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Ole Erik Almlid

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Ole Erik Almlid
BornDecember 1, 1969 (age 56)
Malm, Verran, Norway
NationalityNorwegian
EducationOslo University College (journalism, 1996)
OccupationBusiness executive, former newspaper editor
CompanyConfederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO)
TitleChief executive officer

Ole Erik Almlid (born December 1, 1969) is a Norwegian business executive and former journalist and newspaper editor. Since December 2018 he has been chief executive officer (administrerende direktør, sometimes rendered in English as director general) of the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (Næringslivets Hovedorganisasjon, NHO), Norway's largest employers' organisation.[1][2]

Almlid grew up in Trøndelag, the son of the Centre Party politician Kolbjørn Almlid, and trained as a journalist at the Norwegian School of Journalism in Oslo. He spent around two decades in the Norwegian press, working as a reporter for the Norwegian News Agency and then as an editor at Trønder-Avisa, Hamar Dagblad, the news agency Avisenes Pressebyrå, Østlendingen and Aftenposten, where he was news editor from 2007 to 2013.[1]

Almlid joined NHO in 2013 as director of communications, became deputy chief executive, and served as acting head of the organisation after Kristin Skogen Lund left to run Schibsted in 2018. The confederation's board appointed Almlid permanently on December 18, 2018.[3]

As chief executive, Almlid has been the employers' lead negotiator in the annual national wage settlements with the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO). He also acted as one of business's main voices to the government during the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2022 energy crisis and the large 2023 strike. Almlid's public statements have mostly dealt with wage moderation, competitiveness, taxation, the European Economic Area agreement and the climate transition. As of October 2026, Almlid remains in the post.[4]

Early life and education

Almlid was born on December 1, 1969, in Malm, in the former municipality of Verran in Trøndelag.[1] His father, Kolbjørn Almlid (born 1945, also from Malm), is a former teacher and Centre Party politician. Kolbjørn Almlid was county mayor of Nord-Trøndelag from 1991 to 1995 and first deputy leader of the Centre Party from 1991 to 1993. He also served as state secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy in the Syse government from 1989 to 1990, and was later a director of the state industrial and regional development fund (SND) from 1996 until it was absorbed into Innovation Norway in 2004.[5] Trønder-Avisa described the younger Almlid as a native of Verran (Verrasbygg) when he joined NHO in 2013.[6]

As a young man Almlid was active in Senterungdommen, the Centre Party's youth wing, and sat on its central board.[1]

Almlid graduated in journalism from Oslo University College (the Norwegian School of Journalism, now part of OsloMet) in 1996. He also studied political science and psychology.[1][2]

Career

Journalism and early editorships, 1990s to 2001

After qualifying as a journalist, Almlid worked for the Norwegian News Agency (NTB). In 1998 he became an editor at Trønder-Avisa, where he served as political editor.[1][2] He was then briefly editor-in-chief of Hamar Dagblad. In 2000 he became editor-in-chief and managing director of Avisenes Pressebyrå, a news agency serving Norwegian newspapers.[1] NHO later noted that during his media career he held senior management jobs in both the Orkla Media and Schibsted groups, along with several middle-management roles.[3][2]

Aftenposten and Østlendingen, 2001 to 2013

From 2001 to 2004 Almlid led the political desk at the Schibsted-owned Aftenposten.[1] He was then editor-in-chief of the regional newspaper Østlendingen from 2004 to 2007.[1]

Almlid returned to Aftenposten in 2007 as news editor. The trade publication Journalisten reported that before this he had also edited the paper's online edition, Aftenposten Interaktiv, and worked there as news chief.[7] Almlid was news editor until 2013.[1] During part of this time Kristin Skogen Lund ran the paper's business operations, and she later recruited him to NHO.[8][9]

Director of communications, 2013 to 2016

On June 20, 2013, NHO announced Almlid as its new director for communications and public affairs (direktør for kommunikasjon og samfunn). Almlid took over from Elisabeth Evjen, who was leaving the organisation, and started on September 15, 2013. Rune Nøstvik held the post on an acting basis until he arrived.[6][7] NHO's own biography describes the job as director responsible for communications and the regions.[2]

