Kjerstad is currently Head of Business Development and Strategy B2C at Telia Norway, and the former Head of Google Ads in Norway. His professional career includes executive positions at Microsoft Norway and Telenor.

Kjerstad is brought in to lead and grow Kontali. Having undergone a digital transformation since Alytic bought the majority share in 2020, Kontali is now entering a scale-up phase.

“The potential of Kontali is tremendous. By adding more technological and commercial competence to the world-leading seafood expertise already present in the company, the goal is to triple Kontali revenues within three years,” says Espen Zachariassen, Chairman of the Board of Kontali and CEO of Alytic.

“Kjerstad knows how to commercialize technology in combination with content. He will be responsible for implementing a strategy to turn Kontali into the leading provider of data and insights for the global seafood market,” says Zachariassen.

Kjerstad is keen to get started.

“Being passionate about driving growth, I find this to be a unique opportunity. Kontali, with its team and support from Alytic, is perfectly positioned for growth. I thrive on the dynamic nature of scaling a business, and I am particularly drawn to the challenges and opportunities presented by a potentially fast-growing company like Kontali,” says Kjerstad.

He holds a master’s degree in business administration from Oxford Brookes University. His training includes International Marketing at BI Norwegian Business School and Business Administration at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

“Success starts with people. I am eager to meet and work together with the highly qualified team that has brought Kontali to a world-leading position. I am also impressed by the customer base of Kontali. I am looking forward to meeting with the customers and learn about the seafood industry and how Kontali can continue to add value for them. Together we will continue to drive the seafood industry forward – based on data, insight, and analysis,” says Kjerstad.

Born and raised in Ålesund, Kjerstad now resides in Oslo. He will assume his new position on April 1.