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testimonials
Helle Skov
Retail Director, Q8
Helle Skov, who is the Retail Director at Q8 and responsible for all service stations in Denmark and Sweden, has just completed our leadership program in change management and strategy execution, Leading Strategic Change INSEAD.
Helle Skov, who is the Retail Director at Q8 and responsible for all service stations in Denmark and Sweden, has just completed our leadership program in change management and strategy execution, Leading Strategic Change INSEAD.
“I have previously participated in both the Executive Management Programme and the Executive Board Programme, with INSEAD as the cornerstone. These programs were incredibly exciting, and I greatly appreciate the learning environment at INSEAD. As I am currently in the midst of a process involving significant strategic changes within my area at Q8, it was only natural for me to participate in the new strategy execution program,” says Helle Skov, and continues:
“The entire climate and sustainability agenda is absolutely central to us. We are working on a transformation process that involves phasing out our fossil products over time and replacing them with renewable products and E-solutions. Additionally, we are, of course, also affected by the wave of digitalization, and these two ‘headlines’ mean that we are facing a comprehensive transformation process, which we aim to manage as effectively as possible.”
According to the Q8 executive, one of the rewarding aspects of the program was the extensive experience that the participants brought to INSEAD. “It was the first time that Leading Strategic Change was held, and I think the program really hit the mark. The level of instruction was high, and I found it particularly interesting and relevant that the program also had a humanistic approach. The teaching was divided into a strategy part and a leadership part, and afterward, everything was tied together in simulation exercises and case studies, which were both relevant and inspiring. The professors were excellent, and they succeeded in getting the entire group of very competent participants to interact and discuss, resulting in some really valuable dialogues,” says Helle Skov.
She feels strongly that she is returning with new tools and insights on how to get people “on board” during a change process and how to get different people across the company to collaborate towards a common goal. “If I had to highlight three important and useful things I’m bringing back, the first would be the value of the simulation exercises, which made it very clear how crucial it is to have ‘the whole team’ on board when implementing a strategy. Additionally, the program made me realize just how much planning is required to carry out large-scale transformation processes and how vital dedication is—this is truly difficult and complex leadership work that can easily ‘go wrong.’ Finally, any transformation process starts at the top of the organization, and it is absolutely essential to have the backing of the leadership in terms of efforts and priorities if you are to succeed at all,” she concludes.
