Frithjof has spent most of his professional career working in corporate and project finance for the shipping and offshore oil & gas service industries. Since 1984 he has managed his own financial consulting and advisory company, Stoud & Co Limited. He has been (and continues to be), involved in raising investment and loan capital for maritime companies and has advised maritime companies and banks in refinancing issues. Mr Platou's finance expertise has been acquired from many years of experience as head of shipping and offshore departments of DnB Nor's predecessors Den norske Creditbank and Nordic Bank, as well as with American Express Bank where he was global head of the shipping and offshore sectors. He is currently a non executive director of Excel Maritime Carriers, Inc. and was previously a non-executive board director and substantial shareholder of Aminex Plc, an oil company listed on the London and Dublin stock exchanges.