New international director at Norges Vel
Anita Sæbø is appointed as director of international development at Norges Vel. She comes from the position as Senior Adviser in Norges Vels' International Department and will start in her new position on 1th of May.
Sæbø has been working in Norges Vel since the autumn of 2019. In her position as Senior Adviser, she has been responsible for Norges Vel's cooperation agreement with Norad (The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation) and worked on agricultural projects in Mozambique. She has also been involved in communications and political relations. She has worked for 15 years in various development organizations and has, among other things, been program manager in FOKUS - Forum for women and development issues. Anita has a master's degree in political science and studies in communication.
Experienced manager
- Norges Vel will have a very experienced leader in development, and we are confident that Anita will further develop Norges Vel's international work in the years to come. As a professional, she has in-depth knowledge of human rights issues, and especially gender equality, where she has worked extensively with business and the private sector. Anita's long experience from communication and political influence is also of great value, says CEO Øyvind Ørbeck Sørheim of Norges Vel.
- I feel very lucky to have this exciting opportunity to lead Norges Vels' international development work further. I have become well acquainted with both the organization and the department over the past three years, and I look forward to working further with experienced and committed people with lots of knowledge. It gives a solidity that is reassuring for a new leader, says Anita Sæbø.
Food safety more important than ever
At the same time, she admits that she starts her new job in an exciting and challenging time.
- In recent years, we have seen a significant increase in interest in some of our issues, such as food security, climate adaptation and business development. This has been further strengthened by the war in Ukraine, which of course gives the work a gloomy backdrop. The war has consequences both here at home and abroad, and we already see that the ripple effects are spreading to both our partners and the projects we run in Africa. In other words, working long-term with food security is more important than ever, says Anita.
The outgoing head of foreign affairs, Reinaart Pretorius, has been in Norges Vel for 11 years. He has been given new challenges in the consulting company KPMG, where he will be responsible for strategic partnerships.