Oyvind Birkenes

Oyvind Birkenes

Oyvind Birkenes brings more than 20 years of technology industry experience to his role as Airthings CEO. Previously holding the key leadership role of General Manager at companies including Chipcon and Texas Instruments, where he spearheaded corporate strategy, R&D, business, P&L, sales/marketing and more, Oyvind is a proven expert with a keen ability to drive company growth and innovation.Despite a five-year run leading the 200+ person Low Power Wireless (IoT) business unit at Texas Instruments in Dallas to record profitability and margins, reaching over $150m in revenue, Oyvind’s love for the crisp Nordic Air and all things outdoors left him feeling unfulfilled in his role. When he learned about Airthings, a Norway-based company with a passion to improve people’s lives through groundbreaking innovations in Radon detection and healthy air quality, it resonated with him and he decided to make it his next venture.Since becoming CEO of Airthings in 2015, Oyvind has taken a proactive approach towards leadership with a determination to understand Airthings customers’ needs. Oyvind’s sound presence, palpable passion for improving lives, and vast technical knowledge have led to Airthings doubling its annual revenue in each year of his tenure and assembling a rapidly-growing team of inspiring industry innovators from around the world, quickly transforming the company from “scrappy newcomer” to a global authority in indoor air quality solutions. Looking to the future, Oyvind is set on delivering Airthings’ products and brand goals to the world to educate citizens on the invisible dangers of Radon and other contaminants, helping people everywhere keep their families safe and breathing clean, healthy air. Through partnerships with organizations such as the American Lung Association and British Lung Foundation, Airthings is primed to establish a new global standard for air quality, with Oyvind leading the charge. Oyvind earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. Outside of the office, Oyvind enjoys spending time with his family in the Nordic seas and fjords, boating and mountaineering.