Graduation students wearing blue graduation hats
BI Alumni

Alumni Day & Alumni Awards

Be inspired by alumni who have achieved remarkable career success. We celebrate outstanding achievements, leadership and social commitment, while bringing the alumni community together for a day of inspiration, learning and connection.

Alumni Day

Every year, we invite our alumni back to BI for an afternoon of inspiration, professional development, networking, and celebration!

You will have the opportunity to attend relevant presentations from BI’s talented speakers, gain practical insights in an informal and welcoming setting, and take part in our long-standing tradition of honoring alumni through the BI Alumni Awards in two categories: the Distinguished Alumni Award and the Young Alumni Award.

Invitations are sent through the Alumni newsletter, but participants can also register for the event in advance. Alumni Day is held every autumn.

Alumni Day 2026

Oslo 8 October - Young Alumni Award, Distinguished Alumni Award and Founder Alumni Award
Bergen TBA - Young Alumni Award or Distinguished Alumni Award or Founder Alumni Award
Trondheim TBA - Young Alumni Award or Distinguished Alumni Award or Founder Alumni Award
Stavanger TBA - Young Alumni Award or Distinguished Alumni Award or Founder Alumni Award

 

BI Alumni Award Programme

The Alumni Award is an award given to outstanding alumni who have shown strong community involvement, excelled professionally and is a recognition of fantastic achievements and contributions in career and society.

Winners must demonstrate dedication, passion, commitment and be excellent role models for all our current students and future alumni.

Young Alumni Award

Recipients must have graduated within the past 10 years.

Nomination criteria:

  • Graduated from BI Norwegian Business School or one of its predecessor institutions.
  • Distinguished themselves early in their careers and demonstrated strong potential for continued success.
  • Gained recognition as emerging leaders through professional achievements and/or contributions to society.
  • Progressed into roles with increasing levels of responsibility within their organisation, business, or professional field.
  • Received recognition for significant professional contributions or creative work through honors, awards, and/or media coverage.

The Young Alumni Award is presented to four outstanding alumni, one from each of BI’s four campuses: Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, and Stavanger.

Distinguished Alumni Award

The Distinguished Alumni Award is the highest honor awarded to a BI alumni.

Nomination criteria:

  • Graduated from BI Norwegian Business School or one of its predecessor institutions.
  • Achieved broad recognition for exceptional accomplishments, advanced knowledge within their field, or made significant contributions to society through voluntary or public service, drawing on their education from BI Norwegian Business School.
  • Demonstrated excellence, professional relevance, and best practices, while serving as an outstanding role model for current students.
Founder Alumni Award

Recipients must have demonstrated entrepreneurial leadership and transformed ideas into lasting value through innovation, growth, social impact, or industry transformation and building employments opportunities.

Nomination criteria:

  • Graduated from BI Norwegian Business School or one of its predecessor institutions.
  • Founded or co-founded a company, project, or organization.
  • Demonstrated significant entrepreneurial achievements through business growth, innovation, value creation, or positive societal impact.
  • Shown leadership, resilience, and the ability to build and develop teams, organizations, or new markets.
  • Earned recognition within their industry, profession, or local community for their entrepreneurial accomplishments.
  • Demonstrated excellence, relevance, and best practices, while serving as a strong role model for current students and aspiring entrepreneurs.
  • Demonstrated support for entrepreneurship, innovation, or the broader BI community is considered an advantage.
Alumnidagen 2025 - bilde av folk som mingler Alumnidagen 2025 - på scenen
To som står og snakker sammen under Alumnidagen 2025 Alumnidagen 2024

Nomination process

Deadline and nomination form

The nomination process is open to the public for a limited period each year. 

Nominators must specify the award category for which the candidate is being nominated, provide a rationale for the nomination, and submit their entry using the form below. The selection committee may also nominate candidates in all award categories before the nomination deadline.

Deadline for nomination is 15 September 2026.

Nomination committee

Representatives from BI Alumni & Industry Relations and members of BI Career.

Nomination guidelines

The nomination committee reviews all nominations against the established criteria and submits its evaluation and recommendations to the judging committee.

Nominations remain active and will be considered in subsequent years if they are not selected in the year they are submitted. Nominations that have not been selected after two years will expire.

Any resubmitted nomination must include updated supporting material.

Current employees of BI Norwegian Business School are not eligible to receive Alumni Awards.

