Corner café with a glass front and an orange lamp

Your next commercial leader?

I have held overall responsibility as a director and country manager, building businesses, growing them and leading change. Most of my work has been in SMEs, with leadership responsibility in listed groups and assignments across Denmark and the Nordics.

Profile and next assignment

Klaus Lennard Pedersen

My responsibilities have covered sales, marketing, distribution, operations and finance – and the colleagues who make it all work. As a country manager, I have held overall P&L responsibility. As a Nordic director, I have led across four countries. At DanaLife, I was a co-founder and co-owner with a 20% stake.

The next assignment is where a company needs to get going, grow or turn round. People first, with trust and a shared goal, where everyone takes and is given responsibility. As a leader in an SME or a group, ideally with co-ownership. In Denmark, the Nordics, Europe or beyond. Permanent, interim or as an adviser.

Copenhagen and North Zealand · Denmark, the Nordics and Europe

Request CV →

Responsibility and results

Three businesses with different starting points. My responsibilities, the work and the documented results.

Invoicery Denmark

Country Manager and Regional Manager Europe

I took over a Danish business with a team of five and a need for structure, market knowledge and a clear growth strategy. As country manager, I was responsible for the Danish activities and their overall finances. The work covered reorganisation, marketing, partnerships and closer integration with the Swedish head office.

Sales rose from SEK 15 million to SEK 45 million over three years.

Photographer, developer and tradesperson each at their own work — Invoicery · Country Manager Denmark

Read about the work

Marketing and partnerships were built up in Denmark, and operations were integrated with the Swedish head office. The Danish organic marketing approach was subsequently used in the EU expansion.

As Regional Manager Europe, I served in the group’s EU management team. The group chief executive selected me for a strategy group that analysed and recommended a single product and brand for simultaneous launch in 22 EU countries. The group’s recommendation was approved, and the product went live.

AdLINK / DoubleClick

Danish and Nordic director

As the first employee in Denmark, I built the market from scratch. I later took on Nordic responsibility and, following the acquisition of DoubleClick, led merger and integration across Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland. Eight companies became four, and the organisation went from 75 colleagues to 35.

The customer portfolio comprised 1,400 commercial websites.

Kolleger gennemgår annonceudkast ved en skærm, tal og grafer på en stor skærm og trykte bannerudkast på et bord — AdLINK · Internet advertising in Europe

Read about the work

I took part in the acquisition and was responsible for the subsequent Nordic merger. The work covered customers, agreements, organisation and operations, with reporting to group management in Germany.

The customer portfolio was retained without loss of loyalty or revenue. The merger also required redundancies, including colleagues I had recruited myself. That was part of the leadership responsibility the assignment carried.

DanaMedic / DanaLife

Commercial responsibility and co-ownership

At DanaMedic and DanaLife, I was responsible for brands, markets, sales and business-critical operations. At DanaLife, I was a co-founder and co-owner with a 20% stake. The work covered distributors, dealers, e-commerce and customer support.

The business reached 50+ B2B markets and 100+ B2C markets.

Emballageskitser og farveprøver, samtale ved en messestand og pakker klar til forsendelse — DanaMedic & DanaLife – Global distribution

Read about the work

DanaLife was established as a separate profit centre. I worked across the commercial value chain: Distributors, retail, digital sales channels, partner agreements and customer support. The 100+ B2C markets are an aggregate measure of reach.

The work included the acquisition of an international affiliate network and the repurchase of a brand, where I took part in negotiation and implementation. Patents and trade marks were handled with specialist advisers. FDA registration as a medical device was a separate matter.

See the full experience and Alvern →

Leadership in practice

Leaders who dare to say “I don’t know”. Colleagues at every level who call it as it is. The person who takes responsibility where others hesitate. That gives energy and courage for the work. An honest apology belongs here too – including being able to offer one yourself.

Colleagues who discover they can do more than they thought. Showing honest trust so they can try, take responsibility and grow with the task. Everyone who wants to may lead from the front, and I am happy to do so myself. Letting go when a colleague is ready. Helping or tightening up when needed. A team that gets the credit. When someone I have led flourishes and becomes better than me. That is what delights me.

For board chairs

Experience from running businesses, with responsibility for sales, people and finance. Chair, board member and adviser are distinct appointments.

Coffee’s on me.

Boards

I bring experience of sales, people and finance to my board work. I have chaired Defein’s board and Weuse’s advisory board, where I also mentored the leadership team. My grounding is in work as a director, country manager, founder and co-owner.

15 years’ experience

See the documented appointments

Sabroe Selection A/SBoard member · 2 years
Defein ApSChairman of the board · 2 years
Dansk IværksætterforeningBoard member, policy positioning and advice on international scaling · 5 years
3rd Person ApSBoard member, also interim · 3 years
DoubleClick Danmark A/SDirector and board member · 1 year
Alvern Danmark ApSDirector and board member · 3 years

Advisory boards

5 years’ experience

See the documented appointments

WeuseChairman of advisory board · 4 years
Momsen & HoffAdvisory board member · 1 year

P&L and group reporting

10 years of P&L responsibility and reporting from Denmark and the Nordics to group management. Advice on the listings in Oslo and Frankfurt is separate from my own board appointments and my leadership work in listed groups.

Write about a board appointment →See boards, management groups and advisory work →

Former colleagues talking round a high table

In their words

Group chief executives, colleagues, founders and partners. Their words on working with me.

Coffee’s on me.

Said by those I have worked under, alongside and above: “... create a learning culture with room to think, where my colleagues and I were deeply motivated and engaged in our work” “The numbers for the Danish market really jumped up.” “It is to his credit that the company has won success and recognition from customers and partners all over the world.” “Deserves a large share of the credit for Defein’s continued success.” “Has a unique talent in business development. … Klaus has been my mentor and coach for several years and he is the main reason I managed the role as CEO” “He’s a man of action and the company’s growth in Denmark is a testament to that” “Klaus successfully managed to build a team spirit across the organization in the Nordic countries” “Is an entrepreneur in the original sense of the word. … Has a superb overview, is creative and has a knack for seeing things in perspective.” “Understood the customers’ problems and always had an eye for growth.” “Very well connected and knows how to make things happen.”

Open glass door to a bright room with bicycles outside at blue hour

Shall we talk about an assignment?

Write a few lines about where you stand. I read it myself and reply personally. Then we can talk by phone, on screen or over a coffee.

Coffee’s on me.

Direct

Klaus Lennard Pedersen

Email: kp@klauspedersen.com
Telephone: +45 53 63 92 18
LinkedIn: View profile →
Location: Copenhagen / North Zealand.

CV on request →Save contact card

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Privacy

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