Deputy chief executive, 2015/2016 to 2018

Almlid was later made deputy chief executive (viseadministrerende direktør). Sources differ on the date: NHO's own biography and its 2018 appointment announcement give 2015, while Store norske leksikon gives 2016.[3][1] As deputy he was responsible for NHO's business policy (næringspolitikk). When he was appointed chief executive, NHO president Arvid Moss said that Almlid had "contributed to many concrete political victories" in that role.[3][2]

Acting and permanent chief executive, 2018 onward

In September 2018 Kristin Skogen Lund announced that she was resigning as NHO chief executive to become chief executive of Schibsted. Almlid, as her deputy, took over her duties until a permanent successor could be found. "This came very suddenly," he told reporters at the time. "What's important for me now is to get NHO to function in the best manner for the employers, until a new leader is in place." Almlid also said he did not see himself in the permanent role.[9]

The NHO board ran what it called a thorough process with many candidates, and on December 18, 2018, it named Almlid, then 49, as chief executive with immediate effect.[3] President Arvid Moss said the board was confident that NHO under Almlid would keep its "good and constructive cooperation" with LO and the other labour organisations.[3] Almlid said his main task would be "to create understanding of why and how our companies are the solution to Norway's most important societal challenges", and added: "My mission is to fight for the companies."[3] LO leader Hans-Christian Gabrielsen welcomed the appointment. Almlid said he wanted to extend cooperation between labour and business, and pointed to an agreement on new sick-leave rules that the two sides had reached that week.[8] At the time, NHO represented more than 25,000 member businesses with around 570,000 full-time-equivalent jobs.[8]

NHO was formed in 1989 from a merger of the Norwegian Employers' Confederation, the Federation of Norwegian Industries and the Norwegian Federation of Craft Industries. According to NHO, 97 percent of its members are small and medium-sized companies with fewer than 100 employees, and its member companies together account for about 40 percent of value creation in Norway.[4] As of October 2026, Almlid leads NHO's executive team, which includes Nina Melsom (labour and collective agreements), Vibeke Østensjø (HR and organisation), Gjermund Løyning (regions and market), Knut Ivar Solnes (economics, strategy and technology), Nina Kraugerud Ertzaas (communications and government relations) and chief of staff Helene Holtet.[10] Svein Tore Holsether, chief executive of Yara International, is NHO's president (board chair).[4]

Wage negotiations

Almlid's most public duty as chief executive has been leading the employers' side in the annual wage talks with LO. Under Norway's "front-line" model (frontfagsmodellen), the settlement for the export-exposed manufacturing sector sets the framework for wage growth in the rest of the economy.[11] In February 2021 he told the government's contact committee for the social partners that "it is very important that the front-line model is followed and that there is loyalty to the front-line sector, so that we do not get uneven wage development."[12]

2019

Almlid's first wage round as chief executive was in March 2019, against Gabrielsen. LO argued that workers had accepted years of moderation after the 2014 oil-price collapse and wanted real growth in purchasing power, while NHO offered lower increases on competitiveness grounds.[13] Talks broke down after three days and went to the state mediator.[14] After 14 hours of overtime in mediation, NHO agreed to a framework of 3.2 percent, with a general increase of NOK 2.50 an hour and an extra NOK 2 an hour for the lowest-paid. A strike would have involved around 25,000 workers at about 750 companies.[15]

2021

The 2021 round, held during the COVID-19 pandemic, was among the most contentious of Almlid's tenure. Before talks began Almlid said the confederation would offer no more than 2.2 percent, below the expected 2.8 percent price growth, which would have meant a fall in real wages for many workers. "The difference between a good or bad life in Norway is whether you have a job or you don't," he told Klassekampen, citing around 200,000 people still laid off.[16] Gabrielsen died suddenly of a heart attack on March 9, 2021, and the talks were postponed to March 24, with Peggy Hessen Følsvik as Almlid's new counterpart.[16] The talks broke down after one day. "We knew when we went into negotiations that both sides are very far apart from one another," Almlid said.[17]

