OSLO — Scandinavian communications veteran Bjørn Richard Johansen has returned to PR consultancy after a seven-year stint in-house, as commercial director of the Geelmuyden Kiese Group (GK Group).

Johansen joins GK from real estate firm Conceptor Bolig, where he was communications and marketing director. He was previously one of the founders of Norway-based strategic communications consultancy First House in 2009.

During his career, Johansen has also been deputy managing director of Burson-Marsteller in Norway, director of communications at Hakon Gruppen (formerly ICA and now Coop), international director at Glitnir, as well as being an adviser to Iceland's prime minister Geir H. Haarde during the financial crisis in 2008.

In his new role, Johansen will be tasked with commercial growth across the Scandinavian market, as well as supporting key accounts. He also becomes an advisor to the board of Paritee, the holding company that acquired GK Group in 2021.

He said: “The best time of my life has been during periods where I have worked with clients, sales, consultancy, and management across the Nordics and internationally. When I again saw the opportunity to contribute to creating growth internationally in Paritee and GK, by re-entering an industry I am well- versed in, this was an opportunity I had to seize.”

The Geelmuyden Kiese Group (GK Group) currently has 140 employees and has ambitious plans for growth, according to managing partner Karne Lykkebo.

“The market for strategic consultancy is developing and GK is serious about its ambitions in Denmark, Sweden and Norway. 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,” said Lykkebo.

GK’s CEO and managing partner in Norway, Severin Roald, added: “Johansen is one of Norway's most experienced advisers with extensive expertise in finance, consumer goods and property. He has been central to the Norwegian communications industry for several decades and will become an immensely valuable resource for our clients and employees. I look forward to working with him again.”

Roald also recently brought Gunnar Larsen from Spekter to GK Norway as head of public affairs; all three previously worked together as advisors at Burson-Marsteller.

Holding company Paritee was founded in 2021 by Lars Erik Grønntun – currently COO and CMO at edtech company Kahoot and former global president of Hill+Knowlton Strategies – and Jonatan Fægri, former EMEA chief of staff at H+K.

Geelmuyden Kiese Group was Paritee’s first acquisition; CEO Jonas Palmqvist, who joined in 2022 after being Weber Shandwick’s EMEA COO, said: “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. We have now created a platform for targeted investments and Johansen, with his extensive network, industry experience and international expertise, will make certain we succeed in creating further growth.”