Name: Camilla Lindgren
Date of birth: 1978
Title: Head of Communication, SAP Strategy & Innovation Office, EMEA North
Company: SAP Denmark
Degree: Cand Merc., Copenhagen Business School
Fun fact: Love to bake all kinds of waffles
Was there a specific moment/reason when you realised you wanted to pursue a leadership (or STEM) career?
Not one specific moment. Studying at Copenhagen Business School, I probably felt more at home on the creative side, but I grew interested in business development, product development, and customer experience management. Tech certainly played a vital role here and caught my interest. So, when I got the opportunity to apply for a student job at a software company in Marketing & Communications, I definitely saw this as a huge opportunity for me to explore both sides. It turned out to be the starting point for my professional life.
What has been crucial to get you to where you are today?
I have had great managers, who believed in me. That is key. I think of myself as pretty humble end eager to learn, so by staying curious, listening, asking questions and exploring a learning path, I am where I am today. While at the same time being loyal to the job and the task at hand, I certainly also see a need to have a personal “border patrol” giving you the ability to say no and confidence to move on, when your personal as well as professional development need to scale to a new level.
Tell us about a female role model and the impact this person had on you – either personally or professionally?
There have been several both female and male role models inspiring me through my carrier. Actually, I come to think of my female math teacher in public school. She had a very tangible enthusiasm about her subject in a time and culture where mathematics was probably male dominated. I have also had managers that were very honest about vulnerabilities and very open personalities. The balance and trust they induce to a team member make you want to follow them and support them.
What do you enjoy most about your work today?
I really enjoy the fast pace and the pulse in the tech industry. This is probably why I can say that my job content is continuously evolving – maybe even revolutionised now and then – despite that I have been working for the same company for many years. Right now, it is all about transformation, digitalisation and to do it from a sustainability point of view. I also appreciate the variation in working with diverse teams and knowledge, different tasks, and new projects.
What does good leadership mean to you?
To me it’s about honesty and authenticity. It’s easy to fall into the swamp of buzzwords and hide your personality behind corporate facades. Especially in tech, where we design the data-driven intelligence of tomorrow, it is crucial that we don’t act as robots on a personal level. Good leadership strives for and acknowledge strong teamwork and performance among real human beings. It is about supporting diversity and inclusion in action and not just in words. It is obviously key to value creation, that different perspectives are brought into the meeting rooms and the projects for real.
What did you imagine your life and career would be like when you were 25?
Honestly, I didn’t see myself in the tech industry. I thought, you had to be very techie like an engineer or IT architect etc. Later, I realised this is not the case. In my early days, I did not have a straightforward career plan, and a lot of coincidence took me in this direction. Creativity, communication, and storytelling was close to my heart, and it just happened that I came to use this personal DNA in tech.