This piece is primarily on her life as a civil servant for the Norwegian Government, but first: she was member of the UWC Norwegian National Committee in the early 2000s, including heading it for six years. This, she explains, was primarily motivated by the felt obligation of giving something back to the organisation that had been of such importance to her, and not least the wish to contribute also in practical terms to ensure that UWC continues to be a real opportunity for the continuous stream of new generations of engaged youth. “I am forever grateful to UWC and for what that experience has meant to me. I truly believe the UWC experience makes a difference wrt. acknowledging and taking responsibility, acknowledging that everyone has a role in shaping society and the world, and that it is possible to communicate to and relate with people from totally different cultural positions.” she says.

With the exception of a year as a university lecturer and some years as a management consultant in McKinsey & Company, Mette has been working in the Norwegian Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries. She studied Economics at the University of Oslo and as a Fulbright student at Harvard, and has some additional training, e.g. management programs at Insead. For 25 years she has spent her time developing and implementing macroeconomic policy, industrial policy, research and innovation policy and – for the last years – state ownership policy, including the management of the vast Norwegian state ownership in business, in terms of share holdings in commercial companies based in Norway. For the last 15 years, she has been a leader, heading units and then departments. This means being a close advisor to the minister, and also being close to the political realities shaping the days of members of government.  

“From my very early days I was interested in understanding society and how it works. It is no question, however, that the UWC experience strengthened this interest, and placed it in a more global context. And it is no question that it has had vital importance for my outlook and perspectives, and also for the values forming the basis of my actions. I do not really understand why I seem to have a never ending engagement for serving and developing the civil service, public policy and the government institutions, but there is no question that I am still, after 25 years in the ministries, as dedicated as ever. I am one of the perhaps rare and exotic souls that consider the label 'bureaucrat' to be a term of honour!

It contributes, at least in most of the cases that I have experienced, to making sure that our modern complex society by and large functions, and by and large are fairly just and fair, walking the talk of the laws and regulations. For this, one needs a competent civil service with a professional integrity and with a distance to party politics and self interest. A civil service that provides as sound advice as we can, warning as clear as we can when needed against proposals or decisions our ministers consider, and loyally implementing the decisions that are taken, in the way that serves society best. The daily realities are demanding and extremely hectic, and the need to handle upcoming and often complex pressing issues seems never ending. At the same time, I must do my best to ensure that my department is well functioning and healthy with inspired, competent employees. One never know what the future brings, but there is a fair chance that I will continue to wish to spend large parts of the energy that I have in such roles, pursuing these values.”