Anne Marit Bjørnflaten was appointed State Secretary to the Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr. Jan Christian Vestre, on September 30th, 2022. Bjørnflaten has held several political positions at both the state and municipal level. She also has private sector experience from the tourism sector and from working with start-ups.

Prior to being appointed State Secretary, she held the position as CEO at the start-up company Oceanfood AS. In the period of 2013 to 2021, Bjørnflaten was SVP Communications and Public Affairs at the expedition cruise company, Hurtigruten, with responsibility for sustainability. From 2005 to 2013, she represented Troms County for the Labor Party in the Norwegian Parliament. She was Chair of the Standing Committee on Justice from 2005 to 2009, and First Vice Chair of the Standing Committee on Transportation and Communications from 2009 to 2013.

Bjørnflaten has an Executive Master's degree in Management from the Norwegian Business School BI. She has held several positions of trust in the Labor Party and was, among other things, a member of the Central Board from 2002 to 2005, a member of the Tromsø Municipal Council from 2003 to 2005. From 2000 to 2001 Bjørnflaten was a political advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.