About Authentica
Authentic, Challenging, Respectful.
We develop good leaders.
Our primary skill is leadership development. We work closely with our customers and tailor all of our development measures to their needs. We specialise in getting to know our customers and understanding their culture and business so that we can adapt everything we do to the customer’s context.
(In this picture: Kalstad, Taskén og Sørdal.)
Our consultants
Authentica is headed by partners Geir Kalstad and Pål Taskén. In addition, our independent consultants Kjersti Sørdal, Runa-Helene Larsson, Egil Lundal, Endre Haukland and Pellegrino Riccardi are active in many of our deliveries. We have also a close working relationship with our colleagues at IML Institutt for Medskapende Ledelse AS.
Authentica was founded in Autumn 2018. Geir Kalstad and Pål Taskén were partners at Conforte ANS for many years, and before that they were employed at AFF at NHH the Norwegian School of Economics. Over most of these years, Kalstad and Taskén have worked largely with the same network of colleagues.
Geir Kalstad
Geir is a partner at Authentica AS and he has worked with development of leaders for more than 20 years across a range of different national and international organisations. He has designed and implemented a number of leader development programmes for different businesses nationally and internationally, working in the role of both project manager and coach. Geir has been a coach and sounding board for top leaders in a number of large organisations and he also works extensively on coaching and developing leading teams at all levels. He has designed and implemented internal leader development programmes for many different organisations and businesses, always working in close collaboration with the customer’s own resources in the field.
Geir previously worked for Conforte and AFF at NHH the Norwegian School of Economics, and he has been active as a coach on the Solstrand Programme for Young Leaders. Geir graduated as a psychologist in 1997, before going on to specialise in organisational psychology (NPF – 2007) and attaining the title of “Specialist in Work and Organisational Psychology – EuroPsy Psychologist” (EuroPsy 2012). Geir also has a specialist qualification in cognitive psychology (2015).
Pål Taskén
Pål is a partner at Authentica AS and has worked in leadership development for 25 years. He has designed and implemented a number of leadership development programmes for different businesses nationally and internationally, working in the role of both project manager and coach. Pål has been a coach and sounding board for top leaders in a number of large organisations and he also works extensively on coaching and developing leading teams at all levels. He has designed and implemented internal leadership development programmes for many different organisations and businesses, always working in close collaboration with the customer’s own resources in the area.
Pål is a naval officer graduated from the Royal Norwegian Navy Academy in Bergen (1991). He has acquired operational leadership experience from his time in the Navy. He has also worked for Norsk Hydro, AFF and Conforte. Pål also has a degree (BA) in psychology from the University of Oslo and he has completed a consultancy training programme from the Psychology Service of the Norwegian Armed Forces (1995). He has since gone on to acquire a number of other qualifications in gestalt coaching from institutions such as the Diakonissehjemmet Sykepleiehøgskole in Bergen (1996–97). In recent years, he has undertaken further training in NLP as a master practitioner (2016).
Kjersti Sørdal
Kjersti graduated as a psychologist from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in 2000. She has completed professional training courses in subjects such as process management in groups, clinical adult psychology, the EDMR method of trauma processing, crisis and trauma psychology and coaching.
In addition to her work in leadership development, she also runs her own clinical practice which is specialised in trauma psychology. She is a therapist and coach within EMDR.
Kjersti also works with stress management and trauma processing in staff groups that have been exposed to critical incidents through their work.
Runa-Helene Larsson
Runa Helene is a network consultant at Authentica. Runa Helene has more than 20 years experience within HR and management. Runa Helene has extensive experience in concept development and the implementation of leader programmes and she is skilled at adapting leadership training to the business needs of the companies she works with. She also works with leaders and employees individually, in groups and at an organisational level in roles such as leadership trainer, coach, consultant, mentor and advisor.
At present, Runa Helene delivers both strategic and operational services within HR and management for hire, where she has broad and solid international leadership experience and a thorough knowledge of the HR profession. She has worked with leader development in the role of HR manager for several companies, such as Telenor Mobil, Telenor Satellite Services and Unit4 R&D. Runa Helene is a graduate of the University of Gothenburg and holds a C.Phil in “Human Resource Development, Labour Relations and Personnel Management”for which she wrote a thesis on attaining change through leadership. She is a certified NLP practitioner and has the proper permits and certifications for a range of different leader development tools.
Pellegrino Riccardi
Pellegrino is an excellent public speaker within the topics of culture and communication and one of the consultants in Authentica’s network. After living in Norway for 22 years, Pellegrino understands Norwegians and Scandinavians very well. With insight, humour and what Riccardi refers to as his “skewed view from the outside”, he describes how Norwegians behave in the workplace, in private and in collaboration with other nationalities.
The common denominator in all that he does is the way he reaches the hearts and intellect of his audience, and the way in which he helps people to interact better. These skills constitute the essence of his many international lectures and presentations. Pellegrino’s speaking style is a seamless blend of masterful storytelling and observational humour which he describes himself as “edutainment”. With a unique combination of strong visual tools and multimedia effects, Pellegrino takes his audience on an internal and emotional journey. Pellergrino holds degrees in philology and pedagogy from universities in Leeds and Oslo.
Endre Haukeland
Endre is a network consultant at Authentica. He trained as an actor at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA). Endre currently works a freelance actor and has been involved in a number of TV productions. He is also a drama teacher and for many years he worked at Solbakken Folkehøyskole as a teacher/deputy head and principal.
Endre works at Authentica’s Assessment Centre and training unit for leaders as both an actor and as a consultant in skills training and communication.