneration Committee, Chair
          • Audit Committee, Chair

          Board of Directors’ annual remuneration: DKK 375,000 

          NKT shares at 31 December 2023: 0

          Other positions and directorships:
          • Sandbrook Capital, USA, Operating Partner
          • Havfram AS, Chair

          Special qualifications:
          • International and industrial management
          • Management of listed companies
          • Special expertise in technology and large infrastructure projects, renewable energy and wind power

          • Nebahat Albayrak

            nebahat

            Born 1968, Dutch/Turkish national

            First elected in 2022

            Considered independent

            LLM, International and European Law, 1993

            NKT Committees: 
            • ESG Committee, Chair
            • Remuneration Committee

            Board of Directors’ annual remuneration: DKK 375,000

            NKT shares at 31 December 2023: 0

            Other positions and directorships:
            • Fortum Oyj, Executive Vice President, Sustain¬ability and Corporate Relations
            • Nederlandse Spoorwegen, Supervisory Board member
            • Topvrouwen.nl, Advisory Board member

            Special qualifications:
            • Senior leadership experience in the energy industry and energy transition
            • International and industrial management
            • Experience from the public and private sector
            • Expertise in driving corporate sustainability strategy and performance
            • Specialist in corporate Reputation Management and Branding
            • Crisis management

            • Anne Vedel

              Anne Vedel

              Born 1981, Danish national

              First elected in 2023

              Considered independent

              MSc. International Technology Management, 2008

              NKT Committees:
              • Audit Committee

              Board of Directors’ annual remuneration: DKK 375,000

              NKT shares at 31 December 2023: 0

              Other positions and directorships:
              • Senior Vice President, Product Solutions and Integration, Vestas A/S

              Special qualifications:
              • Expertise in driving energy transition
              • Senior leadership experience in the renewable energy industry
              • International expertise in technology, sales and sustainable energy solutions
              • Manage the development and design of new complex products and plant solutions for the wind industry

              • Stig Nissen Knudsen

                Stig Nissen Knudsen

                Elected by the employees, 2022

                Board of Directors remuneration: DKK 375,000

                Number of NKT shares: 125

                Senior Production Engineer
                NKT Photonics A/S

                • Christian Dyhr

                  Christian Dyhr

                  Elected by the employees, 2022

                  Board of Directors remuneration: DKK 375,000

                  Number of NKT shares: 0

                  Warehouse coordinator, NKT Photonics

                  • Pernille Blume Simonsen

                    Pernille Blume Simonsen

                    Elected by the employees, 2022

                    Board of Directors remuneration: DKK 375,000

                    Number of NKT shares: 0

                    Lean specialist, NKT (Denmark) A/S

                    Employee-elected Board members

                    NKT's Board of Directors includes three employee-elected members. They are elected as Group representatives as NKT A/S does not by itself meet the criteria for employee-elected Board members. The Group representatives are elected to the Board based on the number of votes available to the appointed electors in the Danish Group companies. The number of votes is in proportion to the size of the individual company.

                    Employee-elected Board members serve a four-year term and have the same rights, duties and responsibilities as shareholder-elected Board members, and may be re-elected.

                    The election is organised by an Election Committee responsible for the distribution of voting forms and counting of votes. If the number of candidates does not exceed the number of seats on the Board of Directors for Group representatives, the candidates are elected automatically. When the election has been completed the Election Committee publishes the results and ensures that the elected candidates are registered as company Board members with the Danish Business Authority. The employee-elected Board members take office on the date of the NKT Annual General Meeting.