Olav Holst-Dyrnes brings extensive leadership experience from the seafood and industrial sectors. He holds a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and has also completed officer training at the Norwegian Military Academy.
Holst-Dyrnes previously served as Chief Executive Officer of the listed seafood company Havfisk ASA from 2012 to 2014 (today Lerøy Havfisk). From 2014 to 2020 he was CEO of Ekornes ASA, the internationally recognized furniture manufacturer behind the Stressless brand. During this period, he also served as an independent member of the Board of Directors of the Danish seafood company A.Espersen.
In 2020, Holst-Dyrnes joined Kverva, the Witzøe family’s investment company and majority shareholder of SalMar ASA, as Investment Director. During his time with Kverva he also served as CEO of Insula, a leading Nordic seafood group, and he currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Insula.
In addition to his executive experience, Holst-Dyrnes holds several board positions. He is Chairman of the Board of the Norwegian Seafood Council and a board member of Ulstein ASA and Havila Shipping ASA.
Holst-Dyrnes will assume responsibility for leading the Hofseth group and further strengthening the company’s organization and strategic development. He is expected to take up the role during Q3 2026.
Roger Hofseth, CEO & CCO of Hofseth International, commented:
“Olav brings extensive experience from both the seafood industry and from leading and developing companies through periods of growth and transformation. I have known Olav for some time and we have had many good discussions over a long period before arriving at this decision. I am therefore very pleased that he has agreed to join Hofseth and I am confident he is the right person to lead the company forward.”
Hofseth added that the appointment will allow him to further focus on the commercial development of the group:
“With Olav leading the Group as CEO, I will dedicate more time to our commercial activities and market development as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). This includes strengthening our customer relationships, expanding our value-added product portfolio and continuing to build on our IceFresh technology platform.”
Commenting on the appointment, Olav Holst-Dyrnes said:
“I am thrilled to take on this opportunity to lead Hofseth International going forward, working together with Roger Hofseth and the rest of the team.”
“Hofseth’s ambition is to grow exponentially over the next five years, and I am excited to contribute towards the vision Roger Hofseth has established. Hofseth has a truly unique asset base in the Aalesund region in Western Norway which can still benefit from significant economies of scale in the coming years. It is rare to have the opportunity to develop a Company embracing circular economy and new 'foodtech' to eliminate food waste and optimise the whole seafood value chain."
For further information, please contact:
RogerHofseth
CEO & CCO
Hofseth International AS
Email: rh@hofseth.no
Phone: +47 951 47 941
About Hofseth International:
Hofseth International is a leading Norwegian seafood company with a 20-year track record of profitable and responsible growth. The Company operates across the full value chain from smolt production and farming to processing and global sales, serving major markets in the US, Europe, and Asia.