- The most important year in EAT’s history

Further studies opened new doors for Tomas Alfred Røen. Today, he heads an international organisation working with both the UN and the EU to address some of the greatest global crises of our time.

“You don’t have to travel far from Norway to see how fortunate we are. The Central African Republic is as far removed from our everyday lives as one can imagine.”

Røen grew up in the Central African Republic, where his mother built up a clinic that later developed into a hospital, while his father worked in education.

Growing up in one of the world’s poorest countries left its mark, sparking his interest in global systems and international relations.

It was therefore no surprise when he chose this as his academic path – first a bachelor’s degree in International Relations at the University of Oslo, followed by a master’s degree in South Africa.

For a long time, the plan was a career within the UN system or the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Instead, love and chance brought him back to Oslo – and into academia.

En Executive MBA åpnet flere dører for Tomas Alfred Røen ved Oslo Nye Høyskole. Han gikk fra å være foreleser til å gå inn i flere lederstillinger. Han hadde blant annet en sentral rolle i ONHs digitale vekstreise. 

An Executive MBA That Opened Doors

At Oslo New University College, Røen began as a lecturer in International Relations, a role he held for 12 years. Alongside his academic career, he pursued an Executive MBA at BI Norwegian Business School in 2018.

"There came a point where I wanted to learn more and continue to develop – but I had to choose between advancing as an academic or as a leader."

"I chose the latter, and an Executive MBA at BI was the natural step," he explains.

The studies soon proved to be a map and compass. They paved the way for new leadership opportunities, including a key role in Oslo New University College’s digital growth journey.

In 2022, his BI qualification became decisive when he was appointed Director of Operations and Development at Sonans.

- The Executive degree was definitely one of the reasons I got that role, says Røen.

The pandemic had caused a decline in the private education market, demanding a new leadership style.

It was both challenging and instructive, he reflects.

The move from a small, relatively unknown university college to a more established institution also brought fresh challenges.

- We had to cut costs and implement major staff reductions. In that phase, my BI studies became an invaluable map and compass.

The Call That Changed Everything

In March 2023 came the phone call that changed everything: EAT was searching for a new Chief Executive. After several rounds of discussions, Røen accepted.

EAT works for a healthier and more sustainable global food system. The foundation is best known for the EAT–Lancet Report, an internationally renowned study launched in 2019. It is among the world’s most cited scientific articles and is actively used by the UN, the EU, and the C40 Cities network.

According to Røen, food accounts for roughly one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions and is the single largest cause of poor health worldwide.

“Yet for a long time there has been no shared understanding of what we actually need to eat in order to meet the sustainability goals. That is what we are trying to address,” he says.

Børs og katedral

Eat har i dag 20 ansatte, med hovedkontor i Oslo og medarbeidere i blant annet USA, Frankrike, Italia og Sverige. Organisasjonen samarbeider med FN, EU, World Business Council og C40-byer som New York, Tokyo, Barcelona og København.

Executive MBA-graden til Røen har vært et viktig verktøy i utviklingen av Eat som organisasjon.

– De siste to årene har vi styrket økonomien, strukturene og leveransekraften, sier han. 

Selv om Eat er en ideell stiftelse, må den drives som en profesjonell virksomhet. Han understreker at god forvaltning og forretningsforståelse er avgjørende – også i non-profit-sektoren.

– Vi jobber i skjæringspunktet mellom børs og katedral. Vi må drive organisasjonen på mange av de samme premissene som en kommersiell virksomhet. Hvis ikke, får vi ikke gjennomslag.

I dag er Tomas Alfred Røen administrerende direktør i EAT, en organisasjon med mål om å endre verdens matsystemer.

Nettverk for livet

Røen har fortsatt tett kontakt med sitt BI-kull over seks år etter at de var ferdige. WhatsApp-gruppen er fortsatt aktiv. 

– Trenger jeg noen å sparre med, får jeg raskt svar. Det fellesskapet er verdifullt. 

Topplederen har også merket «Executive MBA-effekten» på en annen måte:

 – Da jeg oppdaterte LinkedIn med graden, fikk jeg langt flere henvendelser. Utdannelsen er et signal om kompetanse – både i Norge og internasjonalt.