Founder Profile
Arve Johnsen
Last reviewed: October 2026 · By Swet Parvadiya
Who is Arve Johnsen?
Arve Johnsen is a founder of Equinor ASA, which was founded in 1972.
- Company founded
- Equinor ASA
- Founded
- 1972
Background
Johnsen was a Norwegian economist and Labour Party politician who had served in government before being appointed to build Statoil on behalf of the Norwegian state.
Founding Story
Arve Johnsen (1934-2023) was the first chief executive of Statoil, leading the state oil company from its creation in 1972 until 1987. Before that he was a state secretary in Norway's Ministry of Industry. Under him Statoil grew from a new state agency into an operator, taking charge of the Gullfaks field in 1981. He resigned in 1987 after the Mongstad refinery cost overruns. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Sources
This profile does not yet cite a source specific to Arve Johnsen. The sources below document the company company rather than the person, so check them against the claims above.
- Equinor 2025 Annual Report on Form 20-F (Equinor ASA)
- SEC company facts for Equinor (Equinor ASA)