Ottersen was appointed in September by the Council of State. He is a medical doctor with a PhD in healthcare prioritisation and global health. In June, he started as Acting Deputy Director at NOMA.
Prior to this, Ottersen served as Director of Infection Control at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) and Director of Health Services at the same institution. During the pandemic, he led the National Knowledge Programme for COVID-19. In addition to various leadership roles, Ottersen has been a researcher at the University of Bergen and the University of Oslo, and has held several international engagements, including with the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) and the UN Special Envoy for Ebola.
Inspiring start
"My desire to contribute to the continued development of the agency has only grown during my time here. The competence and commitment of everyone here give me great confidence that we will succeed with the new, expanded mandate that NOMA has received. With this, we can do even more for patients and the public, which is incredibly rewarding", says Ottersen.
Since January, NOMA has been assigned new tasks, including responsibilities for supply security and emergency preparedness. Ottersen has been working to accelerate this effort since June.
Confidence in continued success
"I am pleased that Trygve is now taking over the leadership of NOMA. He has strong professional credentials, energy, and drive. He has impressed me in our collaboration over the past few months, and I am confident that he will continue NOMA's important work with determination and in a positive direction!" says the outgoing director, Audun Hågå.
Audun Hågå, who turned 67 in March, began as Director of the then Norwegian Medicines Agency in 2013. He will continue at NOMA until the summer of 2025, supporting the new director during the transition phase. Additionally, he will represent NOMA in several international forums and work on new tasks assigned to the agency.