Vårgrønn appoints Stephen Bull as new CEO

Photo: Bård Gudim / Aker Solutions

Stavanger 5 April 2024 - Norwegian offshore wind company Vårgrønn, a joint venture between Plenitude (company controlled by Eni) and HitecVision, appoints Stephen Bull as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Stephen will take up the position from 1 June 2024.

Bull joins Vårgrønn from Aker Solutions ASA, an Oslo-listed provider of integrated solutions, products and services to the global energy industry, where he has been central in building the company's renewables efforts since 2021 and most recently held the position as Executive Vice President - Strategy, Portfolio & Sustainability. Prior to joining Aker Solutions, Bull held a number of senior leadership roles within Equinor for a period of almost 15 years, the last six years as Senior Vice President within the company's renewables and low carbon business. Stephen has also served as the Chair of RenewableUK, where he remains on the Strategic Advisory Council. In 2023, he was awarded an Order of the British Empire for services to the UK's green transition and to UK-Norway relations.

Current CEO Olav Hetland is leaving Vårgrønn to pursue other opportunities.

Alessandro della Zoppa, Head of Renewables in Plenitude and Chairperson in Vårgrønn, said:

"Stephen brings an extensive experience and track-record from the renewables and offshore wind industries, both from developing projects through their entire life cycle and more recently from a supply chain perspective - a crucial skillset for the further development of our offshore wind venture. Furthermore, we would like to thank Olav Hetland for his contribution to Vårgrønn over the last three years, and for his role in developing the strong company culture and position established by the company to date."

Erlend Basmo Ellingsen, Senior Partner and Head of Investment Team, HitecVision, said:

"Stephen is a strong and proven leader. With this recruitment, we will accelerate the roll-out of Vårgrønn's development towards reaching 5 GW in sanctioned or operational projects before 2030 and building a profitable offshore wind company."

Stephen Bull said:

"I am excited to assume the role as CEO of Vårgrønn, and I appreciate the highly ambitious targets the company is pursuing. Vårgrønn has over the last years established an exciting project pipeline, strong partnerships and an expert team, which puts the company in an excellent position to take a leading role in the offshore wind sector in Northern Europe."