For Jørgen Jørgensen, leading a business that’s been in his family for four generations isn’t about preserving the past – it’s about building on it.

“I think my father was good at bringing me into the company early on,” Jørgensen says on CEO: Behind the Scenes.

“I remember the first time I was taking part in an inventory count. I was five years old and counting the children’s gaiters.”

Now CEO of Norrøna – the Norwegian outdoor brand founded by his great-grandfather in 1929 – Jørgensen is steering the business toward its 100th anniversary with sustainability, innovation and authenticity at its core.

“I sort of grew into it,” he reflects. “I’m very passionate about the outdoors; I’m very passionate about creating stuff, and that’s what I do for a living.”

Staying closely connected to the product has always been important to him.

“I’m a fit model, so I spend every Monday morning trying out all the products with the whole development team,” Jørgensen says.

Clean products

With 90 percent of products developed in-house at Norrøna’s Oslo headquarters, that hands-on approach helps ensure every piece meets the standards of real-world use.

“I spend probably 150–160 days a year outdoors, not 100 percent, but part of the day,” he says. “You have to kind of feel if the product is right.”

That approach underpins the brand’s design philosophy – something Jørgensen calls ‘loaded minimalism’.

“These are products made as clean as possible with all critical details,” he explains. “And the critical details are decided by our ambassadors.”

Looking ahead to Norrøna’s centenary in 2029, the company has set a bold goal: to be completely free of environmental impact.

“Our goal is to be a company without an environmental footprint,” Jørgensen says. “Somebody asks, ‘Do you believe that you can reach it?’ And I mean, that’s one goal that’s particularly hard, but yes, I still believe we can do it, and we will push harder to get there.”

Being family-owned – and staying that way – is what makes that long-term thinking possible.

“My dream is not to have a lot of money in the bank,” Jørgensen says. “It’s to continue to develop this company. I’m more comfortable with having 100 percent control, and we can do it exactly how we believe our customers will want it.”

Tune in to the full episode of CEO: Behind the Scenes to hear more about how Jørgensen is balancing heritage, design and sustainability to futureproof one of the world’s most enduring outdoor brands.

Listen to the latest episode of our CEO: Behind the Scenes podcast with Jørgen Jørgensen on Amazon, Apple or Spotify.