Head of the Hurtigruten Museum and the museums in Hadsel

23 January 2026

It is with pleasure that Museum Nord can inform that Hanne Gravrok has accepted the position as head of the Hurtigruten Museum and the museums in Hadsel.

Gravrok currently works as a senior adviser at the Communications Unit at Nord University. She has a varied and exciting background from professional life and education. Hanne has, among other things, a master’s degree in personnel management, has studied pedagogy, theatre production and acting. Gravrok has experience from service professions as well as recruitment and pedagogy.

Strong stories and great importance

Hanne Gravrok is grateful for the trust and looks forward to taking on the leadership role at the Hurtigruten Museum and the museums in Hadsel. She says:

“These are institutions with strong histories and great importance both locally and nationally . I am committed to further developing the museums as open, relevant and inclusive meeting places.”

Gravrok moves from Bodø to Stokmarknes with her husband and 2 children. The man has also got a job at Nordland Hospital in Stokmarknes. The whole family is looking forward to moving north,” says Gravrok, who is excited to take on new challenges at the Hurtigruten Museum and the other museums in Hadsel.

Hanne Gravrok will take up the position as head of the Hurtigruten Museum and the museums in Hadsel on 1 May 2026.

The museums in Hadsel

The museums in Hadsel tell about coastal culture, industry and everyday life in Vesterålen. The Neptun Herring Oil Factory is an industrial heritage site that provides an insight into Vesterålen’s industrial heyday. The venerable Melbo Manor shows the home of the entrepreneur Chr. Frederiksen and family. Rødgården at Melbu is periodically open with various exhibitions. At Stokmarknes, MS Finnmarken (1956) stands as a monument to Norwegian coastal and transport history in the centre of the Hurtigruten’s birthplace. In 2025, the Hurtigruten Museum had 50,000 visitors and has since its opening in 2021 been nominated for several prestigious awards.

Central role and varied tasks

As head of the Hurtigruten Museum and the museums in Hadsel, Hanne Gravrok will have overall responsibility for all the museums in Hadsel, including the Hurtigruten Museum. She will lead both the museum and the commercial activities, together with a dedicated team of employees.

Among the tasks will be:

• Lead and motivate employees in an organization with strong professional pride and commitment.
• Ensure solid operations and development in line with Museum Nord’s strategies and action plans.
• Create growth through commercial development? store, events, collaborations and new concepts.
• Build relationships with tourism, business, municipalities, volunteers and international partners.

Gravrok will have a major impact on the development of our operations in Hadsel and Vesterålen. The position reports to the deputy director of Museum Nord. Office location will be at the Hurtigruten Museum at Stokmarknes

Museum Nord is very pleased with the appointment

“We were looking for an energetic leader who understands the balance between museum operations, cultural dissemination and commercial development. We are confident that Hanne is a very good choice for us and look forward to having her in place as head of all Museum Nord’s museums in Hadsel.”

This is what deputy manager of Museum Nord/general manager Museum Nord Næringsdrift AS, Torunn Rørvik Wilhelmsson, says.

We welcome Hanne to Museum Nord. We look forward to getting to know our new colleague and to a fruitful collaboration!