Bård Vegar Solhjell is Director General of the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, Norad, since January 2020. Mr. Solhjell came to Norad after 1,5 years as Secretary General of WWF Norway – World Wide Fund for Nature Norway.
From 2001 to 2017 Mr. Solhjell held senior positions at the Norwegian Socialist Left Party (SV). From 2007 to 2015 he was Vice-chairman. He was member of the Parliament from 2013 to 2017 and prior to that he was Minister of Education 2007-2009 and Minister of the Environment 2012-2013.
Bård Vegar Solhjell has comprehensive leadership experience and has years of practice in decision making.
Mr. Solhjell holds a master’s degree in Political Science, with Sociology, Comparative Politics, and History of Ideas, from University of Oslo and University of Bergen. He has written several books.