Marit Lieng appointed as new CEO of Helse Bergen: 'A clear and inclusive leader'

It's been summer, but there's been little rest at Helse Bergen's offices. Now the most important appointment of the autumn is in place. Marit Lieng takes over as the new Managing Director, and she doesn't come from just anywhere. She is one of the country's leading figures in her clinical speciality, and rumours about the new boss have been circulating the corridors at Haukeland for some time.

Let's get one thing straight from the start: Marit Christine Lieng is no bureaucrat brought in from a consulting firm. She is a surgeon. She is a researcher. And perhaps most importantly – she knows the hospital's heart and soul. I've spoken to people who work closely with her, and the same descriptions keep coming up: 'Clear, but without shouting. Inclusive, yet with a decisiveness that leaves an impression.'

From the operating theatre to the executive office

It's a long way from holding a scalpel to running one of the country's largest health trusts. But that's precisely the core of why the board chose Marit Lieng. She has a doctorate from research into women's health conditions, and her CV is packed with peer-reviewed articles in respected medical journals.

She has been deeply involved in issues such as pelvic floor injuries, complications from Caesarean sections, and the development of minimally invasive surgical techniques. In other words: she knows what it takes for staff to succeed, because she's been there herself.

Now she's swapping the operating room for the negotiating table. It will be an exciting transition to follow, especially because Helse Bergen is facing some bloody tough challenges ahead.

The biggest challenges ahead

Taking the helm at Helse Bergen is no bed of roses. Budget pressures are real, recruitment challenges are global, and the demand for faster treatment won't wait. I'd wager that Marit Lieng has these three items at the top of her to-do list:

• Balancing the budget in a storm: Like every other hospital, Bergen is struggling to make the numbers add up without compromising patient safety.
• Recruiting specialists: The fight for the best doctors and nurses – their minds and hands – is fiercer than ever.
• Waiting lists: Those Covid backlogs have to be cut, and political expectations are sky-high.

But this is precisely where I think her background comes into play. Marit Lieng has led complex research projects in Gaza and Palestine – a collaboration with a major university and local health authorities. If you can navigate humanitarian crises and war zones to improve maternity care, then a challenging budget round in Bergen should be manageable.

A new era for Haukeland?

Staff I've spoken to describe her as incredibly skilled professionally, but also as someone who creates 'a relaxed atmosphere'. That may sound like a cliché, but in an industry where burnout is an epidemic, it's crucial. She's known for listening to employees – truly listening – before making decisions.

It will be fascinating to see how Marit Christine Lieng shapes Helse Bergen going forward. Will she double down on research and education, as she has done before? Will she use the surgeon's perspective to cut unnecessary red tape? One thing is certain: Marit Lieng is the boss Bergen needed right now – not a theorist, but someone who has seen patients up close and knows what actually works in practice.