H+K Strategies EMEA CEO and chairman Lars Erik Grønntun will be honoured with the Individual Achievement SABRE Award in Amsterdam on May 23, at the 14th edition of the EMEA SABRE Awards.

Grønntun took charge of H+K's EMEA presence in 2014, leading it to Pan-EMEA Consultancy of the Year honours in 2016. He joined the firm in 2002 when Gambit, the Norwegian consultancy he founded in 1995, was acquired by WPP.

"Lars Erik has been a leader in the industry since he founded his own communications firm, Gambit, in Norway over 23 years ago," said H+K Strategies global CEO and chairman Jack Martin, noting that Grønntun "quickly established himself as a trusted advisor" following Gambit's merger with H+K. 


"Lars Erik sets an example for what true leadership looks like," explained Martin. "As with all great leaders, Lars Erik consistently provides encouragement and inspiration to those around him, and the results of that are clear — he lifts the team up. While I am honored to have him as a colleague, I am more proud to know him as a friend and can think of no other who is more deserving to receive the prestigious Individual Achievement SABRE award."

Grønntun had previously served in H+K's EMEA council, acted as the company's strategy director, and from 2011, when he was appointed to the global leadership group, until 2014, he headed up operations in Benelux, the Nordics, Central and Eastern Europe and Russia and the CIS.

"Lars Erik is a true professional, highly skilled in the areas where he provides support to his clients and with a personal touch that is outstanding and second to none in the industry," added Reidar Gjærum, SVP of corporate communications at Statoil. "Lars Erik takes extreme pride in knowing his clients; their views, needs and ambitions. But more than anything in understanding they're business, what drives it and what creates value. And I think that's why he is able to serve his clients with excellence year after year."

Before embarking on his PR career, Grønntun studied political science and economics at the University of Oslo. Prior to 1995 he was involved in national politics as president of the Norwegian Progress Party's youth organisation and representative in the party's parliamentary group and executive committee.