Ola Lorentzon is currently Chairman of the Board and has served as a director
of the Board since September 18, 1996, Chairman since May 26, 2000 and our Chief
Executive Officer from May 5, 2010 until March 31, 2015. Mr. Lorentzon is also
a director of Erik Thun AB and Laurin Shipping AB. Mr. Lorentzon was the Managing
Director of Frontline Management AS, a subsidiary of Frontline, from April 2000
until September 2003.
Hans Petter Aas currently serves as a director of the Board and has served as
a director since September 2008. Mr. Aas has been a director of Ship Finance
International Limited since August 2008 and Chairman since January 2009. Mr.
Aas has been a director of Golar LNG Limited since September 2008 and a director
of Golar LNG Partners LP since March 2011. Mr. Aas is also a director of Knutsen
NYK Offshore Tankers AS, Knutsen NYK Offshore Partners LLC, Solvang ASA and
Gearbulk Holding Limited. Mr. Aas had a long career as banker in the international
shipping and offshore market, and retired from his position as Global Head of
the Shipping, Offshore and Logistics Division of DnB NOR Bank ASA, or DnB NOR,
in August 2008. He joined DnB NOR (then Bergen Bank) in 1989, and has previously
worked for the Petroleum Division of the Norwegian Ministry of Industry and
the Ministry of Energy, as well as for VestaInsurance and Nevi Finance.
Gert-Jan van der Akker was appointed a director of the Board following the
completion of the Merger. Mr. van der Akker is Senior Head of Region at Louis
Dreyfus Commodities. Prior to joining Louis Dreyfus Commodities earlier this
year, he had 27 years of experience at Cargill where his last position was a
platform leader for the global energy, transportation and metals platform.
Herman Billung currently serves as a director of the Board and has served as
a director since September 2010 and is the Chief Executive Officer of Golden
Ocean Management AS. Mr. Billung has served as Chief Executive Officer of Golden
Ocean Management AS since April 1, 2005. Mr. Billungs previous position was
as Managing Director of Maritime Services in The Torvald Klaveness Group, responsible
for the commercial management of the groups dry bulk pools, Bulkhandling and
Baumarine. Mr. Billung was Managing Director of the dry bulk operating company,
Frapaco Shipping Ltd. between 1994 and 1998. Mr. Billung graduated from the
Royal Norwegian Naval Academy in 1984.
Kate Blankenship was a director of the Former Golden Ocean and was appointed
a director of the Board following the completion of the Merger. Mrs Blankenship
served as our Chief Financial Officer from April 2000 to September 2007 and
served as our Secretary from December 2000 to March 2007. Mrs. Blankenship has
been a director of the General Manager since March 2000. Mrs. Blankenship served
as the Chief Accounting Officer and Secretary of Frontline between 1994 and
October 2005. Mrs. Blankenship also serves as a director of Golar LNG Limited,
Golar LNG Partners LP, Ship Finance International Limited, Seadrill Limited,
Seadrill Partners LLC, Archer Limited, Independent Tankers Corporation Limited,
Avance Gas Holding Ltd and Frontline 2012 Ltd. She is a member of the Institute
of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
John Fredriksen was a director of the Former Golden Ocean and was appointed
a director of the Board following the completion of the Merger. Mr. Fredriksen
has served as Chairman, President and a director of Seadrill Limited since 2005.
Mr. Fredriksen has established trusts for the benefit of his immediate family
which indirectly control Hemen. Mr. Fredriksen is Chairman, President, Chief
Executive Officer and a director of Frontline. He has served also as a director
of Frontline 2012 Ltd. since December 2011.
Robert D. Somerville currently serves as a director of the Board and has been
a director since September 20, 2013. Mr. Somerville was the President or Chairman
of the American Bureau of Shipping, or ABS, for 20 years to April 2013. Mr.
Somerville also serves as a director of GasLog Ltd., Keppel Offshore & Marine
Limited and is Vice Chairman of the Maine Maritime Academy Board of Trustees.
David M. White currently serves as a director of the Board and has been a director
since September 18, 1996. Mr. White was Chairman of Dan White Investment Limited
which is now closed. Mr. White has also served as a director of NatWest Equity
Primary Markets Limited from January 1992 to March 1996, and was previously
a director of both NatWest Markets Corporate Finance Limited and NatWest Markets
Securities Limited until December 1991.
Birgitte Ringstad Vartdal has served as Chief Financial Officer of Golden Ocean
Management AS since June 21, 2010. Mrs. Vartdal previous position was Vice President,
Investments, in the Torvald Klaveness Group. She has held several positions
within the Torvald Klaveness Group, as VP Head of Commercial Controlling, Risk
Manager and Financial Analyst. Before this she was Structuring Analyst in Hydro
Energy. Mrs. Vartdal is a director of Sevan Drilling ASA, a subsidiary of Seadrill
Limited. Birgitte Ringstad Vartdal holds the degree of Siv.Ing. (MSc) in Physics
and Mathematics from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
and an MSc in Financial Mathematics from Heriot-Watt University, Scotland.
Georgina E. Sousa has served as our Secretary since March 15, 2007 and has
been employed by Frontline since February 2007. Mrs. Sousa is also a director
of Frontline, Frontline 2012 Ltd. and North Atlantic Drilling Ltd. Mrs. Sousa
was a director of the Former Golden Ocean at the completion date of the Merger.
Prior to joining Frontline, Mrs. Sousa was Vice-President-Corporate Services
of Consolidated Services Limited, a Bermuda management company having joined
that firm in 1993 as Manager of Corporate Administration. From 1976 to 1982
she was employed by the Bermuda law firm of Appleby, Spurling & Kempe as
a Company Secretary and from 1982 to 1993 she was employed by the Bermuda law
firm of Cox & Wilkinson as Senior Company Secretary.
Golden Ocean Group Limited currently has 1490 employees.
