OSLO – Burson-Marsteller Norway CEO Morten Pettersen will be joining business strategy and communications consultancy boldT in March to lead the agency’s new Nordic business and its crisis communications work.

The consultancy was launched in Cologne and Brussels in October 2017 by chairman Herbert Heitmann, who previously led global communications for Bayer, Shell and SAP, and former Burson-Marsteller EMEA CEO Jeremy Galbraith. They were joined by ex-MEP Michiel van Hulten as a founding partner for the launch of boldT.

Pettersen joins boldT as a second founding partner. He has been running B-M’s Norway operation for the past six years and its Nordic region since 2015. Norway and the Nordics have consistently been the most-awarded Burson-Marsteller businesses globally for integrated and creative communications work.

Before joining Burson-Marsteller, Pettersen ran his own communications agency. A former management consultant, he has 25 years’ experience advising companies, NGOs and public sector agencies on strategic communication, crisis comms and reputation management, as well as running multinational integrated campaigns.

He said: “It was time to do something new and fresh as a partner in a growing consultancy. I am convinced the future lies with smaller boutique agencies that offer personalised and senior business strategy and communications advice. We will challenge the business strategy as much as the communications strategy. You can’t do one without the other, If you want to have results. I can’t wait to get started.”

Galbraith added: “Morten brings all the capabilities a start-up needs - a proven new business track record, entrepreneurialism, creativity and experience of counselling at the highest levels. I am really looking forward to working with him again as we grow our footprint and business.”

Galbraith said boldT would now be making a number of hires in Norway and would be announcing further locations in Europe shortly.