Sofie Irgens

Leading the Danish operations of Schneider Electric. We are 850 employees in Denmark, 5 locations, including one Global R&D hub for data centers, and one factory manufacturing low voltage products. About Schneider Electric: Schneider Electric is a global energy technology leader, driving efficiency and sustainability by electrifying, automating, and digitalizing industries, businesses, and homes. Its technologies enable buildings, data centers, factories, infrastructure, and grids to operate as open, interconnected ecosystems, enhancing performance, resilience, and sustainability. The portfolio includes intelligent devices, software-defined architectures, AI-powered systems, digital services, and expert advisory. With 160,000 employees and one million partners in over 100 countries, Schneider Electric is consistently ranked among the world’s most sustainable companies.

Danfoss Climate Solutions is on a mission to lead the way to a greener future, providing integrated, energy-efficient heating and cooling solutions to enable sustainable development in buildings, cold chains, industrial applications, and infrastructure. Part of Danfoss Climate Solutions executive team and leading a division of independent business units with high growth potential. The BUs operate within heating, cooling, water, and sensor solutions, and includes both solutions, mechanical and smart components, electronic controls, and digital services. Responsible for an annual turnover of 450 mEUR, 1500 people, and 6 factories located in Asia, Europe, and Americas.

Leading the Residential Heating division. Responsible for merging two heating divisions into one new division focus on Hydronic Solutions.

Leading the business unit Burner Components through a transformation from focusing on oil burners for heating to being a player with expertise in burner components for liquid fuel (oil, bio-fuel, syn-fuel) and spraying systems (oil-based, water-based, and spray drying). P/L and full value chain responsible.

Board member in Coop Denmark and board member in Coop amba (the owner of Coop Denmark). Coop is Denmark's leading consumer goods retailer. It is a co-operative owned by 1.7 mio. members. Coop operates the retail chains Kvickly, SuperBrugsen, Dagli’Brugsen, coop.dk and the subsidiaries Fakta A/S and Irma A/S. Coop Danmark and the subsidiaries have an annual turnover of approximately DKK 50 billion, and in total more than 36,000 employees.

MHI Vestas Offshore Wind / Vestas Offshore Wind is a global leading company within design and manufacturing of offshore wind turbines. We are the world's no. 1 for floating wind turbines. Globally responsible for Technology Development, New Product Development, Engineering, and Product Maintenance including test, verification, and product compliance. Referring to the Chief Technology Officer. Managing a function of approx. 100 employees. I joined the company when it was MHI Vestas Offshore Wind - a joint venture between Mitshibishi Heavy Industries and Vestas Wind Systems. Only 4 weeks after my arrival, Vestas announced that they had acquired 100% of the company with the intention of integrating the onshore and offshore wind divisions. 
 
I was hired to bring the development function to the next level, by introducing strategic leadership, forward innovation thinking, and improving execution. When the company was acquired fully by Vestas Wind Systems, my task changed to lead the function through the transition and full integration with Vestas. My engagement with the company ended as the new integrated onshore and offshore technology organization was established on February 1st, 2021.

KK Wind Solutions (part of AP Møller Holding) is a world-leading system supplier to the Wind Industry. Responsible for Business Development, Product Management and Marketing globally in KK. Main responsibilites - Business Development: Bring KK into new industries through organic growth (onboarding of new customers), aquisitions, and strategic partnerships - Global Product Management: Build a global product management function from scratch. Establish and manage a product innovation strategy, product roadmaps, product launches, and life cycle management. Lead the Product Committee - Global Marketing: Lead the Marketing and Communication function in the KK Group Key achievements - Successfully landed the first large customer outside wind - Built the fundamentals for a smooth running product management function with strong collaboration between R&D, Product Management and Sales - Launched KK proprietary products with high sales numbers

The VELUX Group is a manufacturing company and the market leader within roof windows and skylights. The headquarter is based in Denmark. The group has 27 production sites in 10 countries and sales companies in 40 countries. They employ 11,500 people. The VELUX Group’s financial results are incorporated into VKR Holding’s consolidated accounts. In 2019 VKR Holding’s revenue amounted to Euro 2.9 billion and net profit for the year came to Euro 412 million. My main responsibilities - Product development projects, end-to-end: From customer need and market potential through technical product development to quality assurance, manufacturing and product launch. Deliver projects on time, on budget with the right quality - Product roadmaps, project portfolio and product development processes (front-end innovation, stage gate, agile project execution) - The leadership of project directors and project teams, facilitation of R&D leadership meetings and collaboration with internal stakeholders, mainly product management and manufacturing, and with external partners and suppliers Key achievements - Improved performance of VELUX R&D projects - faster lead time and higher rate of success (achieved through new/improved R&D processes and increased commercial and customer focus) - Implementation of the Product Development Excellence program, including improved R&D execution model, agile development, R&D governance setup and R&D portfolio management

Reporting to the CIO - together the CIO and I formed the global IT management. I was responsible for all “business IT” globally in the VELUX Group. I was responsible for all software applications in the VELUX Group and our ERP systems. I was also responsible for the implementation of SAP to VELUX sales and production subsidiaries. On a yearly basis, I managed a budget exceeding DKK 100 million. The main task was to transform VELUX IT from a “standard internally focused IT function” to a customer-oriented organization with a strong focus on delivering business results, enabling VELUX Group to initiate a digital go-to-market strategy. I implemented a new global IT organization, was the driving force behind a new IT strategy and part of the leadership of a new digital strategy. Key achievements - Establishing global business IT organization with a new digital team and IT partner functions for each business domain. - Designing a new IT strategy with a strong business and user focus. - Transformation of VELUX IT from a “standard internal focused IT function” to a customer-oriented organization with a strong focus on delivering business results. - Implementation of a completely new communication system (Microsoft Office 365 replacing Lotus Notes) with a high focus on user-friendliness both in the implementation project and in the software.

Heading the implementation of SAP in subsidaries (sales companies) world wide. With direct report to the CFO I was managing a project team implementing SAP in sales subsidiaries located both in Europe and overseas (incl. Japan). Daily management responsibility of 12 employees. Also responsible for a consultant project team with approximately 10 onsite consultants and 30 consultants working out of India. Key achievements: Definition of SAP template for mid-size sales subisdaries. Go-live of 15 SAP implementations on time and on budget

Development of VELUX' operational excellence programme in service and administration. Project manager of several optimisation projects. Responsible for development of a sales excellence programme.