Business and Political Career
In 1970 he became chief executive officer of Nora-Sunrose, and in 1981 chief executive of Nora Industrier. From 1981 to 1983 he also presided over the employers' association Federation of Norwegian Industries, having been vice president from 1979 to 1981. He left the post as chief executive in 1991 to become chair of Orkla ASA, following the merger between Nora and Orkla. He held this position for one year. From 1992 to 1993 he was the vice president of the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise. He was then the rector of the Norwegian School of Management from 1993 to 1997, and the president of Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise from 1997 to 2001. He was also the chair of H. Aschehoug & Co from 1991 to 2001, Narvesen from 1993 to 2001, Netcom from 1995 to 2001, Sponsor Service from 2000 to 2001, Løvenskiold Vækerø from 2000 to 2007 as well as Norges Varemesse, Helly Hansen, Nora Mineralvann, Nora Eiendom, Idun, Bjølsen Valsemølle and Nidar Bergene. He has been a board member of Fjeldhammer Brug (vice chair), Forenede Forsikring, Wilh. Wilhelmsen, Standard Telefon og Kabelfabrik and Volvo Norge.
Onarheim was elected to the Parliament of Norway from Akershus in 2001, but was not re-elected in 2005. During his term he was a member of the Standing Committee on Energy and the Environment. He then decided to return to the business world. He was the chair of Fjord Seafood from 2005 to 2006, and then a board member of Marine Harvest from 2006. He was also the acting chief executive of Marine Harvest from 2007 to 2008, as well as a member of the board of Akershus University Hospital and Innovation Norway from 2006. In January 2010 he became acting deputy chairman of Marine Harvest, as Svein Aaser suddenly stepped down.
In 2007 he agreed, somewhat surprisingly, to be a part of the Conservative Party ballot in Asker for the 2007 local election. As it turned out, he was elected to the municipal council for the term 2007 to 2011. As of 2007 he was the wealthiest politician in the municipalities Asker and Bærum, ahead of businessman and fellow Conservative representative Stein H. Annexstad.
In 1986 he was proclaimed a Knight, First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav.
Read more about this topic: Leif Frode Onarheim
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