About

Consistently praised by peers in the region, Simen Aasen Engebretsen has made his mark both on corporate and structuring issues throughout the business. Described as ‘proactive’ at handling complex legal issues, he stands out for combining legal skills with deep insight and a keen interest in business development. Amongst his most noticeable work in the region, Engebretsen made a particularly good impression on the event in which Gjensidige and AMF established a joint venture in relation to the real estate company Oslo Areal. An all-round successful lawyer, he has been complimented by a nominating source for being ‘a valuable contribution not only to the legal department within Gjensidige, but also to the business that the legal department supports. This was proven by his internal promotion to the position as senior business developer within technology and development – a rare career move for an in-house counsel’. Since the start of 2017 he has moved into a business operating role responsible for carrying out strategies, with a recent focus on further digitalisation and transformation into more analytical driven operations. Some of his most outstanding transactions include the acquisition of the Baltic operations in 2015 which amounted to NOK 300m in revenue. In charge of the M&A negotiations Engebretsen concedes, ‘it shaped me as a lawyer in a way that I broaden my negotiation skills together with strategic thinking and focus on synergies and post transaction issues’. He was also instrumental in the first ever Tier 1 loan in insurance businesses in Norway. As part of the key member team internally that was responsible for the Tier 1 loan, this experience gave him insight on how the insurance company is funded and how various funding sources are allocated and treated. He was also central in the establishment of joint venture for Gjensidige asset management class; real estate portfolio which amounted to NOK 8bn, establishing the foundation of the joint venture and the various sections of the joint-venture agreement. Engebretsen has also been responsible for implementing all new EU regulations into the company. This entails making the company compliant with new regulations both from a legal and operational standpoint.