NORWAY – KLP Forsikring has named Statoil’s Mari Thjømøe as its new finance director.

She will be a permanent replacement for Benedicte Bakke Agerup, who has returned to shipping group Wilh. Wilhelmsen.

Thjømøe, who was senior vice president of investor relations at the Norwegian oil and gas firm, takes over from Aage Elmenhorst Schaanning, who has been interim finance director since Bakke Agerup’s departure in May, a KLP spokesman said.

She joined Statoil in 2000 and was involved in its partial privatisation and flotation on the Oslo and New York stock exchanges. “Working in Statoil during these years has been a unique and incredibly instructive experience,” Thjømøe said.

Earlier this month KLP, or Kommunal Landspensjonskasse, warned that pension premiums are set to rise if the authorities decide to cut the maximum basic rate even further.

KLP’s total assets have risen 11% in the year to NOK146.5bn at the end of the second quarter. It made a profit of NOK1.8bn in the period.

KLP is a mutually owned company specializing in insurance and financial services to the public sector.