Kjell Madland

Founder, CEO and tournament director of Norway Chess
Co-Founder and board member of Norway Summit

📧 Email: kjell@norwaychess.com
📞 Phone: +47 911 67 695
🔗 LinkedIn: LinkedIn profile →

As the creative force behind Norway Chess, Kjell has been instrumental in shaping the tournament into one of the most prestigious and innovative events on the global chess calendar. He is the originator of several groundbreaking concepts that have set Norway Chess apart, including the tournament’s unique time control system, the introduction of Armageddon tie-breaks after drawn classical games, and the now-famous confessional booth—elements that have redefined the spectator experience and drawn international attention.

Kjell also initiated the Norway Summit conference, where his vision of merging business, innovation, and global dialogue has resulted in a dynamic platform attracting thought leaders from around the world. His ability to think beyond convention and transform bold ideas into successful ventures continues to drive the growth of both Norway Chess and Norway Summit.

With a background as an entrepreneur and business leader, Kjell started his first construction company at the age of 22 and went on to hold several executive roles, including Managing Director of a top-tier Norwegian football club. His career is marked by a consistent track record of increasing revenue and building sustainable business models. At his core, he is a creative visionary with strong commercial instincts and a hands-on leadership style.

Benedicte Westre Skog

Co-Owner and COO of Norway Chess
Managing Director and co-founder of Norway Summit

📧 Email: benedicte@norwaychess.com
📞 Phone: +47 913 52 085
🔗 LinkedIn: LinkedIn →

Benedicte has played a key role since 2015, and been instrumental in the strategic development and professionalization of the tournament, and helping to establish Norway Chess as one of the world’s leading chess events. In her role, she is responsible for everything from concept development, project management, and sponsor relations to international partnerships, media coordination, and high-level logistics. Her ability to combine operational leadership with long-term brand building has been central to the event’s growth and international reputation.

She is also the Co-Founder and Managing Director of the Norway Summit conference, where she has been a driving force since its inception. She is responsible for content and program development, collaboration with international speakers and partners, marketing, and overall execution. The conference has become a key arena for innovation, technology, and business dialogue.

Benedicte holds a Master’s degree in International Development from the Netherlands and an Honours Bachelor’s degree from Canada. She has studied and worked internationally in countries such as India and Mexico, and brings extensive experience in cross-cultural collaboration and social entrepreneurship.

She also leads the nonprofit organization Argan Care, which works to protect the endangered argan forest in Morocco through reforestation and sustainable initiatives that generate income and opportunities for the local population, with a strong focus on women and education.

Roy-André Tollefsen

Board Chairman and CTO, Norway Chess

📧 Email: royandre@norwaychess.com
📞 Phone: +47 900 20 820
🔗 LinkedIn: LinkedIn →

Roy-André is a serial entrepreneur with multiple successful exits, including Trollweb (acquired by Visma), and an active investor in dozens of companies. With a background as a computer engineer and more than 25 years of experience building mission-critical software, he has advised hundreds of companies over many years, serving in various positions as a leader and as a member of boards and advisory boards.

He is currently the CEO and CPO of Flow Retail, where he is building next-generation commerce for professional retailers.

Laura García-Capelo González

Event Manager, Norway Chess and Norway Summit

📧 Email: laura@norwaychess.com
📞 Phone: +47 902 61 237
🔗 LinkedIn: LinkedIn →

Laura is the Event Manager for Norway Chess and Norway Summit. Originally from Spain, she studied Advertising and Public Relations and has built her career across event production, communication and project delivery.

Her background includes roles at leading companies such as Ogilvy, Telefónica and TYPSA, where she developed a strong foundation in product and project management across different markets and international settings.

Laura has produced sports, cultural and corporate events in both Canada and Spain. She is known for her organisation, collaborative approach, and eye for design and detail.

Dea Maioli Egeli

Marketing Manager, Norway Chess and Norway Summit

📧 Email: dea@norwaychess.com
📞 Phone: +47 403 98 860
🔗 LinkedIn: LinkedIn →

Dea works as the Marketing Manager for Norway Chess and Norway Summit, and leads the company’s marketing and communication work.

Dea has a Bachelor’s degree in Advertising and Marketing from the University of East London and Digital Marketing through Noroff.

She has previous experience from, among other places, a media agency, Stavanger Concert Hall, and the EV charging company amina charging. Outside of work, she is active as a board member in the Marketing Association in Stavanger (Markedsføringsforeningen i Stavanger).

Niki Riga

Social Media Manager

📧 Email: niki@norwaychess.com
📞 Phone: +30 694 919 3977
🔗 LinkedIn: LinkedIn →

Niki holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Harokopio University and an MBA in Marketing from the University of West Attica. She has over eight years of experience in content creation and six in social media.

Before joining Norway Chess, Niki was Head of Social Media at FIDE, where she led the platform’s growth by over 740,000 followers in less than one and a half years. She has also worked as a graphic designer and content creator with chess24 on the Champions Chess Tour and as a photographer with World Chess and the Gibraltar Chess Festival.

Dr Mehmet Mars Seven

Game Theory Expert

📧 Email: [email protected]
📞 Phone: +44 7842 741031
🔗 LinkedIn: LinkedIn →

Mehmet is a lecturer in economics at King’s College London and the game theory expert behind the Norway Chess Game Theory Corner and the creator of the Norway Chess Bar (Beta). With a PhD in Economics from Maastricht University and a master’s in applied mathematics from the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, he combines academic research with practical analysis to uncover the human side of chess.

At Norway Chess, he develops analytical tools like Game Intelligence (GI) and Missed Points, turning complex data into insights on decision-making, risk, and performance — redefining how chess can be understood and experienced.

James Altucher

Chair of the Advisory Board

James Altucher is an entrepreneur, angel investor, podcaster, nationally ranked U.S. chess master, and author of 18 books, including the Wall Street Journal bestsellers The Power of No and Choose Yourself. He has founded more than 20 companies, invested in over 30, and his latest book, Reinvent Yourself, reached #1 on Amazon shortly after its release.

His writing has appeared in major outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Observer, TechCrunch, The Financial Times, and Yahoo Finance, and his blog has drawn over 50 million readers since 2010. He hosts The James Altucher Show, a podcast with more than 70 million downloads featuring guests like Tony Robbins, Mark Cuban, Peter Thiel, Arianna Huffington, and Coolio.

Morten Borge

Member of the Advisory Board

Morten Borge is the CEO of Ferd AS, one of Norway’s leading family-owned investment companies with a diverse portfolio spanning venture capital, private equity, and social impact investments. He brings extensive experience from corporate leadership, finance, and strategy.

A passionate chess enthusiast, he is inspired by the game’s blend of logic, psychology, and creativity, and sees clear parallels between chess strategy and business leadership. He also actively supports youth chess initiatives such as Business Meets Chess & Kids, helping bridge social gaps and foster talent development through mentorship and play.

Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam

Member of the Advisory Board

Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam is first and foremost known as the longtime editor of New In Chess, but his experience in international top-level chess extends much further. ‘DJ’ interviewed sixteen world champions and wrote books such as Finding Bobby Fischer, Linares! Linares! and The Day Kasparov Quit.

He was the tournament director of the legendary Amber tournaments in Monaco and Nice from 2008 to 2011, the captain of the Dutch team at two Olympiads and a commentator at many top events, including Norway Chess. He is the host of the New In Chess Podcast, a chess historian and an avid collector of antiquarian chess books.