The jury

The judging committee consists of:

  • Egil Matsen, President, BI Norwegian Business School
  • Marius Eriksen, EVP Business, BI Norwegian Business School
  • Ida-Cathrine Jørgensen, Director of Business Relevance, BI Norwegian Business School
  • A representative from the local campus administration
  • Head of the Department of Strategy and Entrepreneurship
  • A representative from the Tech Start-Up community
  • A representative from BI StartUp Village
En kvinnelig alumni under Alumnidagen 2023 Person som står på scenen og snakker under Alumnidagen 2023
Mannlige alumni under Alumnidagen 2023 Minglesone under Alumnidagen 2023

Previous winners

Henrik Norem

Young Alumni Award 2025

Henrik Norem

Henrik stands out for his exceptional academic achievements, creativity, and dedication. 

Sigurd Overskott

Young Alumni Award 2025

Sigurd Overskott

Through innovation and personal initiative, Sigurd has driven development both within the group, in his role as Brand Director at Sulland, and across the automotive industry. He is a shining example of professional success following his time at BI.

Young Alumni Award 2025

Sanjin Damjanovic

Sanjin is a person who combines confidence and strength with a unique ability to give. He is an outstanding role model who leads by example, by following his own dreams and being generous with himself.

Kjersti Fløgstad

Distinguished Alumni Award 2025

Kjersti Fløgstad

Kjersti has demonstrated outstanding leadership as Director of the Nobel Peace Centre and former Secretary General of UNICEF Norway. 

Ann-Kathrin Behringer

Young Alumni Award 2024

Ann-Kathrin Behringer

As one of few women making waves in quantitative equity and sustainable finance, she inspires the next generation to pursue impactful and responsible careers in investment management.

Young Alumni Award 2024

Lasse Gjellestad

Lasse has taken on enormous responsibility in steering the start-up he works for through challenging waters, while simultaneously building his own business. He is an entrepreneur in the truest sense of the word.

Maria Susana Meza Remar

Distinguished Alumni Award 2024

Maria Susana Meza Remar

As founder and CEO of Charge, she empowers immigrant entrepreneurs to build and scale their businesses, promoting diversity, inclusion and innovation across the Nordics.

Liselotte Farstad

Young Alumni Award 2023

Liselotte Farstad

Her efforts and involvement started during her studies when she had an internship in the Government Pension Fund Global (Oljefondet). 

Lisa Westrum Johansen

Young Alumni Award 2023

Lisa Westrum Johansen

Lisa is a courageous leader who puts social responsibility into practice. She demonstrates that inclusion and professional success go hand in hand, and she is an inspiration to anyone who wants to build a meaningful career.

Christian H. Skjelbakken

Young Alumni Award 2023

Christian H. Skjelbakken

Christian H. Skjelbakken is an inspiration for BI students and an example of how to give back as an alumni from BI.

Elin Sinervo

Distinguished Alumni Award 2023

Elin Sinervo

Her efforts as CEO of Volkswagen Møller Bilfinans, strong leadership figure and the ability to lead with a focus on people, is mentioned in the nomination for this award.

Kristian Vogt

Distinguished Alumni Award 2023

Kristian Vogt

His efforts as a leader in Telia Norway, as well as international experience in Accenture, have been mentioned in the nomination for this award. 

Morten Borge

Distinguished Alumni Award 2023

Morten Borge

His efforts as CEO of Ferd AS, and the vision of Ferd AS creating value for society as a whole, have been mentioned in the nomination for this award. 

Runar Hollevik

Distinguished Alumni Award 2023

Runar Hollevik

His efforts as CEO, and his emphasis on collaboration within NorgesGruppen, have been highlighted in the nomination for the award.      

Silje Landevåg

Distinguished Alumni Award 2023

Silje Landevåg

Silje combines strong commercial acumen with a passionate desire to empower others. She is a shining example of what can be achieved with a BI background and a great deal of courage.

Sumeet Singh Patpatia

Distinguished Alumni Award 2023

Sumeet Singh Patpatia

His efforts to highlight diversity as value creation in businesses is something that has been highlighted in the nomination. 

Thina Saltvedt

Distinguished Alumni Award 2023

Thina Saltvedt

Her efforts as chair of the expert committee appointed by the government to explore opportunities for climate-friendly investments leave her mark on the public debate.

Nikolai Herman Skeie Wiencke

Young Alumni Award 2021

Nikolai Herman Skeie Wiencke

During his time as a student, Nikolai was an active member of BISO at BI - campus Trondheim, and represented the school at BI's Case competition.

Maalfrid Brath

Distinguished Alumni Award 2021

Maalfrid Brath

Maalfrid Brath has several years' experience as a senior manager and board member. She is currently a board member of NHO and Young Entrepreneurship Norway.