Board of Directors

Sophia Demetriades Toftdahl | Co-Chair

Sophia Demetriades Toftdahl is the founding President and longest standing Director of the Board at Norwegian Australian Chamber of Commerce (2014). She was responsible for writing the strategy that lead to NACC winning the International Chamber Award in 2018. Sophia is currently the Chief Executive of the newly founded Dubai Chamber in Australia. She is an advisor to the Estonian Chamber of Industry of Commerce, is on the Council for the Nordic Chambers, a Co-Chair of the Revenue Enablement Society - Australia Chapter, and a reciprocal Member of the European Australian Business Council. She has over 20 year experience in International Relations, and ran her own award winning business consulting and career coaching practice for almost 10 years. She holds a Certificate of Philosophy & Psychology from the University of Oslo, a Bachelor of Communications from WSU, a Bachelor of Communications with Honors from UTS, a Master of Management from UTS, and a Certificate of Professional Coaching from the Institute of Executive Coaching and Leadership (IECL).

Stig Falster | Co-Chair

Stig is the Sales Director of Interock, a long-established provider of project and management consultancy to major industry sectors, as well as being a supplier of a range of specialised, hi-tech, wear components for the steel. aluminium and packaging industries. He was the president of Chatswood Chamber of Commerce and has 25 years experience working in delivering recruitment, leadership and management development solutions.

Stig has a degree in Chemistry and Microbiology from UNSW.

Gaurav Chitnis | Director WA & Hon Treasurer 

Gaurav is a Tax Consulting Partner at HLB Mann Judd and has over 18 years of experience as a specialist tax adviser. As a Chartered Accountant, Chartered Tax Adviser, Certified Practicing Accountant and lawyer admitted to the Supreme Court of Western Australia, he possesses a unique blend of qualifications and training which has established him as a trusted and highly sought-after tax consultant.

In addition to his tax practice, Gaurav actively contributes to the tax community through various avenues. He is a tax trainer, lecturer, committee member and public speaker for The Tax Institute, Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand, Curtin University Law School, CPA Australia and Legalwise. He has also had articles published in journals such as Taxation in Australia.

Uma Baeko | Director VIC

Yngve Amundsen | Director NSW

Yngve Amundsen is a Director and the Country Manager for DNV Business Assurance ANZ. Yngve is originally from the oil and gas industry and has had senior leadership roles in Risk Management and Business Assurance for the past 30 years in DNV in Australia, New Zealand, and the Middle East. 

Sara Pontoppidan | Director 

Pontoppidan is the Design Director at CLANDESTINE DESIGN GROUP; an award-winning industrial design consultancy specialising in market reconnaissance, innovation strategy and new product development. She is a Good Design Ambassador, international design judge and occasionally a TV presenter for ByDesign.

Erik Svedahl 

Career diplomat with 35 years of experience from the Norwegian Foreign Service. Norwegian Ambassador to Ukraine (2020 - 2023) and Consul General in Murmansk, Russian Federation (2017 - 2020). Also posted to Moscow, London, Beijing, and Bangkok. Currently Deputy Head of the Norwegian Embassy in Canberra.

Fiona Henderson

Fiona is a senior corporate lawyer with over 20 years' experience working with clients ranging from private individuals, to CEOs and Boards of Australian and international corporations. She specialises in assisting foreign corporations set up and operate in Australia and act as the resident company director where needed. Her clients cross a diverse range of industries, including retail, manufacturing, building and construction, banking, and start-ups. She has demonstrated experience using the law to bring insight, execution and control to all areas of business and private life.

With a background of broad legal experience as well as particular expertise in all aspects of non-financial risk, including contracts, licensing, trade practices, intellectual property, WH&S, litigation and employment, Fiona is able to understand and develop a company's relationship between risk tolerance and strategy.

Fiona has a Master of Law from UNSW and a Bachelor of Law from ANU.

Honorary Consul Generals 

Tietse Stelma 

Tietse is Norwegian with Dutch parents, and was born far north of the Arctic Circle in a Sami village called Karasjok. He grew up in Hvaler in the outer Oslo fjord. Tietse joined the travel industry in the early 90’s in Norway working with off the beaten track travel for various small group adventure tour operators. In 2010 Tietse started the Nordic specialist tour operator 50 Degrees North in Melbourne from a blank sheet of paper. 50 Degrees North today employs nearly 60 people split across offices in Melbourne, Øyer (Lillehammer) and Minneapolis (Minnesota). 

Tietse holds an MBA in Entrepreneurship & Innovation from Swinburne University. In 2018 he was appointed as Norway’s Consul-General in Melbourne, Australia in honour of his dedication to promoting Norway and the Nordics in Australia. 

Rob Lord 

Robert Lord is currently Chairman of Wilh Wilhelmsen Investments Pty Ltd, and has previously held senior positions at other large Norwegian owned business which have included being regional Oceanic Head for both Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics and Norske Skog. Rob Lord was appointed Norwegian Consul General in Australia in 2015. Rob serves on several boards and will act as a valuable and important advisor to the NACC Board.