In 2001 she was hired as permanent under-secretary of state in the Office of the Prime Minister,[2] succeeding Bjørn T. Grydeland. This particular position was not called permanent under-secretary; rather Secretary General at the Office of the Prime Minister, but in November 2001 the name was changed to Secretary to the Government (Norwegian: regjeringsråd).[4] The position is the highest-ranking civil servant position in Norway, and entails, besides leading the Office of the Prime Minister, to lead the secretariat of the entire Council of State.[5] The first woman to hold this position, Frisak has been ranked among Norway's most powerful women on numerous occasions.[3][6] The position is non-partisan.
^One example is Kapital's 2009 list, where Frisak was ranked third. Haugen, Marius B.; Skarsgård, Marianne L. (17 June 2009). "Norges mektigste kvinner kåret" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 14 January 2010.
^Libell, Henrik Pryser (6 August 2009). "Juristene som blir riddere". Juristkontakt (in Norwegian). Retrieved 14 January 2010.