My Professional Board Positions
Being an entrepreneur myself – having founded and run my own company for over 20 years with a professional board in charge of the company strategy and expansion – I ended up selling my company to the largest global Workspace Experience Management and Facility Management company in the world. From this, I have gained a lot of experience in:
- From upstart to to continuous focus on revenue, profitable growth and cash flow
- How to base your company on products and best practise – as a precondition to upscale
- From local to global – how to make your business scalable
- Your people are the ones that ensure your profit – how to ensure success in recruitment, retention, upscaling and learning, teamwork, and development
- If the strategy is M&A – how to plan the best due diligence
Throughout the past 20 years I have been serving as a professional board member in several different companies and foundations.
I am thrilled about a more proactive, business-oriented and competitive board way of working, all while keeping a focus on revenue, profitable growth and cash flow
My approach to my Board positions
The importance of D&I in the board representation finally have the required focus. Personally, my board representation is based on a range of guidelines and values I actively practise in my professional board work.
The proactive board
I am thrilled about the changes I have seen in the last few years in how professional boards work and act. From the very reactive and controlling board to a more proactive, business-oriented and competitive board, all while keeping a focus on revenue, profitable growth and cash flow
The board’s commitment to handling VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) and risk
The biggest challenge for companies, and therefore professional boards, is the ability to be adaptable to change – also seen in the light of pandemics and wars in our local markets, have increased the importance of handling the so-called VUCA.
The increased turbulence demands increased focus on risk, especially in relation to internationalisation. It is about a physical, mental, and strategic risk assessment, also by company management: Do we have the relevant processes in place to identify risks? Do we act in a correct and appropriate manner in relation to our issues and challenges, does our company strategy take full advantage of our unique competencies and skills, does our company strategy aim towards a sufficiently large growth market? Can the company leadership, in its current form, implement the strategy or should it be supplemented with new competencies? To answer the question: If our company did not exist, what would the world then be missing? If we have a good answer to this question, we will be successful!!!
Increased focus on ESG
ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) is an absolute necessity in all types of companies. Internationally, there are a list of interest groups which actively observe and assess professional boards on parameters like environment, social circumstances, and corporate governance and openly evaluates them on these parameters. It is therefore of the utmost importance that ESG is being considered and managed – also in relation to internationalisation.
It is no longer enough to just generate as much value as possible for owners and shareholders – a new and more holistic and society-oriented focus is something everyone should actively take into consideration. It has become unacceptable not to take ESG into consideration. In my opinion, there is no going back to the less digital, less sustainable, and less diverse world in which we existed in and there is no opposition between an increased focus on ESG and increased economic success!
Current board positions
Board member in The Foundation FFHK
The Foundation for Craftsmen Dorms (Fonden for Håndværkskollegier)
"We build dorms for the people who build Denmark” – The Foundation for Craftsmen Dorms was founded by BRFfonden in 2020 with the purpose of building dorms for apprentice craftsmen – the craftsmen of the future. Therefore, the dorms are built in accordance with the high building standard we want to motivate the its young inhabitants to deliver in the future.
Over the next three years, The Foundation for Craftsmen Dorms will be constructing three dorms for young people studying traditional craftsmen trades. They will be located in Horsens, Herning, and Roskilde.
Board member in PHSE
Prince Henrik’s School Real Estate Fund (Prins Henrik’s Skoles Ejendomsfond)
The purpose of the fund is to support education on a charitable and non-profit basis in accordance with the objectives of the French school legislation, adapted to the school legislation in Denmark, so that it can form basis for further education in both Denmark and France, in the same way as it happens at the self-governing institution The French School in Copenhagen, also known as Prince Henrik’s School.
Board member in The Danish Arthritis Association
(Gigtforeningen)
The Danish Arthritis Association fights for a better life for people with diseases and chronical pain in their joints, back, and muscles. Earlier action. Less Pain. More Strength.
The Danish Arthritis Association is a disease combating organisation with more than 80 years of experience and currently has over 80,000 members – making it one of the largest patients’ associations in Denmark. We wish to make a difference for the more than 700,000 people in Denmark with inflammatory arthritis, osteoarthritis, and chronical back pain. Arthritis associations distributes larger sums for research, gives individual and impartial advise, runs Danish Rheumatic Hospital and three Sano-centres, provides new knowledge and research in magazines, newsletters, and in the podcast series “Klog på Gigt” (Wise on Arthritis) – and puts arthritis on the agenda for both politicians and decisionmakers, and the public.
