[1] He was educated at the Norwegian Naval Academy in Bergen from 1976 to 1977 and graduated from the University of Oslo with the cand.jur.

After being a junior solicitor in Kristiansand, he was a corporate lawyer in Sørlandsbanken from 1986 to 1988 and in Johan G. Olsen Industrier from 1988 to 1989.

He got his first national appointment when serving as a personal secretary (today known as political advisor) in the Ministry of Industry from 1985 to 1986.

Bernander was a board member of several companies including Det Norske Veritas (1996–2002), and sat on the supervisory council of the Bank of Norway.

He was also chairman of Christianssands Bryggeri from 1993 to 1999, when the brewery company was bought by Hansa Borg.