From ITU to executive position in three years
Camilla Gad Krogsgaard has had a meteoric career rise since graduating from Digital Innovation & Management in the summer of 2015. Today, she heads an international IT company - and she intends to stay in the executive chair.
Written August 8, 2018 9:02 AM by Vibeke Arildsen
"It has been overwhelming – in a good way," says Camilla Gad Krogsgaard.
In March, she took over as Managing Director of the IT company ALSO's Danish branch, not even three years upon receiving her diploma from the IT University of Copenhagen.
She has always strived for an executive position, and the role comes naturally to her. Her mission is now to challenge the status quo in ALSO, a company that sells IT equipment and infrastructure to retailers and businesses. An increasingly complex market which requires flexibility and a finger on the pulse when it comes to new technologies like Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence and 3D print.
"I aim to create a value-creating and performance-driven development culture, where creativity and innovation are higher on the agenda," says Camilla Gad Krogsgaard, who has already broken old habits – from the company’s meeting culture and services to the colour of the walls.
Camilla Gad Krogsgaard is passionate about bringing ideas to life and creating space for innovation, and her management style is hands-on. She likes being close to her employees and facilitates workshops with for instance the marketing team herself.
"Coming up with ideas that create frameworks and tools that help those who work with me really motivates me. I ask questions that they aren’t used to that lead to ‘aha experiences’. My most important job is to create a foundation for them to achieve and succeed," she says.
Quick career rise
The climb up the career ladder has been fast, but Camilla Gad Krogsgaard sees the executive job as the result of a natural development. Immediately after her studies, she founded her own IT consulting company, which was sold less than a year later. She continued as a partner in the company until she realized that there was no longer enough room to pursue her own ideas.
Her next job was with Universal Robots, a company she had collaborated with in her thesis project, as responsible for developing the company's app store.
"At Universal Robots, I found out that I was good at strategy, and my then-boss provided me with great conditions and challenges – I was given a relatively free rein, and grew exponentially with the task," says Camilla Gad Krogsgaard.
However, she was unable to pursue her dream of managing a team. So she readily said ‘yes’ when ALSO's former director contacted her on LinkedIn and offered her a position as director of the company's cloud team - her first job with management responsibilities.
After just 8 months in this position, she was encouraged to assume the position as director of the Danish branch, which currently has more than 300 employees.
As a young leader, she is not afraid to admit that she doesn’t know everything.
»I believe that good management that motivates people is to know your strengths and weaknesses. I’m not afraid to say ‘I don’t know, but I will find out’.
Camilla Gad Krogsgaard
«
"I'm 32 years old. If I claimed to have all the answers, I would be arrogant. I believe that good management that motivates people is to know your strengths and weaknesses. I’m not afraid to say ‘I don’t know, but I will find out’. By doing so, I show that we have a culture where we constantly learn, develop and are curious – I don’t believe in an error free culture',” she says.
A future-oriented education
Camilla Gad Krogsgaard uses the word 'future-oriented’ to describe herself. IT has always fascinated her, and she dived into building websites, making YouTube videos and doing SEO optimization from an early age.
In her eyes, technology is above all a tool that gives people unlimited possibilities for being creative.
»Technology unites people, creativity and competencies and makes it possible to realize any idea. The sky is the limit.
Camilla Gad Krogsgaard
«
"Technology unites people, creativity and competencies and makes it possible to realize any idea. The sky is the limit," she says.
It was her tech curiosity and desire to be two steps ahead that prompted her to apply for Digital Innovation & Management following a bachelor's degree in entrepreneurship and business development.
"I grew a lot over the course of the Master’s programme. I learned that I am strategically strong, good at thinking outside the box and able to see the larger contexts. All the pieces of the puzzle just fell into place," she says.
The programme also gave her a toolbox that she draws upon frequently in her current job.
"How I set a framework for people, how I run workshops and how I ask questions – all of that comes from my academic ballast. I couldn’t do this job without my education," she says.
Camilla Gad Krogsgaard has a long career ahead of her, but feels that she has found her right place at ALSO.
"I plan to stay in the executive chair, and my ambitions will grow as I learn, develop and push ALSO towards growth. I have found a chair I feel comfortable in," she says.
Vibeke Arildsen, Press Officer, phone 2555 0447, email viar@itu.dk