Bergen’s Young Professionals

A contributing factor has been Bergen’s young professional networks. These industry-specific organisations have come together to nurture these talents through collaboration, network building, upskilling and sponsored events.

YoungFinance Bergen

“YoungFinance Bergen is a meeting point and arena for young people working within finance in Bergen, who want to expand their knowledge and meet others in the same field,” said Iselin Rosvold. An ocean industries analyst at DNB, she also serves as chairman of the board for YoungFinance Bergen.

Iselin Rosvold, YoungFinance Bergen
(Photo © Siv-Elin Skoglund, Opplett)

YoungFinance Bergen’s membership is unsurprisingly diverse, given how integrated financial services are into virtually all modern industries. Its roughly 300 members include accountants, analysts, auditors, consultants, and others. They are employed in a variety of sectors such as banking, insurance,  law and more.
 

Learn more about Greater Bergen’s finance eco-system
 

YoungShip Bergen

Another example is YoungShip Bergen, a competence and network-building organisation for young professionals within the maritime industry. Like YoungFinance, its mandate is to provide young professionals with a platform for knowledge sharing and competence building.

“First and foremost, we are a networking organisation,” said Rikke Simonsen, an operations consultant at DB Schenker and chairperson for YoungShip Bergen. She added, “Our goal is to promote the maritime industry, make it an attractive place to work in and build bridges between different people”.

Rikke Simonsen, YoungShip Bergen
(Photo © Rikke Simonsen)

Founded in Bergen in 2004, it has grown into a global network with more than 4,000 members. The Bergen chapter consists of roughly 280 diverse members from over 70 different firms within Bergen’s maritime sector.
 

Learn more about Greater Bergen’s shipping industry
 

Ung Eiendom Vest

On top of its growing reputation within shipping and finance, real estate is also an active industry within Bergen. Through this sector, Ung Eiendom Vest (UEV) was formed.

“Ung Eiendom Vest was founded to create an arena for networking and knowledge exchange for young professionals within the commercial real estate industry in western Norway,” said Haakon Jard Veidung. As well as serving as assistant chair & PR coordinator for Ung Eiendom Vest, he is also a director for DNB’s Business Brokerage.

Haakon Jard Veidung, Ung Eiendom Vest
(Photo © DNB Næringsmegling)

Ung Eiendom Vest’s large membership base includes members from “the whole value chain” within the region’s commercial real estate community.  
 

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Building Bergen

YoungFinance Bergen’s mandate, among others, is to cultivate Bergen’s profile as a “FinTech capital”.

“We have seen several members of YoungFinance Bergen start new companies, or switch jobs to create more value,” said Stine Sofie Grindheim. Along with being a board member of YoungFinance Bergen, she also serves as the CEO for DealFlow, a Bergen-based equity crowding firm. “Since YoungFinance Bergen started in 2015, there has been a great increase in the number of jobs in finance in this region, and we hope that we have contributed to this”.

Stine Sofie Grindheim, YoungFinance Bergen
(Photo © Siv-Elin Skoglund, Opplett) 

While YoungShip also strives to cultivate the next generation of global maritime experts and leaders, its focus is to promote these activities through Greater Bergen - where it all started.

Having been well-received in the region, Ung Eiendom Vest also aims to further encourage networking and knowledge sharing through western Norway’s real estate community. To further this agenda, they are in dialogue with Bergen-based Proptech Innovation and the Bergen Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Fresh Talent for Firms

Greater Bergen and young professionals aren’t the only ones benefiting from this. These networks hold regular events that are sponsored by various firms in Greater Bergen.

By sponsoring these events, firms can connect with key population segments – eager students, prospective graduates, ambitious professionals, and future leaders. This allows them to not only share knowledge and current trends within their respective industries but also stimulates collaboration among network members. In turn, this collaboration allows ideas to be cultivated and developed into potential products and services.

Plus, these firms gain access to diverse talent pools that they can hire from. Such was the case with Grindheim, who was eventually hired by Dealflow after meeting its founder, Petter Skulstad, at an event where he was invited to speak.  

“I would say that the firms that sponsor our events get an increase in visibility,” said Veidung about Bergen Municipality, Wikiborg & Rein, GC Rieber and other firms that sponsor Ung Eiendom Vest events. “They also help in facilitating the networking and knowledge exchange that positively impact the industry”.

Moving Forward

As these young professionals continue with their careers, many of them share in the belief that these organisations have helped them.

“I definitely believe that YoungFinance Bergen has made me better at my job,” said Grindheim.

“I’m certainly a better employee because of what I’ve learned in time management, product management and leadership,” said Simonsen. “Moreover, the more I invest in the industry, the most interested and passionate I become for it. I think great ideas always come from passion”.

Are you interested in setting up a new company in the Greater Bergen region? If so, you could receive crucial support from Invest in Bergen.

Our organisation can provide information, introductions to useful contacts, and even help you to find your ideal business location in Greater Bergen. If you’re interested in these services, simply get in touch with us today.