-You have recently been appointed Head of BearingPoint Denmark. What are your responsibilities? What has taking on this new challenge meant to your career?
Being appointed Head of BearingPoint Denmark is a fantastic opportunity to continue working with technology and consulting in cooperation with the most innovative companies in Denmark and the Nordics while growing the Danish BearingPoint branch with a genuinely entrepreneurial mindset. Technology and data have been my focus topics for the last 25 years and, therefore, vital ingredients of my career. Now I can continue this journey within a dedicated and open culture as BearingPoint is by helping Nordic companies design and implement digital and ESG-driven transformations crucial for their current and future business. My key responsibilities are to grow our Danish business, stay relevant to customers and their needed engagements and hire the most dedicated and innovative people.
-You are also the founder of various startups. Where does your entrepreneurial vocation come from?
The two startups Neighborhood Boutique (NB) and Chili Con Chili (CCC) come with equal doses of a willingness to change how we live and to celebrate different cultures. NB heavily depends on technology (payment infrastructure, data server setup, various coding languages, 10+ vendor technologies). It focuses on supporting the small unique boutiques that face the risk of being outplayed by the big online players and the massive malls. CCC is a Ugandan agricultural endeavor with the ambition to support Africa's wealth, where women at work and equal education for all are crucial for Africa's future and therefore are values close to us in CCC.
-Chili con chili, one of your startups, has a social component in addition to entrepreneurship. What role do you think organizations should play in the face of new social and environmental challenges?
The Western world is unconditionally obliged to help all countries without reasonable terms to develop and benefit from the same opportunities as we (in the West) have had. The accelerated climate crises drying out the Horn of Africa and the Eastern African nations - primarily triggered by carbon emissions from the West - highlight how fragile and exposed this region is. In less than 30 years from now, Africa's population will reach nearly 2.5 billion (coming from 1.4+ billion in 2023). Suppose we do not support Africa with capital and education and start the import of locally African-produced goods. In that case, we will experience a humanitarian catastrophe and a migration of a magnitude we can't imagine triggered by Western carbon emissions, reluctance, and passiveness. We can't stay passive, watching this unfold without trying to do something; by all means, private individuals and companies must do whatever possible to support this great continent full of opportunities.
-How is combining your work at BearingPoint with entrepreneurial work? What are the main challenges?
BearingPoint's two main priorities are our clients (and partners) and our people. Therefore, all our employees must continue to educate themselves by obtaining further academic credentials or developing their technological and cultural mindset. It is an individual question of how to grow as a person and as a business advisor for our clients. Hence, we support personal flexibility and development needs. As long as we don't compromise our clients' time, effort, and results, other engagements benefit both clients and BearingPoint.
“It is an individual question of how to grow as a person and as a business advisor for our clients”
-What lessons can you explain to alumni who want to combine their professional facet with entrepreneurship?
The future of all companies relies on the skills and capabilities of its employees. Furthermore, companies will eventually become irrelevant if they don't support creativity and innovation streaming into their organization, although it may not directly benefit their financial performance at first sight. Instead, modern companies will develop and retain innovative employees leading to improved performance that fosters the entire business ecosystem. Company leaders must recognize this; it might not be a suitable workplace if this is not the case. Therefore, discuss and be transparent about entrepreneurial ambitions!
-You are an Esade collaborator on Fintech and Digital Transformation issues. What does it mean to you to share your knowledge?
Two of my professional objectives are Teaching and Learning. Collaborating with Esade and all the exceptional students is a privilege that I'm proud of. It keeps me on my toes as the students expect to be challenged and are eager to learn and discuss. As a consultant and advisor within technology and data, my job has given me insights into many different companies and industries. However, as the financial Service industry has made up most of my working life, it is only natural that I bring my experiences and perspectives forward. FinTech is rapidly growing, and luckily, we can attract exceptional keynote speakers to the course, so I end up learning at least as much as the students.
-What is Esade Alumni for you?
I sincerely enjoy being a part of Esade Alumni. It is a network of talented people with an international atmosphere that allows us to meet like-minded scholars and peers from different cultures—striving to be a platform for ex-pats traveling worldwide who want to debate small and big issues while having a drink or coffee. That is a fantastic break from everyday life, in my opinion.
