Harald holds a M.Sc. in Business from the Norwegian School of Economics and BA (NHH), Bergen 1971. He was President and CEO of Statoil Group 1988-99. Before this he was Member of Aker’s Executive Board as CFO (1981-86) and CEO of Astrup Høyer (1986-87). He has been Personal Secretary to the Prime Minister and State Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy.

He has served on boards in a number of international and Norwegian companies, and has been Chairman of the Board of Imatis, Deep Ocean, SAS, Telenor, Oslo Stock Exchange and Aschehoug. Harald has also been Member of the Board of ConocoPhillips, PGS, Orkla, EON Ruhrgas and Chairman of the Advisory Board of DNB. From 2002 to 2010 he was strategic advisor of ECON Pöyry. Harald is today a Board Member of Umoe. He is Chairman of the Board of Barratt Due, NRC (Norwegian Refugee Council), Kraft Bank and BOS Power (Bertel O. Steen Power Solutions).