Håvard Lien-Kvareng is CFO at Skygard, Norway’s sovereign data center company backed by Telenor, Hafslund, and HitecVision. He brings over a decade of experience at the intersection of finance and strategy – from investment banking at Handelsbanken Capital Markets and strategic roles at Telenor Group, to entrepreneurial ventures and now the capital-intensive world of critical digital infrastructure. At Skygard, Håvard leads the financial strategy underpinning one of Norway’s most capital-intensive infrastructure buildouts, connecting investment decisions directly to the country’s sovereign digital ambitions. His background at the intersection of finance and strategy means he understands not just the numbers, but the long-term value creation that responsible, sustainable data center investment represents. Håvard is a strong believer that sustainable infrastructure and sound financial returns are not in tension – they are the same thesis. For investors and lenders looking at the European data center market, the question is no longer whether to invest in digital infrastructure, but how to do it in a way that holds up geopolitically, environmentally, and over the long term. Skygard, built on the pillars of security, sovereignty, and sustainability, is his answer to that question.