First House founder, Bjørn Richard Johansen, who left the industry seven years ago is returning to the world of consulting. He takes on the role as Commercial Director of the Geelmuyden Kiese Group (GK Group), and advisor to the board of Paritee.
As one of Scandinavia's most seasoned and accomplished communications veterans, Johansen will be tasked with ensuring commercial growth across the Geelmuyden Kiese Group and the entire Scandinavian market, as well as supporting key accounts.
The Geelmuyden Kiese Group (GK Group) currently has 140 employees, yet the company is set on a growth path in the years to come.
- The market for strategic consultancy is developing and GK is serious about its ambitions in Denmark, Sweden and Norway, says Karne Lykkebo, Managing Partner of the GK Group. It's about rallying the best people in our industry, and I am looking forward to the opportunity of working together with Johansen in further developing the GK Group in the Nordic region.
Paritee, being the holding company of GK, also has big ambitions.
- Through Paritee, we are well underway in developing a new era for GK, as well as facilitating a new kind of agency model with Scandinavian and European ambitions, declares Jonas Palmqvist, Paritee CEO. We have now created a platform for targeted investments and Johansson, with his extensive network, industry experience and international expertise, will make certain we succeed in creating further growth.
Bjørn Richard Johansen has, among other things, been the Deputy Managing Director of Burson-Marsteller in Norway, Director of Communications at Hakon Gruppen (formerly ICA and now Coop), International Director at Glitnir with responsibility for communications in 14 countries, one of the founders of strategic consultancy
First House, as well as adviser to Iceland's Prime Minister Geir H. Haarde during the financial crisis in 2008. He comes to GK and Paritee from the role of Communications and Marketing Director in Conceptor Bolig AS and Associate Partner in First House.
Johansen assumes his new role in May, 2023.