Internationally, the Danish Arthritis Association is a part of the Nordic Rheumatic Council, European Leage Against Rheumatism (EULAR), and International League Against Rheumatism (ILAR).
Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II is patron of the Danish Arthritis Association.
Board member in the Network for Actors in the Real Estate Industry
(Netværket for Aktører i Ejendomsbranchen)
A multidisciplinary network for actors in the Danish real estate industry – investors, developers, consultants, real estate organisations, municipalities, public and private RE organisations, pension funds, etc.
Former board positions
2018 – 2023: Board member in BRO
BRO is a behaviour design & communication company. BRO combines communication, organisational development, and behavioural design. BRO explores how they can get people to make correct decisions and they design solutions and decisions that will make it happen.
2014 - 2021: Board member in Odense Tramway
(Odense Letbane)
Odense Tramway opened up for passengers on 28th of May 2022.
The construction of Odense Tramway had a total budget of approximately 3 billion DKK (in 2014 prices). The tramway passes through the city’s key points and power centres for development and is meant to create a close connection with the rest of the bus and train network.
Odense Tramway’s first stage is approximately 14 kilometres long, has a total of 26 stations on the line, and services roughly 35,500 commuters every day – and about 10-11 million a year.
2000 - 2021: Founder & Board Member in SIGNAL - Workplace experts
SIGNAL - WORKPLACE EXPERTS, STRATEGIC ADVISORY, ANALYTICS & DESIGN
SIGNALs AMBITION is to help clients activate their potential to create PLACES that improve the way PEOPLE communicate, innovate and collaborate! - to create PLACES that GIVE - with great curated experiences for PEOPLE – to make the world work better”
2012- 2018: Board Member in The Danish Management Society (VL) – VL group 99
The Danish Management Society (VL) VL is the leading Danish non-profit network for Industry Leaders; C-suite executives, board members, politicians, and opinion leaders. The purpose of the Danish Management Society is to promote modern, responsible leadership and management by means of sharing knowledge and engaging in dialogue and, in so doing, contribute to the sustainable, financial progress and general improvement of the standard of living in Denmark and the world we live in. Under the VL society, VL99 was founded in 2009 with the aim of creating a confidential network of leaders, where knowledge sharing, and continued learning and personal development form the basis.
If our company did not exist, what would the world then be missing? If we have a good answer to this question, we will be successful!!!
It is no longer enough to just generate as much value as possible for owners and shareholders – a new and more holistic and society-oriented focus is something everyone should actively take into consideration
My professional positions of Trust
2022: Real Dania RESPOND – framework for the new everyday life. Member of a panel of experts focusing on the subject The Hybrid Work Life. RESPOND provides support to bring solutions that create a varied, safe, healthy and both physical and digital work environment to the market.
2014 - 2015: Appointed by former Minister of Children and Education Christine Antorini to sit in the Academy council for the New Nordic School
2013: Chairman of the Jury for Nordic Interior Design Awards 2013
2013 - 2015: Appointed as panellist on the radio show Kulturknuserne (eng. Culture Crushers) on DR / P1
2012 – 2014: Appointed by former Minister of Children and Education Christine Antorini as member of the dialogue group for the New Nordic School
2012: Appointed member of World Architecture News’ (WAN) global jury for the nomination of Learning Environment Of The Year Award 2012
2008 – 2010: Member of the jury for DI’s Innovation Award
2012 - 2019: Appointed member of Real DK’s local council for major clients
2001 -: Member of the networking group Female Top Executives in the Building and Real Estate Industry
My membership in female board screening networks
To increase the D&I agenda in relation to board representation – specifically the female participation, and to show my own interest in future board positions, I have been screened and approved to be part of the following female board networks – screening professional woman to potential board positions.
SelectionF
Based on companies’ strategic ambitions, SelectionF focuses on offering a professional and structured process to identify their next board candidate.
With dialogue with the company as a starting point, SelectionF helps to specify the search for new board candidates and carries out a targeted search in their database with over 400 experienced and pre-screened female board candidates.
DI – The Danish Industry – Women in management and board of directors
Kvinder i ledelse og bestyrelser - DI (danskindustri.dk)
Find your next female board member in the Women on Board-database, and explore the exciting portraits, articles, and blogs on women in management and board of directors. All candidates have been screened and assessed by an advisory board inside DI to make sure they are highly qualified and ready to sit on a board of directors.