René Toldbods’ leadership career began in the Army, where he took on his first management role at the age of 22. After 11 years in the Army, he decided to “hang up his uniform” in favor of new challenges in the private sector. His career transition led him to a role as an HR consultant at Dansk Supermarked, followed by a position as HR Manager at FKI Logistex. He then spent several years as a chief management consultant at Mercuri Urval and, most recently, has been with the energy company OK for 11 years. At OK, he serves as Group Director for HR and Communication, reporting to the CEO, and is one of the eight top executives in the executive group.

Currently, significant changes and transformation processes are a major part of his role as HR Director. OK, a 110-year-old energy company originally dealing in coal, oil, and gasoline, is undergoing a comprehensive transformation to become a green energy company. The extensive internal changes at OK and the associated challenges were also the reasons René chose to participate in the Executive Management Programme offered by Scandinavian Executive Institute in collaboration with INSEAD in France in the fall of 2021.

“I reached out to Scandinavian Executive Institute because, at that time, together with the leadership at OK, I was facing the challenge of guiding our many employees through this transformation. The executive program, with its focus on leadership, strategic, and business themes, seemed to include many elements I needed to manage the transition more effectively. Additionally, I was looking for inspiration and a new network of leaders in similar situations and positions,” he says, adding:

“The level of the instructors and professors was outstanding, and many of the skilled participants I met are still in touch. It was truly exciting to meet leaders from various industries – for example, a shipyard director, a bank director, and myself from an energy company. That diversity was valuable.”

Important theoretical framework

The OK executive highlights a few key learnings from the program that have been most significant for him.

“I gained excellent inspiration on identifying our competitive advantage as a company and as an employer – and for me, the HR perspective and our employer brand are especially interesting. Our culture makes us unique and difficult for others to replicate. It is crucial that we articulate this precisely and in a way that brands us as an employer to attract talented employees. The theoretical framework I received on this topic at INSEAD is still in use.”

He also emphasizes the learning about informal decision-making structures within a company, noting the importance of understanding that relationships, seniority, and culture significantly influence how decisions are made. “The informal decision-making hierarchy often differs from the formal organizational chart,” he says, concluding:

“Overall, I greatly benefited from refreshing my knowledge in strategic areas, and it was particularly timely since we were about to undergo a CEO change and shortly after launched our new strategy. I was part of the steering group for the strategy work and am convinced that the toolkit I gained from the executive program at INSEAD made a difference in this work. We continue to work daily on aligning people, culture, and communication with our strategic efforts.”