New Managing Director for DNV Benelux, UK and Ireland

Rotterdam, 10 January 2007 – As from 1 January 2007, DNV (Det Norske Veritas) has appointed Tom Backelin as Managing Director for DNV Benelux, UK and Ireland. Within this capacity, he will be responsible for the operational and commercial activities in these countries. Tom, who has been with DNV since 1974, is a highly experienced manager who has held multiple high-profile positions within DNV and has lots of experience in the geographical regions that are part of his new post. ‘Within my new capacity, I shall further develop the policy pursued by Richard Stolk with the following objective: protecting life, property and providing further support for the environment’, Tom Backelin explains. ‘Through the new organisation and a new office in the Netherlands, the preconditions to further develop our strong market position in the field of certification have been met’.

Tom will be taking over from Richard Stolk, who had been Managing Director for DNV Benelux, UK and Ireland since June 2001. Richard has been appointed Director of Operations in North and Central America. Furthermore, he will be a member of the worldwide management team and report directly to the new COO for DNV Industry, Peter Bjerager.

Earlier this year it was announced that Henrik O. Madsen had been appointed as the new CEO of DNV. DNV has changed its organisational structure under his leadership. Currently DNV distinguishes the following segments:

• DNV Maritime focuses on delivering high-quality services for the maritime industry.

• DNV Energy focuses on oil and gas companies in both upstream and downstream sectors, electricity producers, pipeline companies, process industry and its subcontractors and suppliers, in addition to investors and authorities. The environment takes up an important position within this segment, in which activities in Arctic areas, renewable energy and reduction of greenhouse gas emission are the main areas of priority.

• DNV Industry delivers certification, assessment and risk management services. DNV Industry will have two focus areas: to maintain and further develop the position of DNV as one of the world’s three leading conformity assessment bodies, and to develop one or two industry sectors into new separate business areas for DNV.

• DNV ICT Risk Management gives high priority to the integrity and reliability of business and safety critical IT-systems and software. The main geographical focus will be on Western Europe, but it also aims on China, since the first establishment in China is realised last summer.

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