Board of Directors

Bjørn Fuglaas, Chairman

Bjørn Fuglaas is CEO of LS Partners AS (Recruitment, Consultancy & Board positions). He has more than 35 years industrial and business experience in the life science industry in various leadership and board positions. Previously he was GM of GE Healthcare AS. He has extensive board experience in both listed companies and start-ups. He has also served two periods as Chairman of the Norwegian Pharmaceutical Industry Association, and for the Biotech Industry Association for several years.

Fuglaas holds an MSc in Microbiology/Biotechnology (University of Oslo and University of Gothenburg).

Olav Steinnes

Olav Steinnes is former CFO of Inven2 AS, the TTO of Oslo University and Oslo University Hospital. Steinnes holds an MSc in Economics and Business Administration and has 25 years of industrial experience from Nycomed Pharma and Axis-Shield. He has held various management positions within finance, marketing and business development and has extensive board experience from both listed companies and start-ups.

Ronny Hermansen

Ronny Hermansen is CEO at Genetic Analysis AS, Oslo, Norway. Ronny holds an MSc in Economics and Business Administration from the University of Odense, Denmark. He brings with him more than 20 years of experience from the diagnostics industry, including senior positions at Axis-Shield and Nycomed-Amersham.

Torbjørn Omland

Torbjørn Omland, MD, PhD, MPH, received his MD and PhD degrees from the University of Bergen, Norway. Omland has worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Cardiovascular Division, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School in Boston, and has also received a Master of Public Health degree from Harvard School of Public Health. Omland is currently holding the positions as full Professor of Medicine at the University of Oslo, and as a consultant cardiologist/researcher at Akershus University Hospital. Omland is also leading the K.G. Jebsen Centre for Cardiac Biomarkers located at Akershus University Hospital.

His research interests include biomarkers and risk stratification of patients with heart failure and acute coronary syndromes. Omland was involved in the early clinical validation of BNP and NT-pro-BNP and played a key role in documenting the clinical value of these very important biomarkers for heart disease. He also performed pioneering work on the use of high sensitivity troponins. Omland served as a scientific advisor for Biosite and is currently advisor for several major IVD and pharma companies. He is an Associate Editor in Circulation and member of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC)’s Task Force on Clinical Application of Cardiovascular Biomarkers.

Svein W. F. Lien

Svein W. F. Lien holds an MSc from the Norwegian School of Management BI and brings with him an in-depth knowledge and experience from diagnostic and other high-tech industries. He was appointed President of Axis Biochemicals ASA in 1993. He became Joint Managing Director of Axis-Shield plc when Axis Biochemicals merged with Shield Diagnostics Group plc in May 1999 and was later appointed Chief Executive Officer for the Group, a position he held until the end of 2007. Lien was CEO of Biotec Pharmacon ASA until 2017 and later took on engagements e.g. as working Chairman and Managing Director at Havyard Ship Technologies when it went through a successful Compulsory Composition. He holds several Board positions and joined the Board of Cardinor in 2021.

Rizwan. I. Hussain

Rizwan I. Hussain MD, PhD, received his MD degree in 2007 and PhD degree in molecular cardiology – heart failure in 2011, both from the University of Oslo, Norway. He is currently the CEO of Agiana Pharmaceuticals, a clinical stage biotechnology company developing a novel anti-arrhythmic therapy. Over the last 10 years Rizwan has held a variety of senior positions within the pharmaceutical industry. He spent 7 years at Novartis where he had increasing responsibility within medical affairs and clinical development, including 2 years as Global Medical Director where he had oversight of global clinical trials and helped launch Entresto®, a blockbuster heart failure drug. In 2019 Rizwan co-founded Arxx Therapeutics, a biotech developing a monoclonal antibody for the treatment of fibrosis in which he was the CEO of to 2022. Rizwan joined the Board of CardiNor in 2023.