Leadership Unplugged: Beate Hjeltnes, CEO of Norwex

This part of “Leadership Unplugged” series features Beate Hjeltnes. Beate is the daughter of Norwex‘s Founder Bjørn Nicolaisen. After being with the company for nearly 30 years, she was appointed as Chief Executive Officer in May 2025.

Could you tell us about your education?

From a young age, living in Norway I immersed myself in different activities and subjects at school, worked hard and got good grades throughout, though I never wanted to stick out. I participated in many sports and I also coached sports teams. I was captain of my handball team, and today I still coach young kids, and have done so for 10 years. It’s something that I love.

After school, I chose to study business at the top university for the subject here – NHH – the Norwegian School of Economics. My degree enabled me to work very independently in many different departments, including accounting, finance, tax and auditing. In my final year, I studied the ethics of business, a subject which remains very interesting to me.

What was your childhood dream?

My childhood dream was simply to work closely with people around a common goal, and in direct selling that’s what you’re doing every day. I was never someone who looked up to celebrities, or made famous people my heroes – musicians, actors etc. Instead, I’ve always look up to people who treat others with kindness when no one sees them, work hard, get on with their jobs and do well.

Maybe I was just dreaming differently to others, but my dream was also to prove to the world that women could do anything.  I’ve often had to navigate environments where I needed to find my voice, sometimes working alongside individuals much older than me. These experiences taught me the importance of staying calm, adaptable, and thoughtful in my communication and leadership style.  And I’m proud to work for a company that welcomes everyone to become a Norwex Consultant. Here, we are all equal and all consultants have an equal opportunity to earn an income, regardless of background. This is important to me and something that as a Norwegian, we’ve embraced for a long time.

What were your past experiences before your current role?

My degree enabled me to work very independently, and also to work in many different roles at companies I worked for before Norwex, some of which were also focused on sustainability. I’ve been fortunate to have the freedom to explore different roles and I always supported Norwex in the background, even before joining the company. My university dissertation was about Norwex, and I’d constantly have conversations with my father about the challenges he was facing as the Founder and Chairman, what was going on in the business, and so forth.

Joining as CEO, I continued to have a very mindful approach to leading. One thing I realised was that, even though our consultants knew relationships were really important, they also needed to know we had a very solid team supporting their work. So I decided to leverage all my business skills and experience, having worked in departments within finance, accounting, economics, as an auditor, a tax advisor – roles which gave me a solid platform to become our CEO.

What do you consider the main factor behind your career success?

Believing that the impossible IS possible! I say all the time to my team that if you settle for an average goal, you’ll get to that level, but no higher. In our speeches, we say, “The sky is NOT the limit – it’s even higher.” We also emphasize that there should never be a compromise between ‘success’ and doing the right thing.

What has been the most inspiring moment in your career?

Launching Norwex’s skincare line has been a highlight of my career. The project combined strong teamwork with personal significance, as I have faced challenges with a skin condition and the need for safe, high-quality products. My goal was to create a range that unites clean ingredients, premium quality, and a sense of luxury and I hope this will offer others an excellent skincare experience.

Your hobbies?

Handball, as well as track & field are a very big deal in our family. While I don’t play now, I have coached for many years and my daughter is on the national team. I’m proud to say she was in the European Championships this year, for the first time. My youngest daughter is walking in her steps, and my son plays handball at a high level. All my free time goes to supporting their sports, and the same goes for my super supportive husband.

How would you describe being a direct selling executive to an outsider?

That’s a great question. While executive roles require a broad set of leadership skills common across industries, what truly sets this position apart is a genuine, authentic care for people. Success is measured by the achievements of others – when our consultants thrive, so do you. You know you have the right executive team when everyone celebrates team promotions and success with genuine excitement and support.

I describe it as constantly having one foot in the consultant space and one foot in the executive space. My goal for Norwex is to become the company of choice for consultants, and I make sure I know what’s going on in our consultants’ lives to ensure I’m delivering what they need.

What is your biggest achievement in your current role?

Even before I took over as CEO, I could see that we needed to modernize the look and feel of Norwex so it was ready for the next generation. Our rebrand initiative has also helped inspire consultants and customers in the years since COVID, when the entire industry saw major shifts in selling trends.

Another thing I’m proud of is shifting how we do top leader trips. Norwex was founded in Norway and much of what we do is inspired from where it all started. We used to bring our top leaders to hotels in cities in Norway, but now we invite them to my farm in Norway, built around 1720 among fjords and mountains, where we live together for several days and my family cooks for them.

And your biggest challenge in a direct selling company executive role?

Effective communication is increasingly challenging today, as people are overwhelmed by information from many channels. Reaching and engaging a wide group of consultants now requires greater clarity and focus than ever before.

One of my challenges is effectively communicating why it is so important to reduce harmful chemicals in the home, and educating people about this issue. Once individuals understand the reasons, I believe they are motivated to make positive changes.

This is where direct selling truly excels – our consultants play a vital role in raising awareness about this critical topic and demonstrating the simple ways Norwex can help people transform their homes. Our consultants are essential in guiding others on their journey to understanding and making a meaningful difference in their lives. We have always emphasized the connection between reducing harmful chemicals at home and improving quality of life.

What would be your best advice to those who are thinking of joining a direct sales company in a corporate position?

Know that relationships are just as important as executive skills.