The Board

Kristian Berg Harpviken

Kristian (born 1961) is Chair of the Board of the Nobel Peace Center and Director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute from 1 January 2025. He is trained as a sociologist and has had a long career in peace work, research, and senior leadership. Harpviken is particularly known for his expertise on Afghanistan and has, among other roles, headed the Norwegian Afghanistan Committee’s country office.

Since 1995, he has been affiliated with PRIO (Peace Research Institute Oslo) as a senior researcher, working on projects related to security in South Africa, displacement from Afghanistan, and assistance to landmine-affected communities. In recent years, his research has focused on regional security, peace processes, and mediation. He has undertaken numerous international consultancy assignments and served as Programme Director for Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding (CPRB) from 2004 to 2005, Deputy Director from 2005 to 2009, and Director of PRIO from 1 July 2009.

Siri Beate Hatlen

Siri (born 1957) has served on the Board of the Nobel Peace Center since 2011 and is the Board’s Vice Chair. She holds an MSc from NTNU and an MBA from INSEAD. She has held a number of senior executive positions, including roles at Statoil, Statkraft, and Oslo University Hospital.

Hatlen is currently President and Chair of the Board of the Norwegian Red Cross and Chair of the Board of Vestre Viken Helseforetak.

Since 2011, she has held numerous major chair positions, particularly in the public sector, including at NMBU, Vinmonopolet, Helse Sør-Øst RHF, and the Norwegian Board of Technology. She has also served as Chair of the Boards of the publicly listed companies Entra ASA, Sevan Marine, and Blom ASA, and as a board member of, among others, Det Norske Samlaget, Det Norske Teatret, Kongsberg Gruppen ASA, and Smedvig ASA.

Nina Refseth

Nina (born 1965) is Director of the foundation Norsk Folkemuseum. Refseth has previously served as Director of the Norwegian Film Institute, Publishing Director, and Managing Director of Det Norske Samlaget. She holds a cand.philol. degree with a major in the history of ideas. She has worked as an editor for the book club Bokklubben Krim og Spenning and has held a number of positions within the literary field. From March 2014 through the end of that year, she served as Group Executive Vice President at Amedia. In 2016, she became Managing Director and partner in the media company TV Wonder AS. From 2018 to 2020, she was Chief Executive Officer of the Museums of Sør-Trøndelag (MiST). Refseth has held numerous board positions, including Chair of the Board of Det Norske Teatret, external board member at NTNU, Chair of the Board of the media company Medier24, and board member of the Mid-Norway Film Centre.

Asle Toje:

Asle Toje (born 1974) is a former Director of Research at the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo and a current member of the Norwegian Nobel Committee. After completing a PhD in International Relations at the University of Cambridge in 2006, Toje has lectured and taught at universities in Norway and internationally. His scholarly works include Will China’s Rise Be Peaceful? (Oxford University Press, 2018), America, the EU and Strategic Culture (Routledge, 2008), and The European Union as a Small Power (Macmillan, 2010). Toje is a writer and a frequently used commentator in international media.

Anna Sjöström Douagi

Anna (born 1972) is Deputy CEO at NGI and Head of Nobel Prize Outreach from January 2025. In 2024, she served as Acting CEO of the Nobel Foundation, having previously held the position of Vice President for Strategic Initiatives. Before joining the Nobel sphere in 2016, she was the founder and first Chief Executive Officer of the Young Academy of Sweden, established on the initiative of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

She also has extensive experience in international research policy, including serving as an international adviser to the Swedish Research Council from 2003 to 2010. Anna holds a PhD in immunology from Karolinska Institutet, is an elected member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, has been awarded the Ordre des Palmes Académiques, and serves on a number of national and international boards and committees, reflecting a strong commitment to science and society.

Thor-Kenneth Maarnes

Thor Kenneth (born 1979) is a board member elected by the employees of the Nobel Peace Center. He has worked at the Peace Center since 2009 and has held several key roles within operations, security, and events. He has served as a shift supervisor and events coordinator, and in 2020 he became Head of Events, with responsibility for planning and delivering the events at the Center.

With experience in operational management, project work, and public-facing functions, Maarnes has developed strong expertise in logistics, hosting, and coordination in complex event settings. He has also acquired formal competence in project management and event management through studies at Metier OEC and Kristiania University College. Prior to joining the Nobel Peace Center, he held leadership positions in the restaurant and service industry, including as a restaurant manager at Burger King.