ABOUT US
OpenSky Consulting is a young consulting company with independent senior consultants all having long experience working in the ICT / Telecom industry, primarily having worked for large mobile operators. We work on executive level and take on strategic assignments within our area of expertise (commercial, technical, operational ...).
In the near future with the upcoming 5G era, businesses and societies will need to digitalize and transform into intelligent and data driven operations predominantly based on wireless communication. Internet of Things (IoT) will be prevalent in most areas of life and in many cases also run by Artificial Intelligence (AI). We will have smart communities, smart factories, smart infrastructure, smart homes – and “smart everything”. ICT service provides as well as enterprises and communities will all need to prepare!
The company’s main areas of activity are strategic advisory services in the areas of ICT, digitalization and business transformation - and specifically also in the field of mobile communications. We have strong competence and experience in mobile technologies and evolution ever since 2G – and have been looking into technical and business considerations around 5G and IoT for some years already.
The company’s other main area of activity is available for any industry horizontally across sectors. We have long experience in the HSSE, risk and sustainability area - and specifically also responsible supply chain management , climate change and renewable energy.
Our services are suited for digital service providers as well as (small and large) private companies and the public sector preparing for 5G or digital transformation - or any company with a focus on HSSE, sustainability or security. We have our main experience from working at various levels and in various functional units in mobile telecom operator groups for many years, e.g. from Telenor, Telia, Vodafone, Telefónica and VEON, and also from the GSM Association and DNV.
We take on short- or medium-term international assignments given capacity. Our associates have different nationalities and are based in several countries, but the company HQ is in Oslo, Norway.
Stein has worked in the telecom industry for 35 years in many roles and with various top and middle management positions, in operational units as well as in corporate staff functions – and has been a pioneer in the global mobile industry in several ways, in the areas of standardization, internationalization, industrialization and globalization. Stein had key industry roles early on in the development of 2G as well as 3G, at European as well as global level, and has also spent a number of years working for the global expansion of mobile technology and mobile operator interests through engagement with and governance of industry consortia like e.g. the GSM Association. In most of his life, Stein has worked for mobile operators - but he has also worked as a supplier.
On the business side of things, Stein has had various leadership roles in Telenor’s international expansion e.g. through assignments in Germany and Malaysia. He has also contributed to the industrialization of Telenor Group, e.g. on technology and technology strategy across the group – and on building up Telenor’s global approach to HSSE and supply chain sustainability. He has also done security management within Telenor and at industry level.
Stein has managed small and large organizations and has had technical as well as commercial and social responsibilities, including Board experience, and has broad knowledge in the ICT industry. He also spent several years managing industry relations for Telenor Group, working directly with two Group CEOs, covering industry matters across the board, but primarily on strategic technology matters.
Dr. Andy Hudson
Senior Associate
(LinkedIn)
With broad experience in the telecoms and technology sectors, Andy has a particular interest in spectrum (auctions and valuation) and the impact of new technology (5G, AI, IoT and Big Data). He brings a deep understanding of both the industry and regulatory perspectives around the world having been Head of Policy for the GSMA.
Previously, as Director of Spectrum Policy at Ofcom, he led the Mobile Data Strategy, including the release and sharing of public sector spectrum for civil use, and the auction team. Before that, Andy spent 12 years at Vodafone, where he held various senior product development, corporate strategy and policy roles. As Head of Spectrum Policy, he was responsible for managing spectrum policy and auctions across the Vodafone Group. He was frequently in Africa, India or Europe, supporting Vodafone’s local operating companies, and managed the acquisition or renewal of spectrum in over 20 countries.
In 2000, he was part of the senior management team which spun an internet payments and encryption company out of NatWest. He was formerly a management consultant and a research scientist at Sharp Laboratories of Europe and Sony Corporation, based in Japan. He has a doctorate in Engineering Science from Oxford University and an MBA.
Haakon Rud
Senior Associate
(LinkedIn)
Haakon has 40 years of experience in the QA, HSSE, sustainability and risk management area, most of which coming from various management as well as expert positions within the Veritas / DNV system. He is a specialist in management of Health & Safety and on Environmental management, social responsibility, working conditions and quality.
Over the years, he has had projects in a large number of sectors, including engineering, procurement, construction, manufacturing, purchasing / logistics / transportation, social responsibility, sustainability, supply chain, concrete structures, pipe coating, laboratories, food, fish farming, paper and cardboard, electrical, telecom, installation, offshore and subsea, tourism, hotels, real estate, music festivals and road maintenance.
Haakon can assist with good practices before as well as after incidents, ranging from training and awareness, hazard identification, risk assessments, audits and management system implementation - to incident investigations, reporting and improvement planning – and much more.