In mediation in April 2021, Almlid's side dropped its 2.2 percent position. The two sides agreed on 2.7 percent, with an extra one krone an hour for the lowest-paid, covering around 180,000 workers in LO-organised NHO companies. Almlid said he was satisfied, though "I think many of our companies would gladly have seen raises of zero. They're struggling and many of their employees have been laid off."[18]

2023 strike

In 2023, with inflation high and many companies reporting large profits, Almlid said negotiations would be especially demanding. Almlid argued that some sectors, including construction, travel and restaurants, were still struggling, and that "those struggling now must set the tone."[19] Asked about rising executive pay, he said that "pay development for leaders, functionaries and others must be in line with the companies' other employees over time."[19] When talks broke down he said NHO could not accept "a settlement that will harm companies' competitiveness and ability to create new jobs."[20] As mediation opened on April 14, 2023, he said: "There is a will to find a solution on both sides, but this is going to be tough."[21]

Mediation failed, and LO and YS called out around 23,000 and 1,500 workers respectively in the largest nationwide strike in years. Almlid called it "an unnecessary strike", saying the employers had accepted a proposal that would have given LO members higher purchasing power.[22] NHO estimated that the strike would cost affected member companies at least NOK 120 million a day once around 40,000 workers were out. Almlid called for both sides to "calm down now, take a deep breath" and avoid escalating the conflict. Almlid also acknowledged that high management pay and bonuses had "made negotiations more difficult this time", saying: "It should be a lesson for us and our member companies that raising management pay and bonus payments come at a cost."[23]

2024 to 2026

Ahead of the 2024 round, the confederation's council of representatives adopted an 11-point position. Almlid said that "the companies' long-term ability to pay must always be the basis for the settlement, so that we safeguard jobs and competitiveness."[24]

In March 2025 talks with LO again went to mediation. Almlid described the negotiations as "good and constructive" but agreed with Følsvik that the parties were "still far apart".[25] A settlement was reached before the strike deadline. "We are very relieved that we avoided a major strike this year," Almlid said, adding that avoiding one "was the motivation for all of us."[26]

In the 2026 main settlement, the front-line talks were led by NHO's member federation Norsk Industri and the LO union Fellesforbundet rather than by the two confederations at the top level.[11] After 13 hours of mediation in overtime, the two sides agreed on April 12, 2026, to a framework calculated by NHO, in agreement with LO, at 4.4 percent.[27]

COVID-19 pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic Almlid pressed the government for direct support to businesses. When the government announced a cash compensation scheme in March 2020, he said that "a tsunami" had rolled over Norwegian businesses and that cash compensation, rather than loan guarantees alone, was "completely necessary" to keep companies from going out of business.[28]

Days later Almlid's organisation refused to take part in a government press conference on local quarantine rules because it considered the government too lenient with municipalities that had effectively closed their borders, which delayed the event by four hours. At the rescheduled press conference, Almlid said the measures "must function", and that otherwise NHO would ask the government and parliament to use emergency powers under the new Corona law to override local rules.[29]

By June 2020, NHO's member survey showed 43 percent of business owners expected to be "back to normal" within a year, and Almlid said he saw "optimism among our members".[30] At the end of 2020 he warned that the crisis would last longer than expected and that emergency aid should reach a wider range of businesses than travel and entertainment.[31] When Prime Minister Erna Solberg closed the borders in early 2021, he warned that the closure would have "extremely dramatic consequences" for many businesses, acknowledging how dependent Norwegian industry had become on foreign workers.[32]

Policy positions

Climate and energy

Almlid made climate and sustainability the main theme of the confederation's January 2020 annual conference. He told Dagens Næringsliv that businesses had started taking climate problems seriously in 2019 and that 2020 was when they had to find solutions, but that "the solution isn't that we should shut down the oil rigs."[33]

