Grete Faremo
A Norwegian power player who bridged national governance and global humanitarian work, steering billions in UN projects with pragmatic efficiency.
Born 1955 (age 71)·Norwegian jurist and politician·Birthday: June 16·Baby Boomers
Biography
Grete Faremo's career is a masterclass in shifting seamlessly between the corridors of national power and the vast operational theatre of the United Nations. A lawyer by training, she first made her mark in Norwegian politics, holding an astonishing range of cabinet posts over two decades: Justice, Defence, Petroleum, and International Development. This portfolio gave her a unique, ground-level understanding of security, resources, and aid. In 2014, she brought that hard-nosed, managerial acumen to the UN, taking the helm of the Office for Project Services (UNOPS). There, she was less a diplomat and more a CEO, transforming the agency into a results-driven implementer, overseeing infrastructure, procurement, and project management in some of the world's most challenging environments. Her tenure was marked by a focus on sustainable impact and financial discipline, proving that effective global aid requires the rigor of a seasoned minister.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Grete was born in 1955, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Grete Was Born
The biggest hits of 1955
#1 Movie
Lady and the Tramp
Best Picture
Marty
#1 TV Show
The $64,000 Question
Grete's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1955Born
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1960Started school
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1968Became a teenager
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1971Could drive
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1973Could vote
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Turned 21
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1985Turned 30
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 40
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 50
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 60
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 70
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 71 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) from 2014 to 2022, overseeing global project implementation.
- Held four different Norwegian ministerial positions: Justice, Defence, Petroleum and Energy, and International Development.
- Was Norway's first female Minister of Defence, serving from 2009 to 2011.
- Steered UNOPS to deliver over $3 billion in projects annually during her leadership.
Did You Know?
She began her career as a junior lawyer in the Norwegian Ministry of Justice.
She served on the corporate board of the Norwegian energy giant Equinor (formerly Statoil).
She was appointed a Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav for her public service.
She holds a degree in law from the University of Oslo.
“Our job is to deliver concrete help, not just write reports.”