Svein-Gaute Bleivik
Senior Associate
(LinkedIn)
Svein-Gaute has extensive experience from the national and international telecom business, fixed PSTN/ISDN and mobile network operators. Being a pioneer from Telenor’s international mobile operations with senior technical positions held in European and Asian operations as in Germany, Ireland, Malaysia and Bangladesh in their greenfield start-up GrameenPhone - now Telenor's largest MNO, and as senior technical advisor in Telenor Group on mobile operations. He has held responsibilities within forecasting, site/node/infra planning and IT-tools, roll-out/in, budgeting and project management leading cross-functional and multinational teams.
Post Telenor Group he has engaged in Asset Recovery and Reverse Logistics, Renewable Energy, Microwave & Fiber Network Planning tools, Secure Communication, Internet Access Control, Mesh WiFi Tech and Services, whilst contributing to several start-ups. He is still eager to participate in and initiate improved solutions for communication technology and services, clean energy, global environment and human health, last several years engaged in biogas (Bangla/India) and photovoltaic (Norway) energy projects for planning and roll-out. Svein is known for his analytic, systematic and structural skills, catching important details whilst holding the overall picture. He may act as a devil’s advocate.
Eric Ekern
Senior Associate
(LinkedIn)
Eric is an experienced executive with background from multiple functional areas. His competence has been built through 20+ years in senior management positions at Telenor Group mainly in Supply Chain Sustainability, Corporate support, HR and implementation of global cross-functional projects. He has in-depth knowledge of areas such as Sustainability and Corporate responsibility, Health, Safety and People Security and Crisis management in a global, complex organization.
Eric has served as advisor to Senior Corporate Management on strategic corporate initiatives. Seeing corporate needs, developing strategies and operationalizing these have been important success-factors building on his ability to establish robust structures and frameworks. He is known for implementation skills and has a proven track record integrating corporate policies and initiatives into complex organizations in different cultures. He has hands on experience with developing teams and implementing strategies. In his role within Group HR of Telenor Group, he was in charge of the digitalization of the HR-function in Telenor Group.
Tommy Ljunggren
Senior Associate
(LinkedIn)
Tommy has more than 30 years of experience from the telecom industry, mainly from operator groups Telia Company and VEON (formerly known as VimpelCom). He was also one of founders of the consultancy firm Northstream (now part of Accenture).
Tommy has a technical background and held a wide range of management positions in the above-mentioned companies, including roles as CTO, managing director, general manager and board member in associated organizations. This includes roles for multi country activities as well as local operation activities and several re-organizations / transformations of the organizations and technologies. He has also acted as external spokesperson towards governmental organizations, media and regulators as well as expert witness is Swedish and International court cases. Tommy has been engaged in several international standardization and industry bodies, e.g. ETSI/3GPP, GSMA, ONAP and NGMN, as well as industry roles towards European commission and in Sweden.
Michael Minzlaff
Senior Associate
(LinkedIn)
Michael's background spans 20+ years of professional experience in consulting and at mobile operator groups including as Head of Strategy for Telefónica Europe, and at Vodafone Group. Michael has a deep understanding of the industry, combining his strong commercial track record with a deep grounding in technology and IT.
While at Telefónica, Michael was responsible for the development and execution of the strategic 3-year plan for the region (UK, Ireland, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia), with a focus on cost reduction, digital transformation, fixed-mobile convergence. During his time there, Michael drove the sharing of mobile network infrastructures, including in the Czech Republic and the UK. Finally, Michael was also responsible for the creation of the region's spectrum auction centre of excellence and for the successful 4G spectrum acquisitions in all markets.
Michael’s track record includes leadership of transformational global change initiatives across business units, driving complex partnership agreements, strategic planning, cost and digital transformation, investment prioritization, and also product / go-to-market strategies in B2B and B2C, IoT, pricing, and M&A / transaction support. Michael is a Project Management Institute certified Project Management Professional (PMP).
Jan Kristensen
Senior Associate
(LinkedIn)
Jan has almost 40 years of working experience, of which 25 years in various management positions within Telenor Group. He has in-depth knowledge and highly relevant working experience related to different aspects of responsible business practice and he has worked more than 10 years of active engagement with international sustainability stakeholders - such as global industry organizations, NGOs, IGOs, academics, analysts/investors. Jan also has significant experience in communications, internal and external communications, crisis communications and investor relations related communications.
Jan is an expert within climate change and related renewable energy issues. He has over the last decade been managing increasing expectations to Telenor as a company in the climate change area and has participated in several global industry impact studies on climate change. Jan has over the last ten years been instrumental in the development of Telenor’s internal non-financial reporting and external sustainability reporting. He has also for several years been overviewing supply chain sustainability issues in Telenor’s business units.
Jan is business oriented, likes to develop clear strategic directions, is very results-oriented, focuses on deliveries and works in an efficiently manner. He enjoys working in project-oriented teams, he is systematic in planning and pragmatic in implementation. He speaks / writes Norwegian and English fluently.