Petter Stordalen & family

Petter Anker Stordalen Bjorvand was born on November 29, 1962, in Porsgrunn, Norway. He began helping out in his father's grocery store at the tender age of 10 and started selling strawberries at the local market when he was just 12 years old. His entrepreneurial spirit shone early, and in 1974, he was recognized as Norway's top strawberry seller.

After completing his primary education, Stordalen attended Kjøpmannsinstituttet for a year before joining the Norwegian School of Marketing. His passion for business and his innate talent for entrepreneurship were already evident during his formative years.

Petter Stordalen has been married twice. His first marriage resulted in three children. In 2010, he married Gunhild Stordalen, a doctor and former model. Their lavish wedding in Marrakech made headlines, with an estimated cost equivalent to $5 million. The couple has been actively involved in philanthropy and environmental causes, earning them the nickname "the Bill and Melinda Gates of Norway." However, in 2019, they announced their separation while remaining friends and collaborators.

Stordalen's career trajectory is marked by a series of remarkable achievements. At the age of 24, he became the youngest shopping center manager in Norway, taking charge of City Syd in Trondheim. His expertise in property development led him to become the property director in Atle Brynestad's company, Made in. He was the architect behind the transformation of the former market area in downtown Trondheim and the successful relaunch of Liertoppen shopping center outside Oslo.

Stordalen's business acumen caught the attention of Realkreditt (later DnB), where he was employed by their property development company at the age of 29. His crowning achievement came when he, along with a group of investors, purchased the historical department store Steen & Strøm in downtown Oslo. The investment was recouped within the first five days of reopening, showcasing Stordalen's exceptional business acumen.

Petter Stordalen is the owner of the Strawberry Group, a conglomerate of 10 companies spanning various industries, including hotels, shopping centers, real estate, finance, and art.

The Strawberry Group encompasses the following companies:

• Strawberry Hospitality Group: Owns Nordic Choice Hotels, one of Scandinavia's largest hotel chains.
• Strawberry Advisory: Owns Strawberry Capital and Strawberry Equity.
• Strawberry Properties: Owns and develops 20 properties and 230,000 square meters valued at 5.6 billion NOK.
• Strawberry Art & Design: Stordalen's art investment company, owning more than 400 pieces from various artists.
• Strawberry Fields: Private real estate company, investing primarily in hotel properties in large cities and capitals in the Nordics.
• Strawberry Forever: Real estate company, owning properties such as Quality Hotel Friends and Clarion Hotel Amaranten in Stockholm, Skt Petri in Copenhagen.
• Strawberry Brothers: Real estate company established in 2015 and owned 50/50 by Stordalen and Varner Invest AS, owning properties such as Quality Hotel Globe in Stockholm, Clarion Hotel Royal Christiania in Oslo, and the Copenhagen Central Post Building.
• Strawberry Future: Investments in sustainability-related initiatives, projects, and organizations.
• PASAB: Joint venture with Norwegian property developers Anders and Arthur Buchardt, developing properties in Norway and Sweden.

Stordalen's business ventures have resulted in several major achievements. He became a billionaire at the age of 37, a testament to his exceptional entrepreneurial skills. He is the owner of Nordic Choice Hotels, one of Scandinavia's largest hotel chains, comprising over 200 hotels and employing 17,000 people.

Stordalen's success in the hospitality industry is evident in the numerous awards and accolades bestowed upon Nordic Choice Hotels. These include the Grand Travel Awards for Best Scandinavian Hotel Chain (2007 and 2008) and Best Work Place (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011).

Stordalen's contributions to the business world have been widely recognized. He was named Scandinavian Businessman of the Year in 2004. In 2010, he received the prestigious Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award. His innovative leadership and business acumen earned him the title of Brightest Business Mind in Northern Europe in 2016 by the Nordic Business Forum.

Additionally, he was honored as Leader of the Year in 2017 by the Grand Travel Award Sweden.

Stordalen resides in Oslo, Norway. He is known for his philanthropic endeavors and environmental activism. Together with his wife, Gunhild Stordalen, he established the Stordalen Foundation, which focuses on combating climate change. Stordalen's commitment to sustainability is reflected in the fact that all hotels in Nordic Choice Hotels are certified according to the ISO 14001 standard.

Stordalen's legacy is one of entrepreneurial success, innovation, and social responsibility. He has made significant contributions to the business landscape of Scandinavia and beyond, leaving a lasting impact on the industries he has shaped.

• Stordalen's business philosophy is based on five pillars: corporate culture distinguished by energy, guts, and enthusiasm; social responsibility; consumer power; capitalism; and diversity.
• He is an avid art collector, with a particular interest in contemporary art. His collection includes world-leading collections of artists like Jaume Plensa, Alex Katz, and Franz West.
• Stordalen's passion for environmental causes led him to break into the Sellafield nuclear treatment plant in 2002 to protest the discharge of radioactive elements. He was also charged with trespassing in 2007 for protesting the dumping of toxic mud in the Oslofjord.
• In 2015, Stordalen published his autobiography titled "Jeg skal fortelle deg min hemmelighet" (I Will Tell You My Secret).