Bjarne P. Tellmann is General Counsel at Haleon Plc.
Prior to this role, Bjarne was VP and General Counsel at GSK, General Counsel at Pearson plc and Associate General Counsel of The Coca-Cola Company. He has also held various legal positions at Kimberly-Clark and the law firms of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP and White & Case LLP.
Bjarne has received multiple awards for legal excellence on both sides of the Atlantic. He was named “General Counsel of the Year” in New York in 2018 at the Legal Era Global Achievers Awards and “General Counsel of the Year” in London in 2017 at The British Legal Awards. He is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, one of the world's leading research institutes for the empirical and interdisciplinary study of law.
Bjarne is an alumnus of numerous institutions, including Harvard Business School (AMP), The University of Chicago Law School (JD, with Honors) and The London School of Economics (MSc).
Bjarne is a frequent international speaker, panelist and lecturer in the US, Europe and Asia at conferences, corporate events and universities.
He publishes regularly. His book, “Building an Outstanding Legal Team: Battle-Tested Strategies from a General Counsel” (Globe Law and Business) was published in May 2017. He also co-authored "The Relationship Between the Legal Department and the Corporation" in "Successful Partnering Between Inside and Outside Counsel" (Robert L. Haig ed.) (Thomson Reuters & ACC, 2018).
Recent articles include “Technology and Innovation in the In-House Context” Modern Legal Practice, Vol 2, July 2017 (Globe Law and Business) and a monthly column in the ACC Docket during 2017 entitled “Career Paths”.
Bjarne serves on the board of Hire an Esquire, an innovative, technology-driven online legal recruiting and staffing business. He also serves on The University of Chicago's Alumni Board and its Law School Council, as well as on the Editorial Board of Modern Legal Practice.
Prior to studying law, Bjarne was a professional actor, having appeared in several Norwegian and Swedish films and TV shows. He is a dual US/Norwegian citizen.