Osvald Bjelland

Osvald Bjelland is a Norwegian entrepreneur and investor, whose long record of founding organizations that espouse ecologically and civically responsible mandates. Bjelland currently serves as chairman of Origination LTD, a London -based company he founded that mobilizes originators and other exceptional leaders worldwide to invest in service of people and the planet with long-term strategic foresight.

In 2000, after selling The Performance Group in the wake of the dot-com bubble, he traded commerce for academia, earning a PhD from the University of Leeds (UK) in 2008. Later, he would return to academia as a visiting business fellow at the University of Oxford’s Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment and as a visiting scholar at Stanford University. Several purpose-driven ventures followed, notably the 2001 launch of his advisory firm Xynteo, dedicated to among others guiding energy transition in frontier markets such as India. He served as CEO, president and chairman. In 2023, Bjelland sold a majority share of Xynteo to Leon Capital and retained a 20 percent stake along with an employee ownership arrangement. Bjelland's legacy is also stamped on partnerships and business consortiums such as the Tata Xynteo Exchange, a joint venture helmed by Bjelland and the chairman of Tata Sons. Other partneships include Vikaasa and Europe Delivers. Under Bjelland’s stewardship, Xynteo also built The Leadership Vanguard, working with global CEOs, heads of state, Nobel laureates and scientists to promote “good growth” in service of people and the planet. Together, the companies and collaborative entities have delivered over five hundred projects in the U.S., China, India, Europe, and Brazil.

Bjelland is married to Thorhild Widvey, Norway’s former Minister of Petroleum and Energy as well as Minister of Culture. The couple has two sons. He remains an enthusiastic farmer, adhering to a zero-pesticide environment.

His motto brings together the essence of his work – stronger together!