Emil Østberg

Emil Østberg is 25, originally from Bergen on Norway’s west coast, and now lives in Stockholm. At Molto RE, he is Vice President - Head of Underwriting. He also maintains the Global Natural Catastrophe, Political Risk and Violence, and Democratic Elections briefings, helping readers understand developing events and their implications for communities, infrastructure, and insurance exposure.

Growing up in Norway

Growing up in Bergen meant getting used to rain, steep hills, and plans that changed with the weather. Emil spent much of his childhood outdoors, hiking with his family and taking trips along the coast. He became interested in the relationship between people and their surroundings: why towns developed in particular places, how harbors kept working through bad weather, and what happened when roads or ferries stopped running.

That curiosity eventually led him toward studies in physical geography and risk analysis, with a particular interest in natural hazards and geospatial data. He enjoyed working with maps, but was equally drawn to the human questions behind them. A flood outline could show where water might reach; understanding what that meant required looking at the people, businesses, and infrastructure within it.

Life in Stockholm

Emil moved to Stockholm after university. He enjoys the city’s proximity to water and the ease of getting around by bike, although he is still adjusting to winters that feel different from those back home in Bergen.

On weekends, he likes exploring unfamiliar neighborhoods, browsing secondhand bookshops, and finding cafés where he can read for an hour without feeling rushed. He keeps in touch with friends and family in Norway and returns when he can, usually making time for a hike regardless of the forecast.

His work at Molto RE

Emil follows natural catastrophes alongside political, security, and electoral developments. For the Global Natural Catastrophe Briefing, he tracks emerging events, checks sources, and looks at how impacts are developing. For the Political Risk and Violence Briefing, he follows changes that could affect stability, business operations, and the movement of people and goods. For the Democratic Elections Briefing, he follows upcoming elections, the candidates and contests involved, and the political context, drawing on electoral authorities, observer reports, and local reporting.

He is especially interested in how disruptions connect. A severe storm might close a port, interrupt power, and delay supplies well beyond the area first affected. Political unrest can complicate recovery or make an already vulnerable situation harder to assess.

His aim is to make those connections understandable while keeping a clear distinction between confirmed information, early reports, and open questions. He likes a well-designed map and a concise explanation, but knows that neither should make an uncertain situation look more certain than it is.

Outside work

Hiking remains Emil’s favorite way to spend a free day. Around Stockholm, he enjoys woodland trails and trips into the archipelago; back in Norway, he gravitates toward longer walks with more elevation. He runs a few times a week, mostly for the time outdoors, and occasionally enters a local race to give himself something to train for.

He is an enthusiastic amateur photographer, usually taking pictures of coastlines, buildings, and ordinary scenes he notices while walking. He often comes home with several photographs of the same patch of water under slightly different light.

At home, Emil enjoys cooking for friends. His repertoire includes fish dishes he grew up eating, a dependable mushroom pasta, and a few ambitious recipes that take longer than he expects. He takes coffee seriously, buys more books than he finishes, and listens to a mixture of Norwegian indie music, electronic music, and history podcasts.

He also enjoys geography quizzes and board games. He claims to be relaxed about both, although his friends would point out that he remembers disputed answers for quite some time.

His approach

Emil is approachable, attentive, and happy to explain unfamiliar terms. He enjoys questions that make him look at an event from a different angle, whether someone wants a quick explanation of a headline or a deeper discussion of how a risk could develop.