He was born in Vefsn Municipality in Northern Norway and was master of law (cand.jur.)
He worked in the Norwegian foreign service since 1953,[1] and was secretary (from 1958 to 1960) and counsellor (from 1967 to 1970) at the Embassy of Norway in Moscow.
Between 1970 and 1977 he worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, arbitrating with the Soviet Union, especially about the Barents Sea and Svalbard.
[2] He later served as the Norwegian ambassador to the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1977 to 1980.
[1] He was decorated as a Commander with Star of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav in 1981.