In February 2022 he criticised the government's plans for offshore wind in the North Sea, which allowed only cables back to Norway. He said it was "unfortunate that the government is starting out with solutions that will demand public financial support instead of choosing the commercial solutions", and argued that only a hybrid-cable network would allow large-scale development without subsidies.[34] During the 2022 electricity price crisis he called the government's NOK 3 billion support package for businesses insufficient. "There's no reason to stand here and smile," he told Dagsavisen. "The situation is very, very serious for very many companies."[35]

Europe and trade

The confederation supports the EEA agreement. Shortly after taking over, in January 2019, Almlid said it would again use EU rules where they were more favourable to business than locally agreed Norwegian rules. This followed the organisation's appeal to the EFTA Surveillance Authority over a Supreme Court ruling on foreign shipyard workers' travel and lodging costs. Roar Abrahamsen, a leader in the Fellesforbundet union, accused NHO of treating the EEA deal as its "own toolbox", and Almlid later moderated his position.[36]

Almlid welcomed the free trade agreement with India announced in March 2024. "India is a very important and rapidly growing market," he said. "This agreement offers great opportunities for export and cooperation."[37] In November 2025, when the EU imposed a new tariff on metal alloys without fully exempting its EEA partners, he called it "serious that Norway is falling outside when the EU sees an increasing need to protect its own industry."[38]

Taxation and labour supply

Responding to the 2024 state budget in December 2023, Almlid welcomed the fact that the government had avoided the Socialist Left Party's demands for higher taxes, but said Norway's wealth tax "is still too high".[39] After Russia's invasion of Ukraine he estimated that as many as 20,000 Ukrainian refugees could quickly be offered jobs in Norway. "It's good for refugees to find work and a source of income," he told Aftenposten, adding that the goal had to be that they could eventually return home.[40]

Leadership and management style

When NHO appointed him, President Arvid Moss said one of his strongest qualities was "the ability to listen and cooperate, and then find solutions to the best for NHO's member companies."[3] Almlid has described his journalism career as driven by "community engagement", and said he wanted to make NHO more important in Norway by showing how businesses can help address issues from job creation to climate change.[8]

His approach in wage talks has at times been confrontational. In 2021 he set out NHO's 2.2 percent position in the media before formal talks began. Følsvik responded that LO would "conduct our negotiations around the negotiating table", which newsinenglish.no read as a jab at Almlid for starting the talks in the press.[16] In other years he has stressed de-escalation, as in his call to "take a deep breath" during the 2023 strike.[23]

Controversies

In March 2021 Almlid declined, along with the heads of DNB and Coop, to appear live on the Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) debate programme Debatten to discuss NHO's call for wage growth below inflation. In an editorial, Dagsavisen called them "cowards" and wrote that his refusal suggested NHO's position "can't be publicly defended". Aftenposten also asked NHO's incoming president Svein Tore Holsether whether Almlid and other well-paid NHO staff should accept the same real-wage cut; Holsether did not answer directly. newsinenglish.no reported Almlid's own pay at the time as NOK 3.7 million a year.[16] NHO's 2.2 percent position was widely criticised, and a union leader at the Kværner Verdal yard said that NHO and Almlid "going out so aggressively" had increased the risk of a strike.[16] NHO later settled at 2.7 percent.[18]

His January 2019 statement that NHO would continue to invoke EEA rules against Norwegian labour agreements drew criticism from the union movement, and he later moderated it.[36]

Outside roles

As chief executive, Almlid has represented the employers in the government's contact committee for the social partners (Kontaktutvalget), whose spring meeting in February 2021 included Prime Minister Erna Solberg, Labour Minister Torbjørn Røe Isaksen and LO leader Hans-Christian Gabrielsen.[12] He has also spoken at business events outside Norway's labour-market institutions, such as the opening keynote at the Norwegian-African Business Association's 2025 summit.[41]

