Johan Berthin Holte (19 February 1915 – 1 April 2002) was a Norwegian businessperson. He was born in

Notodden Notodden () is a city and municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Øst-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Notodden. Notodden was separated from the munici ...

as a son of chief administrative officer Peder Olaus Holte (1875–1943) and Lorentze Indorff (1890–19). In 1944 he married artist Eva Vibeke Bull (1922–1991). He graduated with a degree in chemistry from the

Norwegian Institute of Technology The Norwegian Institute of Technology (Norwegian: ''Norges tekniske høgskole'', NTH) was a science institute in Trondheim, Norway. It was established in 1910, and existed as an independent technical university for 58 years, after which it was m ...

in 1938. He was hired by

Norsk Hydro Norsk Hydro ASA (often referred to as just ''Hydro'') is a Norwegian aluminium and renewable energy company, headquartered in Oslo. It is one of the largest aluminium companies worldwide. It has operations in some 50 countries around the world ...

in 1948 as head of their Notodden department. He advanced to become director of research from 1957 to 1964 and assisting director-general from 1964 to 1966. In 1967 he was hired as director-general (CEO). He stayed in this position until 1977; after this he was chairman of the board from 1977 to 1985. He also chaired

Kværner Kværner was a Norwegian engineering and construction services company that existed between 1853 and 2005. In 2004, it was amalgamated to the newly formed subsidiary of Aker ASA - Aker Kværner, which was renamed Aker Solutions on 3 April 20 ...

Standard Telefon og Kabelfabrik Standard Telephones and Cables Ltd (later STC plc) was a British manufacturer of telephone, telegraph, radio, telecommunications, and related equipment. During its history, STC invented and developed several groundbreaking new technologies incl ...

and Sør-Norge Aluminium, was a board member of the

Norwegian Employers' Confederation The Norwegian Employers' Confederation ( no, Norsk Arbeidsgiverforening, NAF) was an employers' organisation in Norway. It existed between 1900 and 1989, and was founded as an answer to the foundation of the Workers' National Trade Union in 1899 ...

, Alnor, IBM in Norway, Dyno Industrier and Vannlinjen, and a supervisory council member of

Borregaard Borregaard is a Norwegian company, established in 1889 in the southeastern town of Sarpsborg in Østfold county. Its main products were traditionally pulp and paper. The company later started producing chemicals based on timber as a raw ma ...

Elektrokemisk Elkem is a company that produces silicones, silicon, alloys for the foundry industry, carbon and microsilica, and other materials. Elkem was founded in 1904, has more than 7,000 employees and fields 30 production sites worldwide. Elkem has an op ...

, AS Vestheim and Skips-AS Nordheim. He was a fellow of the

Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters ( no, Det Norske Videnskaps-Akademi, DNVA) is a learned society based in Oslo, Norway. Its purpose is to support the advancement of science and scholarship in Norway. History The Royal Frederick Unive ...

, the

Norwegian Academy of Technological Sciences The Norwegian Academy of Technological Sciences ( no, Norges Tekniske Vitenskapsakademi, NTVA) is a learned society based in Trondheim, Norway. Founded in 1955, the academy has about 500 members. It is a member of the International Council of Aca ...

and the

Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences The Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences or ''Kungliga Ingenjörsvetenskapsakademien'' (IVA), founded on 24 October 1919 by King Gustaf V, is one of the royal academies in Sweden. The academy is an independent organisation, which pro ...

. He was decorated as a Commander of the

Order of St. Olav The Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav ( no, Den Kongelige Norske Sankt Olavs Orden; or ''Sanct Olafs Orden'', the old Norwegian name) is a Norwegian order of chivalry instituted by King Oscar I on 21 August 1847. It is named after King Olav II ...

(1976) and the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

References

1915 births 2002 deaths People from Notodden Norwegian Institute of Technology alumni Norwegian chemists 20th-century Norwegian businesspeople Norsk Hydro people Members of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters Members of the Norwegian Academy of Technological Sciences Commandeurs of the Légion d'honneur {{Norway-business-bio-stub