The new CEO comes from the position of Executive Vice President for Residential Development (Timber Houses) in Norway and Sweden. Marianne Gjertsen Ebbesen has worked at Obos for nearly seven years and has previously served as Executive Vice President for Banking and Housing Purchase Models. She has also held senior leadership roles at DNB and Nordea.

Over the past months, the Obos Board of Directors has been engaged in the process of finding a new CEO, following Daniel Kjørberg Siraj’s announcement in September of his resignation after ten years in the role.

By appointing Marianne Gjertsen Ebbesen, Obos continues its practice of promoting leaders from within the organization. This is a strength for Obos, and important for member democracy as well as for sustaining collaboration with its more than 600,000 members.

“The Board has evaluated a number of highly qualified candidates, both internal and external. After a thorough process, we concluded that Marianne is the most suitable candidate for the role. We are very pleased that she has accepted to lead the Obos Group forward. Obos and the housing industry face major challenges. The role of CEO is demanding and requires special expertise. Marianne possesses exactly that, having led one of our two residential divisions for the past four years,” says Roar Engeland, Chair of the Board of Obos.

In recent years, Marianne Gjertsen Ebbesen has been responsible for all small-house production within Obos in Sweden and Norway. In Sweden, this includes extensive industrial operations involving the factory production of Myresjöhus and Smålandsvillan, two of the market’s largest brands. In Norway, she has led Obos Block Watne. Ebbesen also serves on the Board of AF Gruppen and as Chair of Boligprodusentene.

The housing industry has undergone substantial changes in recent years. Rising costs for both developers and homebuyers have led to declining demand and housing construction in Sweden and Norway. Despite this, Obos remains one of the developers that has initiated the most new residential projects in recent years.

“Obos faces major tasks in the coming years, and I am grateful for the trust the Board has placed in me to lead the company. Our primary purpose is to ensure that members can own a home suited to their needs. Housing is a vital part of our welfare system, meaning that Obos carries a social responsibility extending far beyond its own business operations. That is a strong source of motivation for me,” says Marianne Gjertsen Ebbesen.

She knows the organization well and has, in recent years, guided the timber housing division through challenging times.

“The significant market downturn has made it necessary to reduce staffing considerably, which has been very difficult. These have been painful but necessary decisions. At the same time, we have made substantial investments for future growth, with new construction starts and investment in a brand-new, state-of-the-art factory in Sweden. Our diversified business model – which, in addition to housing development and banking, includes property management and commercial real estate – has proven essential to ensuring the Group’s stability, even in difficult times,” says Ebbesen.

Daniel Kjørberg Siraj will remain CEO until Marianne Gjertsen Ebbesen assumes the position on 1 December 2025.

During Siraj’s ten years as CEO, Obos has become a leading player in the construction sector, most recently completing Construction City in Ulven, Oslo. Over the same period, more than 35,000 new homes have been built. Financially, Obos is strong, with NOK 144 billion in assets and NOK 56 billion in value-adjusted equity.

“I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Daniel for everything he has done for Obos over more than twenty years. Under his leadership, Obos has grown significantly and now holds a unique position in the Nordic housing and property market. Daniel has been instrumental in this success. The strong position Obos holds today gives us the best possible foundation to fulfil our mission to members, even in a challenging market,” says Roar Engeland.