Michael Steen Amundsen is the Country Manager for Denmark and Iceland at Mölnlycke Healthcare and has spent most of his career in the medtech industry.

Mölnlycke Healthcare is currently undergoing a series of change and transformation projects, which motivated him to recently participate in the Leading Strategic Change program offered by the Scandinavian Executive Institute in collaboration with INSEAD.

“I wanted to gain insights into how to drive change across a multicultural organization. I am responsible for interactions, compliance/legal matters, back office, and a unified customer face across three divisions. How do I ensure we maintain a common culture, present a cohesive face to customers on major issues, and work effectively across these business units? I brought a very specific case to the program—our strategy implementation in Denmark and Iceland—that I wanted to practice and systematize, ideally with people I didn’t know before, from different industries. Getting input from other senior professionals who are familiar with similar challenges was a highly valuable opportunity for me.”

“Outstanding” Teaching
According to Michael Steen Amundsen, the international perspective and high academic standards of the program were crucial. “The professors were nothing short of outstanding, and I received exactly what I wanted, needed, and expected. The level of the other participants was high, and the mix of our backgrounds was excellent. People were very engaged, interested, and active, creating an environment of openness and trust that provided a superb foundation for many exciting and rewarding discussions. Additionally, the experience of being in an international campus environment was truly a professional treat,” he states.

He highlights three elements that have been particularly significant for him and the benefits he gained from the program. Firstly, the change model presented to the participants is something he is actively using in his strategic work. This model also includes a cultural analysis, which has been very important for him. Secondly, he values the network with other participants, finding the connections made to be highly beneficial. Lastly, he gained excellent inspiration on how to manage communication during the change process. He has returned with a greater awareness of the importance of communication efforts in a transformation process, as well as some useful tricks and communication tools.

“I am extremely satisfied with the entire experience, the toolbox, and the output I’ve brought home. However, I would recommend that everyone prepare thoroughly and bring a concrete case to INSEAD. I can attest that I gained significant benefits from this approach,” he concludes.