Personal life

In a November 2022 interview with Dagbladet, published under the headline "Svevde mellom liv og død" ("Hovered between life and death"), Almlid spoke openly about surviving a life-threatening ordeal and living with its lasting effects. The newspaper described him as having been born with a disability.[42]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 <ref>Garvik, Olav."Ole Erik Almlid".Store norske leksikon.April 21, 2023.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 <ref>"Ole Erik Almlid".Næringslivets Hovedorganisasjon.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 <ref>"Ole Erik Almlid blir ny NHO-sjef".Næringslivets Hovedorganisasjon.December 18, 2018.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 <ref>"Om NHO".Næringslivets Hovedorganisasjon.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  5. ↑ <ref>Rosvold, Knut A.."Kolbjørn Almlid".Store norske leksikon.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 <ref>Aldra, Simon."Ole Erik Almlid ny NHO-direktør".June 20, 2013.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 <ref>"Ole Erik Almlid (43)".June 20, 2013.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 <ref>Berglund, Nina."New NHO boss for Norway's employers".December 19, 2018.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 <ref>"NHO's boss will be missed".September 19, 2018.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  10. ↑ <ref>"NHOs ledergruppe".Næringslivets Hovedorganisasjon.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 <ref>"Key dates: When will we know the outcome of Norway's wage negotiations this year?".March 23, 2026.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 <ref>"NHO: Lønnsoppgjøret må ikke svekke konkurransekraften".February 8, 2021.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  13. ↑ <ref>"Brokers earn most, then oil workers".March 13, 2019.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  14. ↑ <ref>"Wage talks break down already".March 14, 2019.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  15. ↑ <ref>"'Real' pay raises avert major strike".April 1, 2019.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 <ref>"Annual wage talks off to a rough start".March 24, 2021.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  17. ↑ <ref>"Wage talks break down already".March 25, 2021.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 <ref>"2.7% pay raises helped avert strike".April 11, 2021.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 <ref>"Battle over Norway's profits underway".March 29, 2023.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  20. ↑ <ref>Berglund, Nina."Major strikes loom from Sunday".April 11, 2023.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  21. ↑ <ref>"NHO-sjefen om meklingen: Dette kommer til å bli tøft".April 14, 2023.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  22. ↑ <ref>"'Bonus bonanza' behind major strike".April 17, 2023.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 <ref>"Nationwide strikes set to spread".April 19, 2023.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  24. ↑ <ref>Jor, Eira Lie."NHOs posisjon før lønnsoppgjøret er klar".March 7, 2024.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  25. ↑ <ref>Berglund, Nina."Important labour talks collapsed".March 18, 2025.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  26. ↑ <ref>"All smiles after major strike averted".April 1, 2025.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  27. ↑ <ref>Starheim, Hans Andreas."Enighet i frontfagsoppgjøret etter mekling på overtid".April 12, 2026.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  28. ↑ <ref>"Government acts to bail out businesses".March 27, 2020.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  29. ↑ <ref>"Regions ignore the state's guidelines".March 30, 2020.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  30. ↑ <ref>"Economy picks up, krone strengthens".June 2, 2020.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  31. ↑ <ref>"Earlier Corona-related news in brief".December 31, 2020.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  32. ↑ <ref>"Norway over-reliant on foreign workers".February 8, 2021.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  33. ↑ <ref>"Equinor, NHO strike back at oil critics".January 8, 2020.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  34. ↑ <ref>"Critics blow off new wind power plans".February 11, 2022.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  35. ↑ <ref>"Energy crisis plan fails to spark support".September 19, 2022.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 <ref>"Storm builds around Norway's EU deal".January 14, 2019.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  37. ↑ <ref>"New trade deal with India draws cheers".March 11, 2024.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  38. ↑ <ref>"Norway stung by new EU tariff".November 18, 2025.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  39. ↑ <ref>"Norway's state budget 'irresponsible'".December 4, 2023.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  40. ↑ <ref>"War news round-up: Russians have also sought refuge in Norway".November 29, 2022.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  41. ↑ <ref>"Mr. Ole Erik Almlid".Norwegian-African Business Association.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  42. ↑ <ref>Alver, Eirik."Svevde mellom liv og død".November 6, 2022.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
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