About

In 2011 and during his time as a private practice lawyer, Daniel Jilkén started working with Solør Bioenergi, a Norwegian district heating company that produces wood-based bioenergy. Over time he worked closer and closer to the business and in 2014 was integral to the Group acquiring two Swedish businesses, both larger entities than Solør Bioenergi at the time. Jilkén also assisted the Group in issuing a bond to US investors to finance these acquisitions. ‘By now my work was not limited to tax and structuring issues, or even legal issues, but I was deeply involved also in business decisions’ he states. In 2015 he joined Solør Bioenergi as chief legal officer and a member of the management team, a position he still holds. During his time in this role Jilkén has helped reinforce the company’s relationship with the Norwegian Financial Supervisory. Amongst his other achievements, Jilkén also helped refinance all external debt, including the bonds that he fought to have listed through international infrastructure funds and a European bank syndicate. This process has resulted in Solør Bioenergi significantly reducing financial costs, which has been extremely helpful in the process of building value. Jilkén has changed the attitude of the team, encouraging an overall more cohesive and comprehensive running, ‘I have initiated a much more proactive role of the legal department. For example, we ask auditors and local authorities of their opinion beforehand. Everyone’s happy to be involved at an early stage and it certainly avoids future problems and associated costs’.