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Ørsted’s Board of Directors has named Trond Westlie as the company’s upcoming Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective from April 1, 2024. Concurrently, Patrick Harnett will assume the role of Chief Operational Officer (COO) within Ørsted’s Group Executive Team.
Trond Westlie brings extensive experience as Group CFO from renowned companies such as A.P. Moller-Maersk, VEON, Telenor, and Aker Kvaerner, complemented by a master’s degree in auditing. Currently, he serves as Chair of the board at Arendals Fossekompani and as a board member at Wilhelmsen group, both prominent entities in the green energy transition and maritime sectors.
Patrick Harnett, currently overseeing European Execution Programmes at Ørsted, has been instrumental in the development and construction of Hornsea 3, set to be the world’s largest offshore wind farm. Joining Ørsted in 2016, he has held key roles, including Senior Programme Director for Hornsea 2. His background spans projects and operations at energy giants Centrica and EDF Energy, supported by an Executive MBA and a Master of Science in Electromechanical Engineering.
Thomas Thune Andersen, Chair of the Board of Directors of Ørsted A/S, said, “On behalf of the Board, I’m very pleased to announce Trond Westlie as our next Group CFO and Patrick Harnett as our next COO. They’ll bring strong international financial skills and execution skills to the Group Executive Team and support the successful implementation of the strategy plan we announced on 7 February 2024.”
Mads Nipper, Group President and CEO of Ørsted, added, “Trond Westlie has very strong competences from an impressive career as CFO in several global, listed companies, while Patrick has already demonstrated his strong skills in project execution by building Hornsea 2. I look forward to welcoming both Trond and Patrick to the team.”
Trond Westlie noted, “I’m happy to join a very capable company with an important purpose, and I look forward to working with the team to successfully execute the newly launched plan and further strengthen Ørsted’s financial position.”
Patrick Harnett commented, “I’m very grateful for the trust the Board and CEO have extended to me, and I look forward to continuing the implementation of our new project operating model, which will ensure stronger risk management, contingency planning, and governance when executing projects.”
