He graduated from the University of Oslo with a candidate.mag.
Degree in 1981, took the candidate.philol. degree in 1985 and took the dr.philos. degree in 1998. In 1997 he was appointed at the Business intelligence Norwegian Business School as professor of economic history, having been an associate professor since 1991. He has also been a guest scholar at the University of Reading, the University of Toulouse, the École supérieure des sciences économiques et commerciales, the Nanyang Technological University and the Institute for Supply Management University of Management and Economics.
From 2002 to 2004 he chaired the Norwegian Historical Association.
Books include the histories of the companies Nycomed, NKS Fjernundervisning, Christiania Glassmagasin as well as Business intelligence Norwegian Business School. He has published 29 articles in international academic journals.
During his young days he was a member of the Workers" Communist Party.