Kjetil Person Siem (born September 29, 1960) is a Norwegian businessperson,
journalist
A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalis ...
,
author
An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states:
"''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...
Premier Soccer League
Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier.
A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
in South Africa between 2007 and 2010, and is currently Secretary-general of the
Football Association of Norway
The Norwegian Football Federation ( nb, Norges Fotballforbund, nn, Noregs Fotballforbund; NFF) is the governing body of football in Norway. It was formed in 1902 and organises the men's and women's national teams, as well as the league systems f ...
.
Early life and career
He was born to parents Per and Ragnhild Siem on a small farm in Gjerdset in Rauma. His father was a farmer and his family was involved in sheep-raising and
forestry
Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. ...
. He and was educated as a drama-teacher specializing in theater, but he would soon make his way in the sports world. He started out as a sports journalist, first in ''
Aftenposten
( in the masthead; ; Norwegian for "The Evening Post") is Norway's largest printed newspaper by circulation. It is based in Oslo. It sold 211,769 copies in 2015 (172,029 printed copies according to University of Bergen) and estimated 1.2 milli ...
'' and later as a reporter covering sports for TV 2. He has authored several books, including children's books and a novel.
Sports career
In 1997 he founded the website-based company ''Sportsprofiler'' (later ''Icons''), who at one time developed web-pages up to 80 percent of top football players in Norway, England and Germany. The same year he authored the football books ''Proff i England'' ("Professional in England"), and ''Æ'', a biography of
Ole Gunnar Solskjær
Ole Gunnar Solskjær (; born 26 February 1973) is a Norwegian professional football manager and former player who played as a forward who last managed Premier League club Manchester United. As a player, Solskjær spent the majority of his car ...
, in 1998. In 2001 he was hired as director of football in the Oslo club
Vålerenga
Vålerenga () is a neighbourhood in the city of Oslo, Norway, belonging to the borough of Gamle Oslo. Vålerenga is located between the neighbourhoods of Gamlebyen, Jordal, Ensjø, Etterstad and Lodalen. Vålerenga is in particular known for it ...
, and from 2003 to 2005 he was worked as the managing director. During his tenure with the club Vålerenga won both silver and gold medals as well as making economic profit.
After a period as director in
Norsk Toppfotball
Norsk Toppfotball (NTF) is an interest organization for the 16 Norwegian Premier League and 16 Adeccoligaen clubs in Norway. The organization was previously known as Serieforeningen av 1972 (SF-72),South African Premier Soccer League in 2007. His tenure coincided with the
2010 FIFA World Cup
, image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg
, size = 200px
, caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
, and he was among other things responsible for the opening match at
Soccer City
First National Bank Stadium or simply FNB Stadium ( af, ENB-stadion), also known as Soccer City ( af, Sokkerstad) and The Calabash, is an association football (soccer) and Rugby union stadium located in Nasrec, bordering the Soweto area of Joha ...
stadium. In 2012 he was appointed Secretary-General for the
Football Association of Norway
The Norwegian Football Federation ( nb, Norges Fotballforbund, nn, Noregs Fotballforbund; NFF) is the governing body of football in Norway. It was formed in 1902 and organises the men's and women's national teams, as well as the league systems f ...
, replacing Paul Glomsaker. He immediately began a campaign to improve fair-play within Norwegian football, he introduced the ''Handshake for peace'' in which the two teams captains makes an obligatory handshake at the final whistle, this was in cooperation with the
Nobel Peace Center
The Nobel Peace Center ( no, Nobels Fredssenter) in Oslo, Norway is a showcase for the Nobel Peace Prize and the ideals it represents. The center is also an arena where culture and politics merge to promote involvement, debate and reflection around ...
. Siem started in 1994 the ''Soccer against crime'' project in
Cape Town
Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...
,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
and has since been involved in helping deprived communities.
Personal life
Born into a farming family with five brothers, his eldest brother Stein has since taken over the farm after his father. He helped start the local annual ''Mountain Festival'' in Rauma in 1998. He currently resides in
Lørenskog
is a municipality in Akershus in Viken county, Norway. A suburb of Oslo, it is part of the Oslo urban area and the traditional region of Romerike. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Lørenskog. Lørenskog was separ ...
with his wife Irene, and four children.
Bibliography
*''1997 - Profesjonell i England (Professional in England)
*''1998 - Æ : A biography of Ole Gunnar Solskjær'',
*''2008 - Begynner på P'',