Opera's Management Team

Jon S. von Tetzchner

Co-founder -- CEO

Tetzchner worked for Telenor Research from 1991 to 1995, when he and his colleague Geir Ivarsøy founded Opera Software.

Tetzchner holds a master's degree in Computer Science from the University of Oslo.

Håkon Wium Lie

CTO

Wium Lie is a Web pioneer, having worked on the WWW project at CERN, the cradle of the Web. He first suggested the concept of Cascading Style Sheets in 1994 and he later joined W3C (the World Wide Web Consortium) to further strengthen the standards. In 1999, he was listed among Technology Review's Top 100 innovators of the next century. He's currently a member of the W3C's Advisory Board, Technology Review's "TR 100," and World Economic Forum's "Technology Pioneers."

Wium Lie holds a master's degree in Visual Studies from MIT's Media Laboratory, as well as undergraduate degrees in Computer Science from West Georgia College and Østfold College, Norway.

Rolf Assev

Executive VP Sales & Marketing

Assev worked four years for the Lillehammer Olympic Organizing Committee in the Marketing Department where he was responsible for developing and negotiating the international and national sponsor contracts. He then joined Scandinavia's leading PR-company, Geelmuyden.Kiese, where he worked four years as a senior consultant responsible for the IT-sector, primarily as Key Account Manager for Microsoft.

Assev holds a master's degree from the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration.

Christian Jebsen

CFO/COO

Jebsen worked six years within corporate finance and investment banking in London. He then joined Corporate Finance of Enskilda Securities in Stockholm and Oslo where he stayed for another two years. From 1998 to April 2000, Jebsen worked at Stavdal ASA, the last year as CEO. The company was acquired in January 2000, at which time Jebsen joined Opera Software.

Christian Jebsen holds a bachelor's degree in Business Economics from Copenhagen Business School.

Christian H. Thommessen

Chairman of the Board

Thommessen has long experience from working with the Internet and is one of the pioneers in the European Internet world. After working as General Manager in IBM Norway, Thommessen was appointed General Manager for IBM Europe, Middle East, and Africa in 1995, where he was put in charge of IBM's Internet business and IBM Global Network. He is a respected international visionary in the Internet economy. Today Thommessen is the CEO in Glamox ASA.

Thommessen holds a master's degree in Business from the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration.