It's all about making a difference

It’s all about

makIng a dIfference

A portrait of Michael Holm – the man behind Systematic

It’s allabout

makIng adIfference

It’s all about

makIng a dIfference

A portrait of Michael Holm – the man behind Systematic

4

It’s all about makIng a dIfference

© Systematic GroupSøren Frichs Vej 398000 Aarhus C www.systematic.com

Idea: Annette Juhler Kjær

Interview and main text: Johanne Boesdahl

Translation: Word Design

Pictures and editing: Martin Brøchner-Mortensen and Pernille Salling

Layout and typesetting: Gigraf

Print: Akaprint

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Contents

Preface 7Thank you 10Dreaming of a life in farming 13Systematic today 29From value-based to behaviour-focused company 33It’s all about making a difference 37Close relations with customers 41Creativity and gut instinct 47A perfect pairing 59The direct route 63Straight talking 69Team-based workplace with a capital T 73Employees – and resources 83Extrovert and dialogue-oriented 91The long-term results 105Natural growth 109Team player – outside office hours, too 113From the outside in 123

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the systematic employees’ club would once again like to congratulate systematic on its first 25 years – they have been anything but dull!

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Preface

The year is 1985. On 5 February, Cristiano Ronaldo is born on the Portuguese island of Madeira. On 11 March, Mikhail Gorbachev succeeds Konstantin Chernenko as President of the Soviet Union. In May Steve Jobs leaves the Apple computer company, of which he was co-founder, due to disagreements with the incumbent CEO. On 14 October, Danish computer scientist Bjarne Stroustrup publishes the first C++ reference guide. On 18 November, the first Calvin and Hobbes comic strip ap-pears in an American newspaper, and two days later Microsoft launches version 1.0 of the Windows operating system.

Another significant date from that year is Monday 19 August. This is the day that marks the official incorporation of the software company Systematic, which will subsequently develop into the largest privately owned company of its kind in Denmark.

Almost 25 years later – in spring 2010, when preparations to celebrate Systematic’s 25th anniversary begin in earnest – the Employees’ Club at Systematic is confront-ed by a difficult question. What would be a fitting gift for a company and – more specifically – for Michael Holm, the joint founder, President and CEO since 1985?

The Employees’ Club wants to live up to Michael’s philosophy that a gift should always be personal and suit the recipient. Several good ideas are aired. A work of art? A tree bearing small plaques with the names of all the employees?

The idea of a book about Systematic and Michael Holm gradually emerges. It is to be a book that tells the story of a company that was started by two young men in the early days of computers and IT, and which has grown to employ almost 500

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people in several countries in the space of just 25 years. A book that centres on Michael Holm’s industriousness and ambitions.

It is to be a book which uses both words and pictures to trace the development of Systematic during 25 years that have also borne witness to many other events in the big wide world. Ronaldo has grown up to become one of the most highly paid football players in the world. Mikhail Gorbachev was to be the last President of the Soviet Union, which collapsed in 1991, two years after the fall of the Berlin Wall. C++ has been joined by a host of other programming languages, and Windows has been reinvented numerous times. Calvin and Hobbes has been published in more than 2,400 different newspapers, and over 30 million books of this comic strip have been sold. The Internet has burst onto the scene, quickly becoming an integral part of our lives – even when we are away from our homes and workplaces – and Steve Jobs returned to Apple, took on the job of chairman and CEO and revolutionised the world of smartphones with products that included the iconic iPhone.

However, there is no way that the anniversary book about Systematic can be written without Michael’s input, so the Employees’ Club comes up with a creative so lu tion that is fully in line with the company spirit. On the actual day of the anniversary, the staff present Michael with a hardback copy of the Systematic book – luxuriantly bound, but with the pages blank – to symbolise the forthcoming project.

On the day itself and afterwards, employees from all Systematic’s facilities fill in the blank pages with their own personal greetings and sketches. This “guestbook” has since become a cherished addition to Michael’s private book collection.

The “real” book has now been completed. It is a book about a man and a company that are both dyed-in-the-wool individualists.

The Systematic Employees’ Club would once again like to congratulate Systematic on its first 25 years – they have been anything but dull!

The Systematic Employees’ Club, Aarhus, February 2012

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Brian Nielsen, President of the Employees’ Club, presents Michael with the association’s 25th anniversary gift (2010).

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It is hard to believe that more than 25 years have now passed since the day I turned up at the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen to meet Allan Schytt, the man with whom I went on to found Systematic. If you had told me back then what that first meeting would lead to, I would not have believed you – or I would have needed a couple of premium beers to help it sink in. But it has been a fantastic journey, and I have loved EVERY MINUTE of my work and my working relationship with our customers and all of you employees.

I have fond memories of 19 August 2010, when we celebrated my and Systematic’s anniversary – I don’t know about you, but I had an absolute blast! It was great to celebrate the day with you all, and I’m pretty sure that no-one will forget “Karen and the Supremes” in a hurry. What I did forget, however, were the chord changes – resulting in the Danish music industry breathing a collective sigh of relief, I reckon. Several members of my family subsequently confirmed that there can be little doubt that I made the correct career choice!

Thank you all for making the day so much fun and so unforgettable.

I would also like to thank the Employees’ Club for its very personal gift. The anniversary book was an excellent idea! I have found it both entertaining and fascinating not only to take a stroll down Memory Lane, but also to be asked to articulate what it is that we are actually doing and why; to explain what keeps me going and what gives me a boost. It was an educational process that reassured me once again that I really enjoy working with you all on an day-to-day basis, and that I love the sense of

Thank you

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“pushing the envelope” with you. I am already looking forward to all the new challenges, assignments and projects that await us.

I would like to thank everyone who has contributed in one way or another to this book or to the anniversary “guest book.” All the contributions help to provide a fascinating insight into our company and our special company spirit.

In conclusion, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all “Systematicists” for a wonderful anniversary celebration and for this magnificent anniversary book.

Enjoy!

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I’ve never known anything but independence as the foundation of existence. that’s why I could never envisage working for anyone but myself. as a young boy, I spent my summer holidays working for my uncle on his farm, but even at that early age I was looking for ways to change things. I was focused on streamlining his business.

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Dreaming of a life in farming to an adventure in ParisMichael rounds off this brief flashback to his experience of work in his childhood years with a distinctively loud laugh. There is nothing senti-mental about his memory, it is rather a prosaic statement of fact. As far back as he can recall, work has always played a key role in his life.

Michael started work at a very young age, helping his parents out in their grocery shop in Veddinge. It was only natural for him to have a regular job with a set role to play. During his first years at the store, his work involved stacking shelves. He also had a paper round and worked at his uncle’s nursery during the summer holidays, clipping tulip buds for a small sum per kilometre. As a young boy, he was not working to save up for something specific. It was just the way it was.

Michael’s parents’ grocery shop in Veddinge, Denmark (1990s).

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When Michael left lower secondary school, he thought that he was des-tined for a life in farming. That was apparently the only option open to him, as he had passed up the chance to continue studying in high school. The problem was not that he was lacking in grey matter, nor that his grades were poor – it was rather his lack of respect for authority, which was rather unfortuna tely combined with his penchant for making sharp comments. His high school interview was not exactly a festive occasion, and Michael could not resist trying to lighten the atmosphere with a little joke.

“The teacher – who clearly had no sense of humour – asked me how I would add two fractions together. When I answered ‘half-heartedly,’ he simply nodded and asked me to leave,” relates Michael with a smile.

Although high school had thus decided to close its doors to him before he had so much as stepped through them, the path to a life in farming lay wide open.

Michael was confirmed in 1971. He is pictured here with his parents and Lone, his sister.

Michael and his faithful canine companion, Tina (1970s).

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At the age of 17, Michael quickly became skilled in performing intricate manoeuvres with a tractor and trailer. However, after a cold autumn driving a tractor, the young farm labourer was obliged to admit that this was not what he imagined doing for the rest of his life. He therefore decided to catch up with his former schoolmates and take his high school diploma in maths and physics in just two years. He did so at Høng High School.

The distinctive flair that Michael would later display for coming up with effective solutions was already apparent back then. Dealing with his high school studies in just two years was quite simply “cost-effective.” It was a tough way to go about it, but an efficient approach if he had the ability to see it through. He did. In fact, Michael was one of only seven students from the original group of 36 to complete the course successfully.

Party planner in his spare time

Even though he had to work hard for his diploma, Michael still found the time and energy to do more than hit the books. Just like the mature busi-ness owner he was to become, the young Michael decided that he had to make room for social interaction of a more entertaining nature. His desire to party indirectly provided Michael with his first experiences as an inde-pendent entrepreneur – in parallel with his studies.

“The only place where we could go to let off steam at the weekends was the local inn, and many of us weren’t interested in hanging out there week in and week out. So a group of us pooled our resources to hire the reception rooms at the hotel in town during the weekends. We put together a disco and made a deal with the owner: we kept the money from the admission tickets, and he kept the bar receipts. It was actually an arrangement born of necessity, as none of us was old enough to serve alcohol,” he laughs.

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“It was a great success until it all ended in a confrontation with a group of rockers one Sunday afternoon. I asked them to take their jackets off. After all, it was a decent place and I wanted to maintain a certain level of style. Unfortunately, they saw things very differently. It was actually OK that we had to shut down after that because most of us had exams to take.”

Michael’s insistence on sticking to his ideas and values, and to going his own way did not only cause problems with the local “bad boys.” It very nearly resulted in his expulsion from school.

“We quickly learned that the entertainment sector is dependent on good marketing initiatives and events – and that it’s important to focus on the ‘celebrity effect.’ But when I succeeded in talking the deputy headmaster’s

Michael with his younger brother Torben (left) and his schoolmate Peter Mejer behind their disco ”Cinderella” (1970s).

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pretty daughter and her friends into performing as go-go dancers at the disco, I soon found out that not everyone was thrilled with my initiatives. The Monday after, I was summoned to the headmaster’s office. He told me in no uncertain terms that it was simply unacceptable for me to have the daughter of one of the staff performing as a go-go dancer. I was very close to being expelled, but I managed to talk him into letting me stay by promising that I would never use ‘local talent’ as go-go dancers again.”

computer studies

As his education progressed, Michael began to consider dropping farming in favour of a career as a veterinarian. Once again, however, his insistence on going his own way and his innate refusal to bow to general expectations came to have an effect on Michael’s decisions about his future studies.

Throughout his time at high school, Michael was determined to follow his dream of becoming a veterinarian, but an extraordinary event abruptly altered his future plans:

“It was on one of my last days at school. I was standing in the hallway reading something about computer studies on a noticeboard when Georg Jensen, my history teacher and careers counsellor, walked past. He stop ped, looked at what I was reading and said: ‘Forget it, Michael, that’s definitely not for you!’ But I was damned if I was going to let him decide!”

So after his exams in 1977, Michael moved to Copenhagen to train as a computer assistant at Københavns Købmandsskole (Copenhagen Commercial College) near Nørreport Station. His decision did not stem exclusively from the desire to prove his history teacher wrong; he actually had a burning desire to find out what the exciting world of computers could provide in the way of opportunities.

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As it turned out, the uncharted universe of computer technology held more opportunities and wider horizons to unexplored territory than Michael could ever have imagined. He discovered a fascinating world packed with challenges and distinguished by enormous potential for development. The keyboard called out to him, and the opportunities open to programmers gripped him so strongly that as soon as he passed his exams he went directly to what was then known as Datacentralen (now named CSC Denmark).

The assignments here were quite simply trail-blazing in the emerging com-puting community. The newly qualified data specialists were being tasked with developing and operating administrative systems for state, county and municipal authorities. It was a new and almost unexplored specialist field that captivated Michael and spurred his sense of commitment. At the same time, it nurtured the budding entrepreneurial spirit that had been with him ever since early childhood.

Michael joined Datacentralen in 1978 and was employed there until 1984 – including four years working abroad in Paris.

In 1980, when the Danish Navy purchased a new radar monitoring system after signing a contract with a French company then called Thomson CSF (now named Thales), Michael seized his chance.

“Under the terms of a political offset agreement, the French company ‘bought’ four Danish programmers – so I became part of an offset package purchased for France. I fought hard for the chance to travel to Paris. There was actually no question of my being given the posting abroad, as I was almost the youngest member of the team. However, I clearly remember feeling that it had to be me. It was almost a physical yearning; I was desperate to make the trip. In fact, I was so determined to go that I had to do a bit of lobbying on my own behalf.”

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Michael smiles, and there his eyes light up with enthusiasm as he explains the manoeuvres he engaged in behind the scenes to set his dream of going to Paris in motion:

“I dutifully followed the application process for the posting in Paris, but there were people with much more experience than me who also wanted the job, so I had to resort to a more underhand approach to secure my pla ce on the team. Simply put, I went to one of my company’s competitors – Terma – and asked for a job. Then I went back to Datacentralen, showed them the job offer I had received from Terma, and told them that I would switch to the competition unless they sent me to Paris. I was soon on my way to France.”

With a grin, Michael stresses that he does things very differently when chasing his dreams today. He explains that he now does everything strictly by the book.

“But I’m still convinced that it is completely fair and almost crucial to think outside the box and bet everything you have if you want to achieve your goals. After all, there’s no law against being shrewd – but nowadays we simply refer to it as thinking strategically,” he laughs.

This is knowledge based on years of experience in the established business community, but he had actually already experienced shattered dreams of travelling abroad before the fairytale of a posting in Paris came true.

Michael had had “itchy feet” ever since he left home, and he had already seen one dream of settling abroad come crashing down.

“During the short time I wanted to be a farmer, I was planning to travel to the United States with a good friend of mine. Denmark was simply too small for me, and I longed to see the world! However, that dream came to

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nothing, so when the chance of travelling to Paris arose, I knew deep down in my soul that it was a matter of now or never. Looking back on it today, I realise that I was prepared to go to great lengths to land the position, precisely because I had previously missed out on the trip I’d planned to the United States. And I felt a sense of urgency, because I was gripped by the sense that the timing was perfect. After all, I didn’t have a wife, children or any obligations at that time.”

Michael spent four exciting and profitable years in Paris, and returned home to Denmark burning with the desire and the courage to create something himself. One thing was absolutely clear to him: going his own way was the path to happiness.

the start of systematic

It had been written in the stars that Michael would end up starting his own business, ever since he spent his summer holidays clipping tulips – or perhaps even from the time he worked stacking shelves in his parents’ grocery shop. In the middle of the 1980s, he made his move. But not alone.

In Michael’s world, the team is indisputably the key to success, so there was no question of his entering the world of entrepreneurship on his own. He decided to set up his first business in inspiring partnership with Allan Schytt. He describes the start of the partnership as follows:

“Søværnets Operative Kommando (the Admiral Danish Fleet HQ) in Aarhus needed to set up and operate a monitoring system, but couldn’t place such a huge order with a single person. I found out that one of my colleagues in Copenhagen was in the same position as me, so I got in touch with him. We agreed to meet at the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen. He said that I would easily recognise him: he would be sitting in a designer chair in the reception area, smoking a filterless cigarette and drinking a premium beer.

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That was how I met Allan for the first time. At the end of our conversation, we had agreed on three things: we were to start a company together; we were to bind ourselves to the partnership for ten years; he was to move to Aarhus. And that was how it went.”

“When it was time for Allan and I to register our company, we came up with all sorts of names for it – ’AM-Data,’ ’MA-Data,’ ’Schytt & Holm EDB’ and ’Holm & Schytt EDB’ – but none of the suggestions sounded right. But then we agreed on ‘INFOP’ (short for Informatik & oplysning – Informatics and Information), and this was the name we registered our company under on 19 August 1985. Unfortunately, ‘INFOP’ in Danish could easily be confused with ‘INFUP’ (In Swindle) or ‘INFLOP’ – neither of which had particularly positive connotations. So shortly afterwards, we changed the name to ‘Systematic Software Engineering,’ which was subsequently shortened to ‘Systematic.’ The fact that some nurses have misheard the name as ‘SisterMagic’ is not really a problem.”

The working relationship with the Royal Danish Navy went so well that six years later the company employed 32 people. But Allan Schytt and Michael continued to set new goals: the IRIS product that Systematic was now supplying to the Danish defence forces could also be sold outside Denmark, they reasoned. As Michael describes it:

“A company without products is a company with no identity. Without products, no profile. And with no products, no exports. That’s why we

michael Holm is head of a company that employs 32 computer en-gineers and computer scientists. He believes that systematic will have to take on additional staff in the future if the company is to remain a leader in its chosen field.

Århus Stiftstidende, 14.01.1992

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Børsen, 07.05.1991

german defence forces purchase danish computer system

The development work is being carried out under top-secret conditions by the Danish company based at the Frichsparken business park in Aarhus.

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at Systematic have always focused on having products. Our first product was IRIS, which made it possible to ensure interoperability between the many different NATO systems. But once we had sold IRIS to the Royal Danish Navy, the number of other potential customers in Denmark was rather limited, so we had to consider export. In other words, it was IRIS that really got Systematic to move outside its own domestic market.”

Systematic turned to England, where Tony Patterson, an external consultant/ dealer, was taken on to work for Systematic. In 1992, a joint company – Systematic Software Engineering Limited – was set up. This was the beginning of a long collaboration between Systematic in Denmark and Tony Patterson. He served as president of Systematic Software Engineering Limited and the company initially operated out of Tony Patterson’s home, until the official opening of an office in the Coliseum Business Centre in Camberley, Surrey, in January 1993.

American soldier testing IRIS in the early 1990s.

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Having an English partner was ideal for Systematic. As Michael pointed out, Systematic wanted to do business in “real English” and not “Danish English.” But as part of a Danish company, Systematic’s English employees originally received weekly tuition in Danish. As Tony Patterson describes it:

”Between October and December, Lynn, Karen, Andrew and I received weekly Danish language lessons from a Danish student who was studying at Farnborough Technical College and lived nearby. But, as you can probably tell, it didn’t help very much.”

Today the official language of the company is English – and Systematic has subsequently established subsidiaries in the U.S. (1995) and Finland (2008).

The prime reason for starting up an office in the U.S. was to create a platform for the sale of IRIS products on the huge U.S. defence market,

Michael demonstrates the IRIS MFS 2 to representatives of the Dutch defence forces at the SHAPE Technical Centre in the Netherlands (1992). Systematic received its first order from the Dutch defence forces in May 1994.

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with the secondary aim of having an office to support software projects in the U.S. The office was located in Fairfax, Virginia. This was chosen because the area is geographically central, both politically and militarily, and many companies in the defence industry have their headquarters there. Paul Skalotos was the first president of Systematic U.S.

AFCEA at Washington Congress Center – Systematic’s first exhibition in the United States, where the company presents IRIS to potential customers. Paul Skalotos, President of Systematic US, can just be seen to the left of the computer. Tony Patterson, President of Systematic UK, has his back to the camera as he talks to representatives of the U.S. Navy (1995).

systematic software engineering, the aarhus-based computer company, has nevertheless succeeded in raising some eyebrows among the afore-mentioned us navy representatives. and even better than that – convincing them to place large orders with the creative experts based in frichsparken. the reason for this is that it has come to the attention of the american forces, via nato, that systematic has been involved in developing the most advanced monitoring system in the world for the danish admiral fleet.


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The companies in England and America were established to create a platform for Systematic sales efforts, but the company in Finland was set up on account of one particular customer. Systematic had won a large contract with the Finnish defence forces, involving the setting up of the MATI2 command and control system for the whole army. If Systematic was to become a strategic supplier to Finland, it would be an advantage to be represented locally. The office chosen was located in a charming area of Tampere, close to Systematic’s Finnish customer. And in 2008, Systematic acquired its first female president when Merja Annala was placed in charge of Systematic Oy.

Allan Schytt chose not to continue the partnership. After almost ten years, he chose to sell off his share in the business and move back to Zealand. Michael recalls with a smile that Allan’s parting comment was: “It’s all on you now – I’m out of here.” Michael stayed, and from 1993 with Alex Holm Jensen and Erik Bank Lauridsen as joint owners.

IrIs user group meetings in the 1990s

1993: 19 participants from 4 countries







facts

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Michal Holm has built up a healthy little company since 1985 and now employs 160 people. The Systematic Software Engineering group comprises divisions in London and Washington.

Photo: Dan Jakobsen

• Systematic Software Engineering A/S describes itself as a company that focuses on complex IT solutions in the field of information and communi-cation systems.

• Systematic was founded in 1985 and grew to employ 100 people in 1997. Today, the company employs 160 people and is constantly on the lookout for new staff.

• Systematic generated a turnover of DKK 80 million in 1997–98, with net profits totalling DKK 3.8 million. The budget for this year forecasts a 30 per cent increase in turnover.

• The company head office and development division are in Århus, Denmark. The group also has a division in Copenhagen and subsidiaries in Great Britain and the United States.


facts

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” I want to be involved in creating a workplace that makes a difference. my ambitions may have grown over the years, but my ultimate aim remains the same – to make a difference. today, however, I am not simply looking to make a difference for a specific customer, but for multiple segments.

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Systematic today

The Royal Danish Navy was Systematic’s first customer, and the other branches of the Danish armed forces soon followed suit. In fact, the Danish defence forces became the predominant customer during the early years of Systematic, and are still a key customer today. Systematic currently supplies advanced command and control products, together with inter-operability and communication products, to numerous units in the Danish defence forces, as well as to customers in more than 40 countries.

From being a company that worked exclusively for the Danish defence forces during its early years, Systematic has now developed into a com-pany with multiple business areas and a wide variety of customers. The expansion of the company’s customer portfolio has, for example, resulted in increased focus on stakeholders in a broader sense.

In its everyday work, the company is now markedly dialogue-oriented and open about its activities. This is a clearly amended strategy, one that has been chosen deliberately, and is rooted firmly in Michael’s desire to make an active contribution to the society of which Systematic is a part.

“Today, we are an extroverted company that is more than willing to open its doors and enter into dialogue with our surroundings about what we are doing. This is a commitment that I enjoy more and more, but which can be rather demanding at times. The reason for this is, in part, that communication is often a challenge on account of the fields in which Systematic does business. These can be quite difficult to understand unless you have the right background for grasping what it is that we actually do.

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Moreover, I’ve learned that some people are offended and scared off by my direct nature and my purposeful attitude. I am working on this, however, and it may be precisely in this area that I can sense that I have matured,” he explains with a smile slightly more subdued than usual.

Systematic is still owned by Alex Holm Jensen (left), Erik Bank Lauridsen and Michael Holm – pictured here in 2009.

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How staff characterise Systematic

Product excellence · Strong on processes · A little naive in relation to partners · Charismatic but emotional management · Keeps its word

Bo Kirkegaard, Senior Manager Business Development

Professional · Modern · Flexible · Caring · Fun

Jacqui Snowdon, Senior Campaign Manager

Competent staff · High-quality products · Partnership with the customer · Long-term plans

Søren Aldenryd, Principal Product Manager

Engineering company · Customer focus · Positive balance – not just financial · Loyalty · Employee focus

Hans Henrik Balshøj, Manager, Business Process Improvement

Long-term perspective · Responsibility/professionalism · Willingness to collaborate · Skill · Willing to take on risks/stubbornness · Openness

Jan Rønlev Nielsen, Senior Project Manager

Informal · Flexible · Skilled colleagues · Work/life-balance · Performance

Dorthe Nørskov, Manager, Compensation & Benefit

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” I believe that we have to go back to basics and hold onto what has always been our core concept – making a difference for our customers. that’s why I am not keen to talk about values – I would much rather talk about behaviour in the company.

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From value-based to behaviour-focused companyIn Michael’s opinion, Systematic has developed from a value-based to a more behaviour-focused company during the 25 years that it has been operating.

“As I see it, it is becoming increasingly clear that we have to focus on explaining what we want our employees to do for our customers, rather than attempting to spell out to them how we want them to view the world. At the end of the day, this is none of our business – it is a purely personal standpoint.

We are not missionaries, but we take into consideration how our employees act – both in relation to each other and in their dealings with our customers. This means that whereas we were previously what you could call a ‘value- based company,’ we have developed into a more behaviour-controlled business. Of course, our behaviour is defined by our values – we have simply shifted the focus. I believe that it will become progressively easier for us to communicate who we are in step with our growing understanding of who our customers are.”

The recognition of a different starting point on which to base the company’s self-perception is a relatively recent one. Michael explains that the simple fact of being in a phase of ongoing development and internal dialogue about the very foundations and aims of the company is crucial to commit-ment among the management. This process, and the ongoing discussions, are essential to the foundations of what members of our management team do and to their capacity to remain “fresh” as business executives.

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“This is something we are all working on – both for ourselves and, to a great extent, as a management team. Considerations of this kind, which you could view as more-or-less philosophical and of little consequence to the actual operation of a company, are actually crucial to ensuring that we as a company do not stagnate and grind to a halt. After all, we must progress and develop constantly, and this makes demands on us as people and managers. Fortunately. Because I love it!” he explains with a grin.

At the more specific level, the discussion about values has had a tangible influence on long-term planning at Systematic – or, more accurately – on the move away from long-term planning:

“Today, we speak in terms of real-time management. Whereas previously we could draw up plans for 4–5 years into the future, and could follow these with a fair degree of confidence, we now rarely know what’s going to happen from one day to the next! Readiness to change has become a core survival skill for us as a company, and this requires a completely different set of management tools. On the one hand, this development really suits my temperament, while on the other, it hurts to have to occasionally shred well-laid plans. I would much rather build things, and am probably both a collector and a front-runner by nature. That’s another reason why it is good that we are a team – it means that we’re in a position to streamline when necessary. This is an area where we – the members of the Systematic management team – supplement one another very neatly.”

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” I love the fact that we at systematic have the chance to do something that makes a difference.”

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Much of the pleasure that Michael draws from his everyday work behind the CEO’s desk stems from contact with the company’s many different customer groups. This is where he focuses a great deal of his time and energy, and he genuinely delights in experiencing the company’s solu-tions in practice.

“Visits to customers give me a real boost. For example, we were invited inside the police headquarters in Copenhagen and an experience like that leav es me walking on air! They had commissioned a Mac solution that was state of the art – one that would have made Jack Bauer green with envy! It was the kind of solution that you could use to conquer the world!”

Broad grin, boyish delight and loud laughter follow this description of a prestigious working relationship with the Copenhagen police force. What really counts for Michael is the immediate contact and the experience of the working relationship with the customer.

“It is important for me to see what our work means to people, and to go out and experience how it’s put to work in the real world. I love the fact

It’s all about making a difference

michael, you’re living proof that great things can be created even in a little country like denmark. You believe in who you are and that you have what it takes to make a genuine contribution.

From Alex Holm Jensen’s anniversary speech to Michael (2010).

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that we have the opportunity to do something that makes a real difference to our customers – that we can see that this is something that we have done. For example, the fight for the clinical information system of the future – which has been raging for ten years – has been worth each and every battle.”

Michael’s enthusiasm and delight in the day-to-day work at Systematic are infectious and rub off on employees at the company as well as on his friends and family. As his wife, Pernille Salling, puts it:

“I am delighted to have met someone who loves the ‘ordinary’ weekdays – after all, these are what we have most of in our lives. It is clear that Michael genuinely delights in going to work every day. I am convinced that this is because he is so driven by the determination to make a difference.”

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Michael in a Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet (2009).

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” When we take our customers out, it’s a bit like being on a date: all you have to do is listen – and you can be sure of a great night!

”

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Close relations with customers

Systematic is a place where the expression “focus on the customer” is more than just a hackneyed cliché. Quite the reverse, it encapsulates the very essence of the company’s self-perception: the company is wholly committed to building up a close relationship with individual customers and making sure to understand their needs in depth. Jan Rønlev Nielsen, Senior Project Manager, who has been with Systematic since 1996, ex-presses it as follows:

“When we get our teeth into an assignment, we hang on until we are finished. Michael is the epitome of the willingness to take risks and of a ‘Can we do it? – yes we can!’ attitude. We often take on more responsibility than is actually laid down in the contract to make sure that the customer gets more than an OK solution. To put it another way, we think in terms of needs rather than stipulated requirements. We don’t act as ‘yes men’ who simply sell customers what they think they want – we take a critical approach and sell them solutions to cover their actual needs. Many years ago, a project we were working on took three times as much time as we had budgeted. Instead of stopping when we reached the original time allocation, Michael pressed on and accepted the loss. Today, the company in question is one of our most loyal customers.”

Systematic focuses consciously on this close relationship with customers, and Michael is happy to share the secret of good customer relations:

“As a technical specialist and developer, it is often tempting to focus on the technology and the assignment rather than on the customer and the

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people who will actually be using the product. We at Systematic put a lot of energy into ensuring that our developers build up a close relationship with the customer. This not only benefits the working relationship, but also fundamentally makes the work more fun in and of itself. The closer we are to the customer, the greater insight we gain and the greater in fluence we can have on the development process.

In my opinion, if you cannot drink a beer with your customer at the end of the day and have a decent chat, then your relationship with your customer is not very good. When we take our customers out, it’s a bit like being on a date: All you have to do is listen – and you can be sure of a great night!

Let’s be honest, no-one is interested in going out for a night with a tech-nical specialist who sits and natters away about his new Java platform or with a bookkeeper whose sole topic of conversation is the intricacies of the latest version of the tax legislation. However, if you can steer the con-versation towards how they can use their knowledge and skill to benefit one’s business, things are sure to become really interesting! You simply have to remember to listen, read and understand the customer before stepping in yourself. This makes it much simpler to decipher what the customer really needs.”

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Morten Tolbøl, Senior Sales Engineer, demon-strates SitaWare to the Danish army (2011).

Customer event – a concert with Andrea Bocelli at Aarhus Stadium (2001).

Mathias Christensen, Systems Engineer, talking to Aarhus Fire Service. The Systematic solution for firefighters was later showcased on the Danish natural sciences TV programme Viden Om (2009).

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In collaboration with the Danish Ministry of Defence, Systematic organised a meeting with the board of the NATO ACCS (Air Command and Control System) programme. The event, held in June 2008, involved 100 participants.Systematic subsequently sponsored a dinner for the delegation at the ARoS Museum of Art in Aarhus, Denmark. The picture shows Michael in conversation with Roger Martin, Head, Plan-ning and Requirements Division (left) and Major General Jaap Willemse, Vice Chairman of the Board (right).

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The MATI2 project for the Finnish army was not as strategically successful for the customer as Systematic might have wished. However, through a combination of a good product and the trade-mark Systematic persistence and stubbornness, the company succeeded in continuing its working relationship with the customer in the form of the FINACCIS project. The picture shows a visit to the customer that has just been rounded off with the traditional “sauna and dinner” combo. From left to right: Colonel Juha Mattila, Colonel Jukka Röyti, Karen Søndergaard, Vice President, Defence Operations, Michael and Markus Savola, Systems Engineer from the Finnish office (2010).

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” I don’t have a particularly academic approach to management. as I see it, behaviour and results mean much more than intellectual phrasing and analyses.

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Creativity and gut instinct

There can be no doubt that Michael is an unconventional business execu-tive in many ways.

Alex Holm Jensen was the other half a close-knit management duo with Michael in the period 1993–2005. Today, he has more of a behind-the-scenes role as chairman of the board, co-owner and professional sounding board. On the subject of their working relationship, Alex Holm Jensen explains:

“Working with Michael has been a fascinating and enriching experience, and no two days were alike. Michael is devoted to challenging existing frameworks – very few people I know are willing to challenge the status quo as regards customers to the extent that Michael does! He bends over backwards to provide customers with the best possible product. How ever, you need to have an open mind to work with Michael – along with the courage to prioritise all the ideas he brings to the table and occasionally make him realise that he cannot have everything done at once!

Michael instinctively enjoys the company of other people. This is some-thing you sense straight away and it generates a positive energy that has brought us a long way together. During the many years that we worked together, Michael always kicked the day off with a loud and clear ‘GOOD MORNING, Alex!’

And then it usually turned out to be a good day.”

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Alex Holm Jensen goes on to relate that one of Michael’s great qualities is that he delights in creating something together with others, at the same time as he has a strong personal urge for action that he wants to live out:

“Michael was born with entrepreneur genes in his DNA, and he has learned to apply them appropriately. It is quite uncommon for an out-and-out entre-preneur to succeed in building up a committed team around him – but Michael is team-oriented in everything he does and believes that everyone should pull together. Our company was voted Danish Entrepreneur Of The Year 2003 and World Entrepreneur Of The Year 2004. One of the aspects that the jury highlighted on both occasions was precisely the remarkable com-bination of entrepreneurial spirit and teamwork that distinguishes the way we work at Systematic.”

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Michael holding the award for Danish Entrepreneur Of The Year 2003. Also pictured here; Alex Holm Jensen and Torben Veis, Vice President, Finance.

News about Systematic winning the World Entrepreneur Of The Year 2004 award also reached the Finnish press:

tanskan yrittäjäfinalisti kehuu Pohjoismaita

Yrittäjyyden maailmanmestaruuskisoihin valmistautuva tanska-lainen Systematic on maansa suurin yksityinen it-yritys. Toimitus-johtaja Michael Holm kehuu Pohjoismaita toimintaympäristönä.

Talous Sanomat, 04.05.2004

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Since that time, Michael has worked closely with Lars Johansson, who was Executive Vice President at Systematic in the period 2005–2011. Whereas Michael was – and still is – the extrovert idea generator, Lars Johansson focused on everyday operations with a clear overview and firm founda-tions as his particular strengths. Lars Johansson says the following about their working relationship:

“I have never met a CEO like Michael. He doesn’t think and act like so many typical executives, who have all read the same books and followed more-or-less identical careers. Michael doesn’t come from an academic background. He hasn’t worked as an ordinary employee in many different

Over the years, Michael and Systematic have won a variety of awards – including the Danish Gazelle award in 1998, 1999 and 2004, the 2004 King Frederik IX Honorary Award for making a valuable contribution to Danish exports, and the 2008 Danish Collaboration Award (Samarbejdsprisen). The picture shows Julian Nettlefold of Battlespace International Defence Magazine presenting Michael with the “Battlespace C4ISTAR Technologies Businessman of the Year Award” (2008).

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companies. But he is a go-getter with a deep pool of practical experience and, let us not forget, he has built up a fantastic business where the primary focus is ‘to make a difference.’

Similarly, Michael is not ‘weighed down’ by the baggage of all kinds of academic models, theories and experience from other companies. Fore-most in his mind are creative ideas focused on customers and employees. He then puts these thoughts into practice at Systematic. He has a brilliant ‘gut feeling’ combined with a fine sense of the right thing to do – and this isn’t something you can get from reading books.”

Jeppe Nielsen was a part of the team from 1992 until 2011 and was Senior Vice President for Defence Systems during the latter part of his time at Systematic. He, too, views Michael as a manager driven by the desire to make a difference, and who often uses his gut feeling as his point of reference:

“Michael is a self-starter, and he has some real strengths in that role. He is strong in innovation and development, and he has had people like Lars to help him get things organised and structured, and generally to make things happen. Michael normally acts on the basis of what he feels. It is true that he considers his decisions carefully, but the decisions he makes are largely defined by his emotions and his gut feeling. This means that on the one hand it is incredibly inspiring to work for Michael, while on the other, you have to be thick-skinned enough to handle a good fight now and again. Michael says what’s on his mind. Then again, I worked for Michael for nearly 20 years, which proves that things are firmly weighted to the positive side and that there are plenty of rewarding experiences. Michael’s clear values were the reason that I stayed with the company for so many years. One of the fundamental values of Systematic is to behave decently. Systematic wants to create good products that make a difference for its customers. The company always abides by its contracts and has never been involved in legal disputes with its customers. The high level of

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integrity and credibility with which Systematic acts towards its customers meant a great deal to me.”

Michael’s management colleagues thus paint a portrait of him as a strong leader governed by values and intuition rather than buttoned-down analysis. This closely resembles his own image of himself regarding his approach to management.

“I don’t have a particular academic approach to management. As I see it, behaviour and results mean much more than intellectual phrasing and analyses – I find them really dull after a while! I am much more oriented towards action than analysis. I want things to happen. I guess I’m more of

The management team at an ice bar in Helsinki. Back row, left to right: Lars Johansson, Torben Veis, the bartender, Jeppe Nielsen, Stig Korgaard, Børge Bossen, Michael and Morten Granum. Front row: Peter Hundborg and Torben’s wife Dorthe (2007).

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the guy who goes with the flow than the one who sits down and draws up a detailed plan from A to Z. This applies both to my management style and to the way I develop ideas and tackle assignments. I can certainly shut myself off for three days to cut an assignment down from 300 pages to 5, but I gen-erally prefer to have people with me so that we can bounce ideas around.”

Moderation and focus on the core of the company’s business – i.e. the delivery to the customer – are thus firmly rooted in the character of Systematic’s founder and owner, even in the field of management. This was firmly brought home to Lars Johansson in 2005 during his first trip abroad with his senior management colleagues:

“It was early in the morning at a hotel in London during my first trip abroad for Systematic. I met Alex and Michael in the lobby. It was pouring with rain. As we were leaving the hotel, I asked whether we were going to have any breakfast. ‘Not here’ was the reply. They explained to me that it was far too expensive to eat breakfast at the hotel, so we’d buy something to eat at the station before we took the train to our next meeting. The train? I was astounded. I was on the point of asking why we weren’t taking a taxi or a limo, but I never had the chance.

Alex and I had to rush off after Michael, who had hurried on ahead with the tickets, walking through the rain that he seemed not to notice. After we’d been on the train for a while, Michael noticed that we were going the wrong way. So we had to get off, and found ourselves at a small station somewhere in England in the pouring rain. Still clutching the brown paper bags containing our breakfast. The Systematic management team was on a field trip!

This episode is an excellent example of the corporate culture and the value set that defines Systematic. Everyone here is on an equal footing, and I really respect Michael and Alex for holding onto that concept.”

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Michael has kept an eye on what is known as Systematic’s ”provincial attitude to expenses” from the very start. Jens Peder Rasmussen, who has worked for Systematic for more than 20 years and is currently Director, Clinical Information Systems, cites the following example as proof:

“We were attending an international conference in Munich, and at that time, top-class hotels were the natural setting for events of this kind. And so it was in Munich. However, none of us had ever stayed at a 5-star hotel before. We didn’t know anything about the facilities they offered, so we hadn’t even considered the possibility that there might be a swimming pool there. In other words, none of us had brought swimming trunks with us. The foundations for what was later to be called our ‘provincial attitude to expenses’ were laid way back then. Michael didn’t think it was financially viable for us to invest in new swimming trunks – ‘You already have trunks at home,’ as he put it. ‘We must be able to rent some from re-ception, surely. I’ll just go and check.’ Now the thing is that Michael isn’t exactly fluent in German, so he strode into a packed lobby in one of the finest hotels in the city and announced – in a loud, clear voice and with great conviction: ’Guten Tag, können ich eine par badehosen verheiraten?’ (‘Good morning, I would like to marry a swimming costume, if I may’).”

And Jeppe Nielsen adds:

“In the early years, we always drove to visit customers in southern Germany, because there was no room in the budget for plane tickets. On the other hand, Michael is not at all averse to taking risks, and will happily invest millions if he believes in something. He can actually do something for no other reason than he thinks it’s a good idea.”

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Systematic celebrations are not limited to its own anniversaries – the company celebrates those of its employees, too. The picture shows Michael holding a speech for two 15-year “veterans” – Tage Lund (left), Senior Sales Engineer and Anders Goul Nielsen (right), Vice President Business Development & Operations, Healthcare (2011).

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To celebrate Systematic’s 25th anniversary, the management team in Aarhus formed “Karen and the Supremes.” The band’s repertoire consisted of covers of Grace Jones’ “Pull Up To The Bumper,” Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Let’s Groove” and Gasolin’s “Rabalderstræde.” To watch the performance (again), visit YouTube and search for “Systematic, Rabalderstræde” or “Systematic, Lets groove tonight” (2010).

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” We’re both in it to win. lars sleeps with spread-sheets, and I sleep with a dream or a vision of our products and solutions.

”

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A perfect pairing

The senior management at Systematic is united in its commitment to main taining the company’s focus on its visionary approach. There is a shared field of interest that ensures sensitivity to the market and devel-op ments in the world around the company, and this assures a keen eye for new business opportunities. Up until the end of 2011, the senior management of Systematic comprised Michael and Lars Johansson.

“The pairing with Lars meant a great deal to me, and we have the same fundamental view on many things. You could say that Lars is much more of a Buddhist than I am – but he is a very profit-oriented one!”

Michael accompanies this outline of his management partner with a laugh, and goes onto explain his former colleague’s rather unexpected character trait:

“Lars has won the Danish Karate Championship in kumite several times, and he approaches every form of combat – in every field – with the same high-impact approach and steely discipline. Whenever we go into a fight, we’re both in it to win. Lars sleeps with spreadsheets, and I sleep with a dream or a vision of our products and solutions. We both want every-thing to look good – it has a lot to do with our branding. And that has to be absolutely right.

Lars is extremely good at selling. He focuses on the present, while I tend to look at what is to happen tomorrow or the next day. In that sense, we complement each other perfectly – in fact, I would go so far as to say that we made the ideal couple.”

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Lars Johansson characterises Michael as a team player through and through – and that approach has been deployed in the company from top to bottom:

“Michael is full of ideas, but he is also extremely action-oriented. He realised from the very start of the business that it is a good idea to work in teams and to work with people who have skills other than those you possess yourself. By way of an example, the executive management and the management team have always featured a range of skills and com-petences that supplement each other.

In addition to working in the defence forces and at a range of other companies, I have also enjoyed a long career as an individual athlete. Due to my background in the defence sector and in other, more con-ventional businesses, I found it both refreshing and a challenge to have worked in a company as team-oriented as Systematic.

At Systematic, it is not enough simply to say ‘We have decided that …’ The culture at the company means that it’s OK to ask questions and dig for explanations of the decisions that are made. This approach is exciting from every perspective, and it allows you to develop both personally and professionally.”

Lars Johansson describes Michael’s creativity and in many ways unusual interaction with his employees and colleagues as follows:

“Much of what Michael does is innovative, creative and different. He can see things that we others tend to overlook, and often comes up with a ‘third way’ – a way that is very different from our original idea or proposal. Holding meetings with Michael is a challenge in many ways and often inspiring – you never know precisely when something ‘smart and inspiring’ will come up during the meeting – so you have to stay on your toes at all times! Michael’s brain is sometimes way ahead of his

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mouth, so you find yourself having to guess the last part of a sentence he thinks he has finished. Or you have to know him so well that you can follow his train of thought.

Systematic is in the fortunate position that it has a staff of skilled and gifted employees. In fact, you have to possess appreciable knowledge or insight and experience to make a difference at our company. In addition, you have to be able to thrive in an organisation with a figurehead who never passes up an opportunity to highlight values, clear attitudes and creative ideas to a significant extent. On the other hand, these conditions are precisely what make Systematic such a special place to work.”

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” there is no room for organisational politics in my world – only straight lines and clear agreements.”

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The direct route

In his dedicated striving to achieve results, meet deadlines and minimise errors, Michael often takes the direct route, circumventing the hierarchies, organisational structures and established work routines that most com-panies are committed to following slavishly. It is an approach that can sometimes cause confusion and even frustration among new employees and mid-level managers, who are not used to the unconventional work pro cedures that distinguish Systematic.

“First and foremost, I want to break with the received perception that company executives are people you have to look up to and that you have to dress smartly when you want to talk to them. To me, this is simply an unconstructive obstacle. I guess I’m a little atypical on this point, but I want my employees to feel that they can always come into my office and talk to me if there is something on their minds, or if they have input for the process. There is no room for organisational politics in my world – only straight lines and clear agreements. I seriously believe that you need to talk things through, and I have no time at all for the hierarchical mindset. It makes no difference to me whether I am talking to a software developer or a vice president. All that matters to me is reaching the goal. Together. It is a shared commitment. In this context, it doesn’t matter whether you are a manager or an employee – in fact, it is utterly irrelevant.

I’ve had to learn to understand that when you delve down into the organisation and do what I call ‘deep dives’, then you will inevitably bypass some mid-level managers and skip some procedures. But that’s

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the way it is. I want to be involved at several levels. Some employees come over to chat and invite me to meetings – others never do. I some-times tease them by asking if there’s something wrong with their coffee. New employees probably view this as a type of involvement they have never experienced before. To me, it’s the fuel that is essential for driving development in the company.”

Even though Michael does some “deep dives” and uses them as fuel, he has gradually been obliged to accept that he cannot be personally involved in every single process. It took some time for this realisation to sink in. Joan Frislev Rønde, receptionist from 1996 to 2008, relates:

“In 1996, when Systematic still had under 100 employees, Michael wanted to influence everything, including the way we – the reception staff – had our computers set up. He often came into reception to ‘correct’ our settings, and then we ‘corrected’ them back as soon as he left. One day I was at the reception desk. Michael was waiting for some visitors, so he decided to use the time to crawl under the reception desk to check my computer – because the problem with the settings had to be there! Unfortunately, his guests arrived and came up to the reception desk while he was still under it! I bent down and informed him politely that his guests had arrived: ‘You can come out now, Michael, your visitors are here’!”

According to Jeppe Nielsen, it is a challenge for Michael that he has a desire to become involved at multiple levels:

“Michael has been sitting on top of an anthill that has grown and grown, so he has had to redefine himself and his role many times since the com-pany was founded back in 1985. In the early days, he had a staff of 20 people, so he could pretty much have a finger in every pie. Then he found himself with a staff of 200 and began to realise that he couldn’t be every-where at once. Systematic now employs 500 people and he has, of course,

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accepted that he simply cannot be involved at all levels. However, it is hard for him to have to give some of his ‘lifeblood’ to others. In his heart, he will always be an entrepreneur – no matter how big the company grows around him.”

Pernille Salling agrees with this observation. The CEO of Systematic is not driven by thoughts of prestige or social ambition, but by the desire to generate results – and the delight in doing so with his colleagues and friends. She explains:

“I think that Michael has been driven to climb higher and higher; I don’t think this is something he has consciously sought out or striven to achieve. Michael is a ‘relationship person’ through and through, he draws his energy from relationships and loves to keep his finger on the pulse. He delights in participating in all the social meetings and events at Systematic that he can manage to squeeze into his busy working days.”

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The staff of Systematic DK (2005).

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The staff of Systematic UK (2006).

The staff of Systematic US (2010).

The staff of Systematic FI (2009).

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It’s ok to make a mistake, as long as we learn from it and don’t repeat it.”

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Straight talking

For a passionate perfectionist, presentations to customers – and the dead-lines associated with these – can often be quite a challenge. As a result, things can sometimes become quite heated at the company head office on Søren Frichs Vej in Aarhus, Denmark.

“I know that I can be quite direct and blunt in getting my point across. Particularly when I’m passionately involved. On the other hand, I never have a hidden agenda. I do have a temper, though, and I’m sure that people sometimes interpret the way I express my commitment as a bawling out – but it isn’t.”

This frank admission covers the fact that diplomacy in leadership is not exactly Michael’s strongest suit. That is why it is important to him to separate temper and emotions in that context:

“The fact is that I never get personal in my relationship to my work and my employees. I’m just not all that good at sugar-coating my opinions. Quite the reverse – I call things like I see them. Of course, I do make a real effort to say what I mean politely, but occasionally my commitment and my desire to steer the project to a successful conclusion run away with me.

It’s ok to make mistakes at systematic – as long as you learn from them.

Hans Henrik Balshøj”

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So it’s lucky that I don’t have any problems with saying sorry,” he says with a laugh, and continues:

“What is more, I hate to lose – which is probably not my most attractive character trait. Nevertheless, I think that if we have given absolutely everything we have, then it’s OK to lose – in spite of everything. And of course there’s nothing wrong with losing to someone who has done a better job than us. Full respect to them for that. We just have to work out why we lost and scrape together all the knowledge we can to make sure we do better the next time. Whatever happens, we simply cannot lose and then curl up in a corner and feel sorry for ourselves.” Michael Holm thinks for a moment before summing up:

“It’s OK to make a mistake, as long as we learn from it and don’t repeat it.”

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” I believe that we at systematic can make a difference through shared input. our employees should not simply be driven by the desire to earn money, they should also genuinely want to create results that are important to a large group of people.

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Team-based workplace with a capital TWhen looking at other companies, Michael Holm notices a much higher degree of focus on individual performance, and he is well aware that Systematic stands out in this regard. Michael is not impressed by individualists. Not at all. Working at Systematic is teamwork pure and simple, and you have to be a team player to fit in with both the spirit of the company and its procedures.

“In my opinion, there is no room for I in a company. Here, we talk about we and us. I can be wrong – but we succeed. That is why we work in teams at Systematic. When we have decided to move a rock, we all lift together.”

This perception is shared by the staff, as Jan Rønlev Nielsen explains:

“We’re happy to talk about our processes and systems, but I think that our company culture is what’s most important. We have built up a culture that allows us to attract incredibly skilled employees who, despite their individualism, are very helpful and have mastered the art of working together for the good of the team. As I see it, this is the key factor in our success.”

The importance of well-functioning teams is highlighted again and again, although there is still some focus on individual employees. As Michael makes clear:

“It’s only natural that some stars shine more brightly than others, and these stars should naturally be given more responsibility. However, I have

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Systematic’s first CMMI 5 certification. The picture shows the Appraisal Team. Holding the certificate are Kent A. Johnson (SEI-certified SCAMPI High Maturity Lead Appraiser) and Margaret K. Kulpa. From left to right: Jan Reher, Palle Klærke Christensen, Jesper Bennike, Morten Erenbjerg and Mogens Nimand Thomsen (2005).

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a real problem with all those talent programmes that are so popular at the moment and focus so specifically on individual performance. Of course, I realise that it can create a dilemma from time to time because we at Systematic are also keen to work with career planning for each individual member of staff. But I think that in the long term it is counterproductive to highlight certain employees in relation to others – and it really doesn’t suit a company like Systematic. That’s why we don’t use conventional talent development programmes but apply other methods in the development of our employees. After all, one of the non-negotiable requirements that we make on ourselves and each other here at Systematic – both as managers and employees – is that we have to develop and improve.”

“I sometimes think that we’re losing the plot with all the ‘packages’ we give each other. For example, I have absolutely no time for the ‘golden handshakes’ that people receive after they leave a company just a few years after they joined it – and after having received training, a fat salary and all kinds of praise and recognition while they were there. It seems that everyone is only interested in looking after number one, and that no-one has any time for creating shared results that make a difference. And this couldn’t be farther away from what I believe in!

I believe that we at Systematic can make a difference through shared input.Our employees should not simply be driven by the desire to earn money, they should also genuinely want to create results that are important to a large group of people.

time for long-term relationships with public sector customers and uncompromising focus on quality are a couple of the key ingredients for the work at systematic. Private ownership and investment in cmmI certification play key roles in this context.

Computerworld, 03.09.2011

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Our office in Aarhus is a giant development centre where we draw strength from working together. In contrast, our smaller department in Copenhagen is more of a consultancy centre staffed by employees from whom we require strong individual performance. We have consciously separated these two cultures, and our solution works very well indeed. However, I still view Systematic as a united and integrated unit – irrespective of whether the staff are geographically based in Tampere, Sleaford, Camberley, Centreville, Copenhagen or Aarhus.”

Alex Holm Jensen views Michael’s genuine desire to participate on equal terms with everyone else as a rare trait:

“Michael is one of the few business managers I know who is happy to sit in the middle of the table. Most bosses demand a place at the head of the table, but not Michael – and there is a lot of symbolism there. He wants to be in the thick of things, where everything’s happening. He wants to take part in the discussions and be a part of the team.”

When we set ourselves a goal, we achieve it

One positive consequence of Michael’s insistence on participating at multiple levels in the processes is that Systematic is seldom plagued by the inertia that affects many other companies. Systematic has proved time and time again that it can come up with an off-beat and innovative idea and bring projects to fruition that would have floundered at other companies. The desire to reach the goal and the courage to take the lead constitute one of the cornerstones of the very special spirit that permeates Systematic, and which the management of the company is keen to nurture and support.

Søren Aldenryd, who has been with the company since 1994, cites the following example:

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“At a time when there was a lot of pressure on the project for an advanced clinical information system to straighten out its performance, a meeting had been set up with the executive board of Aarhus County shortly after Christ mas, where we were to explain whether we could sort out the problems. Michael summed up the situation in the following statement: ‘There will be other Christmases, but we won’t see this 15 January again.’ Our team under-stood what their boss was saying and delivered the goods. Michael has a sense for what’s important, and it is smartest to follow his lead.”

In contrast, the axe soon falls on anyone who is not prepared to go the extra mile:

“When we at Systematic set ourselves a goal, we achieve it. Full stop. So I have no problem with firing a highly paid employee who isn’t doing his very best and working as hard as he or she can to come up with solutions.”

Henrik Jespersen, Vice President Sales & Marketing, Healthcare Systems, is a relatively new member of the Systematic team. In his view, the com-pany is a hotbed of creativity but makes high demands as well:

“As a ‘new face’ at Systematic you are struck by an extraordinary level of camaraderie, creativity and innovation. The offices on Søren Frichs Vej are a hive of activity – and this spirit is personified in Michael. But you also have to prove your worth here. Most of the staff are very highly qualified and you have to put forward good arguments to justify your decisions. This is something else that comes from Michael.

In addition, Michael has a fantastic ability to live out and demonstrate the collective spirit that distinguishes Systematic. He can enchant a group with his charisma, drive, ideas and entertaining anecdotes. And it is precisely that ability that singles him out from most of the other business executives I’ve met.”

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I think it’s disrespectful to refer to people as resources.”

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At Systematic, areas such as employee development and care are covered by the concept of People & Culture – and this is no accident. Michael explains:

“We never use the word ‘resources’ about staff at Systematic. In my view, ‘resources’ are something you buy, use and throw away, so I think it’s disrespectful to use that term to refer to people. A computer or a telephone is a resource. Our employees are people with talents, skills, opportunities and dreams, and it is the company’s responsibility to contribute to deve loping and caring for them. People are not resources, they are not something you can simply use and then discard. That is why I have never been particular-ly keen on using the concept of Human Resources. You may consider that an insignificant detail, but it is this kind of small detail that makes a big difference to me.

The most important thing to me is to ensure that Systematic provides its staff with decent opportunities to develop their skills. It is absolutely crucial for a workplace that the people employed there feel that they can grow, develop and improve in their work. The more training we can give to people, the more attractive they become on the market – and the harder we have to work to keep a hold of them and to grow as a company. It is simultaneously very simple and very healthy – for us as a company, too. It keeps us on our toes.

Systematic is a knowledge-based workplace where, in principle, you are always working, even when you’re not at the office. You can never switch

Employees – and resources

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off completely when you’re not working, there are always ideas bouncing around in your head. And so there should be – otherwise you’re in the wrong job.”

Since the very start of the company, developing employees (and challen-ging them) has been a parameter that the management has used actively to measure success. For this very reason, Systematic was one of the first companies in Denmark to start working with “intellectual capital accounts.” The goal was to gain insight into the “soft” values that can only be read off indirectly from the bottom line, such as the employees’ skills, knowledge and overall levels of satisfaction.

“I found it difficult to understand why an investment of, say, a million kroner in training was an expense that had a negative impact on our

Systematic won the award for the Best Intellectual Capital Accounts in Denmark in 2000.

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financial results, whereas a corresponding investment in new computers was an expense we could depreciate. It’s quite simply an old-fashioned and outdated approach.”

responsibility for our staff

Whereas Michael has no problems at all with firing a highly paid employ-ee who is not doing his very best and working as hard as he can to come up with solutions, the situation is quite different when it comes to those employees he characterises as “employees with less education and a lower salary.” He attributes his reticence in such situations to the special respon-sibility he believes that he is obliged to take on as the President & CEO of a company that employs almost 500 people. It is a responsibility that has to be taken seriously – and one that has to be borne in mind occasionally when it is time to make decisions that can have serious consequences for the company’s employees.

Lars Johansson also depicts Michael as a manager who feels great respon-sibility for the people who work at the company:

In denmark, the trade ministry has asked 20 companies to produce intellectual-capital reports for three years in order to try to set guidelines. one of these, a small software company called systematic, publishes information such as customer satisfaction; the education and average age of its staff (83% under 40); and investment in innovation (10.2% of turnover). michael Holm, one of the firm’s three owners, says that devising the accounts has been ‘very fruitful: we can now see how something that affects the customer affects the employee and vice versa’

The Economist, June 12th–18th 1999

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“One time, I was driving with Michael through a small town on Zealand where there were a lot of streetlights. All of a sudden Michael said: ‘You know how many people live in this town? That’s how many people we’re responsible for. We don’t just have responsibility for our employees, but for their families as well. And that’s a whole lot of people.’ That comment says a lot about Michael. He doesn’t employ ‘resources’ but colleagues with families – and this is a responsibility he takes literally and seriously.”

Michael remembers the occasion clearly:

“That’s true. I remember thinking that it’s a town like this we run at Systematic. I’ve held onto that thought. I don’t consider myself a father figure by any means, but I do feel that we have a responsibility towards our employees.”

Each year Systematic hosts different events for employees and their families – here the traditional slå katten af tønden (“hit the cat out of the barrel”) Shrovetide celebration (2010).

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For many years, Systematic has entered several teams for the DHL relay race event in Mindeparken (Aarhus). Allan Iversen, Facility Manager, almost storms the fence at dawn – in classic Danish festival-goer tradition – to secure the best possible spot for the Systematic marquee: right next to the finishing straight (2008 and 2009).

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The company Christmas party, 1997. The British company contributed to the entertainment, in-cluding this event for three teams. From left to right: Paul Skalotos/Susan Green, Tony Patterson/Nicky Scrivner and Michael/Jacqui Snowdon. Jacqui Snowdon relates: “I got Michael Holm – so they had to bring three telephone books from the reception for me to stand on so I could reach. It was a great opportunity to force feed them cake in the face and beer. And more beer. And more beer. And then, out loud, off script, after all the beer Michael shouts: ‘Oh my God, I need to go to the toilet!’ So without thinking my hands went down to his trousers and I unzipped his flies in front of the entire company. The place erupted into laughter, from Michael, too, thank goodness. And that’s my favourite Michael Holm story.”

at a christmas party back in our wild young days, michael Westergaard and I got so drunk and so stupid that we decided to tell the boss how the company should be run – an object lesson in how not to succeed in business. However, michael took it all in good part, and at every christmas party since he has come over to michael Westergaard and me to ask – with a twinkle in his eye – if we have anything to say to him. It’s become a light-hearted christmas tradition.

Jan Rønlev Nielsen

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Christmas party at Systematic, Aarhus (2009).

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” I speak my mind because I think that we as a soci e ty do things wrong sometimes, and because I belie ve that you can influence development in a specific direction if you get involved in the debate.

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Extrovert and dialogue-orientedA lively debate often arises when Michael mixes it up with professional opinion-builders who either cannot or will not understand the ideas behind his passionate involvement in both his company and society in ge neral, and the foundations for it all.

Michael loves to throw himself into debates but finds it difficult to get along with people poorly qualified to take part in the discussion or with professional sceptics and critics in the public debate.

“I simply don’t understand it when people have the preconceived notion that company owners cannot seriously be committed to making a difference – for society, for every one of us – when we are genuinely interested in making a difference for the world of which we are a part. That is why I have a problem with people who don’t play straight or who have hidden agendas. I love debates with political opinion- builders, with the proviso that everyone involved shows respect with regard to accepting each other’s fundamental goal of making a contribution and making the existing situation better. And when I say ‘better,’ I mean better for everyone. It’s not a matter of me and my colleagues in the upper echelons of Systematic getting richer. I couldn’t care less about that. But we have to strive and push ourselves to the limit to make a noticeable difference. This is something I have noticed that representatives of the fourth estate – i.e. the critical press – often find very hard to understand or believe. I think it’s a shame, because we need each other if we are to shake up some of the fundamental structures in the world around us.”

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For three years, Systematic awarded the “Systematic Art Prize” in collaboration with the ARoS Museum of Art. The award was presented to artists working with new and innovative idioms, such as video, images or installation work. The recipients were Birgit Johnson and Hanne Nielsen (2004), Søren Lose (2005) and Jeppe Hein (2006). In connection with the award ceremony, Systematic sponsored free admission to ARoS for everyone interested.

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The reason why Systematic started out as a discreet operation was that Michael was nervous about activist groups:

“In the mid-1980s, I was terrified about the extremely active women from the Danish group that called itself ‘Kvinder for Fred’ (Women for Peace), who had the rather disconcerting habit of throwing red paint at cars. I had read and heard numerous stories about them, and I was pretty sure that they didn’t approve of our work for the defence forces at that time. As I had just bought a brand new car – an Opel 1300 S – I was naturally very cautious about communicating our working relationship. However, since Denmark’s involvement in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan has raised the profile of the Danish defence forces in the media as well as in people’s general awareness, we’ve had no problem at all with stating that the defence forces are an important customer for Systematic. I’m delighted with this development. The people who work in the Danish defence forces make a personal contribution and take great risks for the benefit of us all. This entitles them to the greatest possible respect, and I am proud to be their partner.”

Very few people who know Michael would claim that he is loathe to en-gage in political and value-based discussions – quite the reverse, in fact.

michael Holm is a larger-than-life figure in many respects. He has founded one of the most successful companies in Århus and has retained the ability to think outside the box and about matters beyond the scope of his own company – namely, about the local community in Århus.


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When Michael was voted “Businessman of the Year” in Aarhus for 2010, Nicolai Wammen, Mayor of Aarhus, who was in China at the time, sent an audio file praising the award winner for his visionary approach:

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Headlines about Systematic

Århus software impressesÅrhus Stiftstidende, 14.01.1992

We cannot live off yesterday’s solutionsJob Danmark, 23.11.1997

accounts for the employees’ intellectual capitalJyllands-Posten, 31.03.1999

going gets tough for systematic in the usÅrhus Stiftstidende, 04.02.2000

software for hostilities and healthComputerworld, 03.09.2010

systematic revolutionises hospital ItBørsen, 28.02.2000

Half the staff cycle to workComputerworld, 07.11.2000

smart employees can manage themselvesErhvervsbladet, 09.05.1997

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Michael has friends from all areas of the political spectrum. He fundament-ally disagrees with some of them, but respects their different opinions and hugely enjoys the recurring discussions he has with them. As he sees it, they constitute an ongoing process of sharpening and developing his own views, and in this regard they challenge both his own and other people’s deeply rooted norms and attitudes. In practice, this is reflected in the open door policy he maintains in relation to politicians both in Denmark and elsewhere in the world. Michael is more than happy to welcome politicians from both wings of the political spectrum.

“Politicians with extremely diverse views have visited us over the years – from the left wing and the right wing, and, of course, from every stand-point in between,” he declares enthusiastically.

“I’m delighted to debate issues with them, and I particularly want to show them what our company works with on an everyday basis. They need input from us, and we’re heavily dependent on their understanding reality as viewed from our perspective. Likewise, these discussions provide us with a lot of insight into the whys and wherefores of what they say and do,” he explains.

One of the cornerstones of the spirit and value set that Michael has pionee red, and which characterizes Systematic, is that everyone should feel welcome. Systematic is and will continue to be an extrovert and dialogue-oriented workplace that is happy to make space and provide a venue for dialogue between a wide range of different power players and stakeholders. Michael explains:

“Something I learned when I was growing up is that you can talk to and make deals with all kinds of customers, irrespective of their political leanings, size or whatever. Everyone should feel welcome. And if we can influence any politicians and business leaders in a specific direction, then I think it is fun, interesting and enriching to enter into a discussion.”

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Helge Sander, Danish Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation (2010).

Søren Gade, Danish Minister of Defence (2010).

Kristian Jensen, Danish Minister of Taxation (2009).

Gitte L. Bech, Danish Minister of Defence (2011).

Bent Hansen, Chairman of the Danish Regions org. (2010).

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Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Prime Minister of Denmark (2010).

Laura Hay, Councillor for Technology and the Environment in Aarhus (2010).

Henry Kissinger, former U.S. Secretary of State (2005).

Louise Gade, Mayor of Aarhus (2005).

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Michael’s insistence on always being honest and genuinely committed to the contexts in which he is involved is something that both Pernille Salling and Lars Johansson highlight. As Pernille Salling puts it:

“In my opinion, Michael is always the same person. There is never any play- acting, regardless of whether we are at an official business lunch or simply having a quiet dinner with family and friends. He is generally a very direct and intuitive person. If he believes in something he’ll fight tooth and nail for his opinions! He can sometimes make a bit of a s pectacle of himself, but fortunately he can look back and laugh at himself afterwards.”

And Lars Johansson adds:

“Michael is always himself and one of a kind. I guess we’ve all seen how a change comes over some people when they’re in the company of well-known politicians, successful businessmen or military top brass. They tie themselves in knots to behave correctly and say the ‘right’ things – or at least make sure that they’re not caught out saying something non-PC or otherwise inappropriate. Michael has no time for this kind of falseness. He is who he is. No matter whether he is with a head of state or a Systematic employee. It makes no difference.

Michael treats everyone the same. It is a gift and a mark of courage, which becomes a value in itself for a company like Systematic. It is a character trait I prize very highly in Michael – both as a person and as a partner.”

Michael is delighted to enter into dialogue with people, and he is keen to contribute to the debate, sometimes with outspoken and controversial views.

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“I speak my mind because I think that we as a society do things wrong sometimes, and because I believe that you can influence development in a specific direction if you get involved in the debate. We live in a demo-cratic society with politicians who are elected by the people and who are therefore obliged to listen to the people. I want a dialogue with them, and I want to challenge and be challenged!”

It initiator

Michael is more than willing to air his views about the IT industry in contexts related to the sector, and has no problem at all in challenging the industry’s own view of itself by launching a debate – always with the aim of engaging in fruitful dialogue and finding a new angle.

He is therefore an active participant, both in the sector association for the defence industry in the Confederation of Danish Industry, where he is a tireless ambassador for the industry in relation to politicians and society in general, and when it comes to giving other people the opportunity to create something and make a difference themselves. Michael is also one of the original driving forces behind the Alexandra Institute in Aarhus, Denmark, and has played an active role in promoting research, develop-ment and education in applied information technology. This involvement gels neatly with his passionate interest in IT, which also explains why he devotes time to acting as a mentor for newly started IT companies.

at a ‘town hall’ meeting a few years ago, michael said that he wanted to tell us something that we were not to repeat to anyone outside the company. at that time we were deep in negotiations with different companies about our new headquarters. I was fascinated with his confidence in us to keep our lips sealed.

Dorthe Nørskov

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“The IT industry shouldn’t be dependent on subsidies, it should be viable in and of itself. IT is no longer a young industry – it is now grown up and mature. Naturally, it has become more ‘hard core’ and competitive over the years, but this is very healthy. Instead of talking about what subsidy we can get for this, that and the other, I would much rather focus on how we can help the industry with the tools we, as a sector, have in our tool-box. It is absolutely crucial to me that our sector can stand on its own two feet – only then will we become a worthy partner with a strong voice that people listen to with respect.”

Alex Holm Jensen views Michael’s involvement in the development within IT as unique:

“Michael is one of the very few people to have become actively involved in the interaction between the public sector and the private sector business community. When privately owned companies talk to local and regional authorities, their approach is often along the lines of: ‘This is what we need, now what can you do for us?’ That is the typical business community attitude. But it is not Michael’s. He prefers to ask: ‘What can we do together?’ He has an extraordinary ability and a desire to integrate skills from both sides and to focus on what we can develop together. He is well aware that research helps to move a company like Systematic forward, so he doesn’t just want to be a passive spectator to development – he wants to get involved and influ-ence it. That is why he was one of the originators of the Alexandra Institute, which stands today as successful proof of a joint private/public initiative.”

His energy and passionate commitment have made him famous throughout denmark, a person who has worked tirelessly for close collaboration between the private business community and research and education institutions.

Jyllands-Posten Århus, 21.07.2007

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In connection with the founding general meeting for the Alexandra Institute, the Danish newspaper Århus Stiftstidende wrote: “Smooth birth for the Alexandra Institute” and published this picture: (left to right) Morten Kyng, Director of CIT (from the initiator group), Michael (President), Agner Hansen, Preben Mejer and Thor Lund Jensen.

Photo: Søren Gylling

• The objective of the Alexandra IT association is to promote research, development and training in applied information technology.

• Together with a number of other stakeholders, the association owns all the shares in Alexandra Instituttet A/S and works to promote its business.

• The association is not to demand any share in the profits or any other finan cial dividend from the institute’s activities.


facts

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” I’ve never worked for my own gain. If I had, I’d have sold the business long ago.

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The long-term results

From his own perspective and according to the managers with whom he has formed partnerships, Michael is always focused on the long-term results. One good illustration of this is the clinical information system project that has been underway for ten years and only recently reached its successful conclusion. Over the years, Michael has been unshakable in his belief in the trail-blazing qualities of this product. Moreover, he has succeeded in maintaining his belief in the product – and his patience with the implementation – to such an extent that the customer, too, despite a string of obstacles, has been won over and fully believes in the unique perspectives and quality of the product.

The will to succeed and reach the finishing line has borne fruit today, where Systematic’s integrated clinical information system has become one of the most widespread solutions in Denmark, and has garnered high acclaim both from Danish politicians and international observers.

“We can now see that all the hard work we put into the clinical informa tion system has paid off. We refused to give up and we kept faith in the project. When we started off, we were part of a team of six tenderers and partners. Most of the others dropped out as the project progressed. Systematic kept at it, and today I am delighted that we did. Our ambition has always been to create the best system of its kind in Denmark and to make a difference at international level in the long run. This is one of the things that commands a lot of my professional attention at the moment.”

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Bo Kirkegaard has worked at Systematic since 1998 and spent some time on the clinical information system project:

“We started the clinical information system project up in collaboration with an external partner. We agreed that a long-term investment was required. As it turned out, our partner’s definition of ‘long term’ was just three months. For us at Systematic, it’s been more than ten years so far! Systematic is one of the very few companies involved that is still owned by the original founder. This means we are in a unique position of being able to take the long-term view because we don’t have to be sure to please the share market every quarter.”

The clinical information system is demonstrated to Astrid Krag, Danish Minister of Health, at Randers Regional Hospital (2011).

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Henrik Jespersen, is one of the company’s employees who previously knew Michael in the role of competitor. As such, he is no stranger to Michael’s iron will when it comes to projects he believes in and is passionate about: “When I was employed by a competing company, I viewed it as both hard work – bordering on frustrating – and utterly fascinating to go up against a man like Michael. He just keeps on investing time, money and prestige. He always adopts the long-term view of the projects he takes on, and he keeps on going long after most other people would have given up. When he lays down a line, he follows it through to the finish! And that makes it extremely tiring to take him – and Systematic – on.”

Even though developments have made it harder to plan for the long-term, Lars Johansson believes that Michael still manages to maintain his focus on the long-term results:

“Michael’s primary focus is not the numbers. He would much rather make a long-term qualitative investment than focus on a short-term profit simply to satisfy external stakeholders or to take the easier path.

Not long after I joined Systematic, I had an idea about how we could streamline the business and cut some costs. Michael’s response was ‘Yes, that’s a really great model. Let’s do it! Because it’ll give us more funds to invest in product development.’ That is typical of Michael’s way of thinking. Back then, I would have been focusing on how much Systematic could increase its profits each year, but Michael always takes the long-term and visionary approach.”

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to me, money is a tool – not an end in itself.”

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Natural growth

Michael has never wanted to create everything on his own. He wants to be a co-owner of the idea and to share in the responsibility, but his interest lies firmly in the common goal rather than in the individual recognition. That is why pretty much everything Systematic has created has been borne of or ga-nic growth. The company has grown naturally without major acquisi tions, and Michael’s view is that you should pay your own way as far as possible – because that lets you decide for yourself. Which is the whole point.

“I did not set up this company for money’s sake. To me, money is a tool – not an end in itself. I am actually asked quite often why I don’t simply sell off the company, float Systematic on the stock exchange, retire, buy a huge house and live a life of luxury. But why would I want to do that? My goal isn’t to earn a stack of money and then take it all out of the business; it’s to succeed in our projects. Of course, I do want to generate turnover because we have a great product that our customers are keen to buy. But there is no point in growing simply to be big. I couldn’t care less about those kinds of measurements and rankings by size, turnover and the like. Truth be told, I find it all rather dull.”

After taking a moment to think – and a little prompting – Michael answers the question about whether material goods might not play at least a small role, given that the CEO drives a classy 4x4 and has both a large house and a holiday home:

“I’m not denying that a healthy bank balance gives you a different kind of freedom and a variety of opportunities that a lot of people can only dream

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about. But I’m not the type of person who needs to bolster my ego with bespoke suits and expensive cuff-links. Personally, I know that having more money won’t make me any happier – after all, I can’t eat twice as many gourmet meals or drive four cars at once. I drive a practical 4x4, and I’m OK with that. On the other hand, I don’t have plans to buy a villa in Tuscany or to give up working and spend my days playing golf. To be honest, that sounds like a pretty boring life. My idea of quality leisure time is spending time with my family, going for a bike ride or having a couple of beers with friends every now and again. That’s much more my style.”

Alex Holm Jensen thinks that Michael is driven by a desire to create, and possesses an urge for action that is not founded on a dream of personal wealth:

“Michael has never been driven by a ‘get rich quick’ mindset. He has a good financial head on his shoulders, but he has never been spurred on by purely financial considerations. He is driven by a desire to create, and he’s not the type to be satisfied for long with what has already been done. There is always something that can be improved, optimised, pushed farther in the right direction – ideally into some kind of Blue Ocean, where few, if any, others have previously tested the waters.

As Michael sees it, business is all about doing something you are passion-ate about. About working with clients whose businesses improve as a result of what we deliver to them – and having employees whose passion shines brightly and who feel that they are helping to make a difference.”

Lars Johansson suggests the following as Michael’s mission for the company:

“Michael’s – and thus Systematic’s – goal is to deliver high-quality, visionary solutions that make a difference for the customer. Nowhere in our value set,

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in our mission or our vision is it written that Systematic’s goal is to be a big company or earn a lot of money. Admittedly one of our mission statements is to be self-financing, but that’s something completely different.

For Systematic, it’s a question of retaining the freedom to act independent-ly and having the capacity to invest when we think the time is right. In my opinion, this is a very attractive quality in the company that Michael and a host of good, skilled and loyal customers and employees have been build-ing up ever since 1985.”

A greeting from Robert J. Stevens, Chairman, President and CEO of Lockheed Martin, after a dinner hosted by the Confederation of Danish Industry (2005).

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being a team player is actually crucial to me – otherwise the competitor in me takes over and I will ride until the sun goes down or I fall to pieces.

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Team player – outside office hours, tooEven in his private life, Michael is a team player who does best and reaches his full potential when he is with his family and friends.

“I do a fair amount of cycling – ideally not on my own but with a team. I recently cycled to Paris with Team Rynkeby. I much prefer cycling with a team. If I’m on my own, I have a tendency to push myself to the limit and beyond; I simply cannot see another cyclist on the road ahead of me with-out trying to overtake him. Being a team player is actually crucial to me - otherwise the competitor in me takes over and I will ride until the sun goes down or until I fall to pieces. Which is not exactly healthy,” he says with a smile.

“In contrast, I thrive with the team. When I’m part of a team, I find it much easier to keep my feet on the ground. During my holidays, I prefer to ‘recharge my batteries’ with family and friends. For example, I love cooking dinner with other people – there’s plenty of room for several cooks in my kitchen and we can come up with some amazing dishes.”

Thorkil Hansen knows Michael as a cyclist in Team Rynkeby, Aarhus. His description of the tall pedal-pusher is sharp as a knife; he clearly sees Michael as a person who, despite both personal and commercial success, has never grown too big for his boots and who has succeeded in retaining the ability to interact well with other people. Completely different backgrounds and mindsets arouse Michael’s curiosity, and he views differences as strengths for the team.

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With Thorkil Hansen as the team captain, they have cycled to Paris twice to raise money for the Danish Children’s Cancer Fund. They are now starting to think about cycling across the United States, but this time they are plan-ning to have families, children and RVs along for the ride.

When Thorkil Hansen met Michael during the preparations for the first trip to Paris in 2010, his immediate impression was that Michael was a big man in every respect. And so it proved. In fact, Michael was so tall that he had to ride a specially built bike – the yellow team cycles that the other 36 riders had were all too small. It is true that he is tall, and as he is not afraid to stand out the big bike that was built for him was painted not yellow but black.

“I was positively surprised to discover that Michael was down-to-earth and easy to get along with. He is also a real fighter. He had problems on the hills to start with, but he soon recovered and became a much better rider as the trip progressed. He showed a lot of respect for the fact that the ride to Paris is a team-based event, but he still likes a bit of ‘friendly competition’ – and he has had plenty of opportunities to compete, particularly with my wife who is a really good cyclist.

Michael is the kind of person who works hard for things he is passionate about. Riding with Team Rynkeby is a time-consuming task. Not only do we have to find sponsors, we also have to do a lot of training, both spinning and road work, to get ready for the ride. You don’t have to know Michael for very long before you realise that he is a really busy guy – he always has a lot of irons in the fire. Nevertheless, he threw himself into all the different processes and helped to collect 1 million kroner for the Children’s Cancer Fund from the Aarhus team alone. So hats off to him for that!”

Thorkil Hansen does not hesitate in characterising Michael as a social and open person, but also as a person who makes demands on the people with whom he interacts:

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“Michael is the kind of guy who enjoys a decent conversation, and he always gets involved in areas where he feels enriched, entertained or challenged.”

His favourite sport used to be handball – no-nonsense 1980s handball where it was all about tough-as-nails physical play and constantly looking to score. He has also done a fair amount of rowing. Today, however, he only has time for cycling and a bit of winter swimming.

Even when Michael is relaxing at home with his family, he is at his most comfortable when working on a little project such as doing some painting or mowing the grass. He is not the kind of person who stretches out on the sofa and watches TV to relax. He would much rather burn off some energy on small DIY projects or pottering around in the kitchen – making his own rhubarb jam, for example. This culinary gene clearly delights

Thorkild Hansen and Michael en route to Paris with Team Rynkeby (2011).

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his wife Pernille Salling, his partner on the home front, more than her husband’s fascination with gadgets and other IT goodies such as new apps for his iPhone:

“I remember one morning when he woke me around 5.30 – with perhaps a little too much enthusiasm for that time in the morning, to tell me about a great app he’d just downloaded. What was so brilliant about it was that by holding his iPhone up next to the radio, while a song was playing he could find out the name of the artist and the album it came from – even at 5.30 in the morning! It’s so typical of Michael to be so utterly delighted that he forgets everything else.”

father to a large family

Michael has five children – Kasper (1991), Kathrine (1992), Klaus (1996), Kaare (2006) and Kristian (2009). The three eldest children are from his first marriage to Irene Kielsgaard, whom he has known ever since high school. His two youngest children are from his marriage to Pernille Salling.

“It’s hard to explain, but it suddenly became crystal clear to me that we belonged together. In my mind, I saw a picture of Pernille walking through the woods at Marienlund hand in hand with two children. There and then, I knew that I couldn’t live with the thought of those children not being mine. I think that Pernille is amazing. And as she wanted children, too, we decided that that was what we should do.”

However, Michael first had to get used to the idea of being “father to five,” and he was terrified that the last birth would produce twins.

Pernille Salling knew next to nothing about software, system solutions and Systematic when she met Michael for the first time. They met up quite by accident in Aarhus:

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“When I met Pernille, she was teaching Danish. I had just won the IT award. I guess I had my own ideas – and prejudices – about studying the humanities, while Pernille had no idea what the IT award was, and she wasn’t overly impressed either. ‘Systematic – what do you do?’ was her first comment. When I then insisted that the next time we met should be in Copenhagen rather than in Aarhus, Pernille thought I was being a bit of a snob. But then she realised that Systematic was a well-known company and that it was a bit harder for me than for many other people to arrange dates.”

Michael with Kasper, Klaus and Kathrine at Sea World in Cali fornia (2003).

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The children are a shared delight, and Michael scores high points on the family scoreboard when it comes to prioritising quality time:

“He wants to have his finger on the pulse all the time, but he still manages to put his work away and participate in our family life. He sometimes takes his eldest son Kasper with him on ‘boys’ trips,’ where they spend time on activities that would be difficult to do with Kaare and Kristian, our youngest boys. Last year they went diving in Egypt, which is some-thing that both father and son adore.”

Kasper and Michael on a diving holiday in Borneo (2007).

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In Pernille Salling’s opinion, Michael encounters healthy “opposition” at home precisely because the logic and chain of command in the family home are often very different from those he experiences at work:

“Even though Michael must be characterised as a very action and solution- oriented person, he sometimes meets his match at home, where no-one has the right to absolute veto. And negotiations with a five-year-old rarely follow the script! Situations in which his only role is to listen without necessarily coming up with a solution are a real challenge for him, but

Michael with Kaare and Kristian at home in Risskov (2010).

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fortunately we can both see the funny side of these situations and enjoy a good laugh together.”

In contrast, the concept of good taste in clothes takes second place in the Holm and Salling family.

“Neither Pernille nor I devote a lot of time or energy into what our children are wearing. They often look like a combination of Spiderman and Pippi Longstocking. It may not look good, but we really don’t care. As Pernille puts it, we’re just lucky that there are no fashion police around at home,” says Michael with a laugh.

Humour as a common denominator – even when times are tough

Michael is remarkably clear about his personal partnership with Pernille Salling. She is his anchor and his base, and the friend who can laugh with him through the tough times. Just like in his professional life, Michael is well aware of the numerous advantages that arise when two people com-plement one another with their individual strengths. However, it is the points of similarity that play a key role. As Michael explains:

“For example, Pernille and I have the same ironic humour. This is one of the traits that we share, and it means a lot to me that we can laugh about the bizarre together, even in very difficult situations.

When our son Kaare was born, it was anything but ‘by the numbers.’ Kaare had to undergo all kinds of tests and examinations immediately after he was born. While we were at the hospital in Skejby waiting for the test results, we were both reading a new satirical book called Og det var Danmark … by Morten Ingemann. Despite the fact that we were both on the verge of tears while we waited to hear what the doctors had to say, we simply couldn’t help laughing.

121

During those fateful days when we didn’t know how things were going to turn out for Kaare, I decided that it was high time to get something out of all the church tax I had paid over the years! Otherwise I might just as well give up my membership of the Church of Denmark. But fortunately, someone up there heard my prayers and Kaare is absolutely fine today. The doctors said that if he could ride a bike when he was five, we could consider him completely healthy. And now he cycles around happy as could be.

I’m not a religious man, but I think that most of us need something to be-lieve in. What you actually believe in is up to you, but I’m convinced that people really need to believe in something or other.”

Pernille and Michael in Cuba (2004).

122

You take your most difficult decisions with you to the grave. that’s why I sometimes use the follow-ing test: if I was dead and buried, would I regret this choice?

”

123

From the outside in

Michael has never backed down from taking difficult decisions in either his personal or his professional life. Over the years, however, he has become better at choosing his battles with care and thinking the consequences through before diving headlong into an argument.

“When it’s about business, I always think about what would happen if one of my competitors – rather than me – were to act in a given situation. I at-tempt to turn the situation around and look at it from the outside, instead of always viewing it from the inside.

But if things go against me and I still feel that I’m right, then I’ll fight for my point of view with arguments and networks. After all, my overriding goal is to influence politicians and other stakeholders in a given direction, one that improves our commercial position or social conditions in general. But when push comes to shove, the business comes first in a professional context. Always.”

So how long will Systematic be the CEO’s top professional priority? No direct answer is forthcoming, but Michael does give us a hint:

“I’ll stay at the helm of Systematic for as long as I think my leadership adds value to the company.”

However, Michael makes no secret of the fact that this is not a decision he will make on his own. He has asked his closest friends and acquain-tances, both private and professional, to tell him straight out if he is

124

no longer adding value to the company. The same applies on the home front:

“I’m 54 years old, and only have a certain number of summers ahead of me before I turn into a grumpy old man. But Pernille has promised that as long as there is some brand value left in me, she won’t be pushing me off the pier.”

125

19/TORSDAG 19. AUGUST 2010

Af Morten [email protected]

DAGENS PORTRÆT: For 25 år siden havde en yng-re århusiansk mand en blind date - rent forretnings-mæssigt - i receptionen på SAS Royal-hotel i Køben-havn.

Den københavnske date havde meddelt, at han ville sidde i Ægget-stolen, ryge en Cecil og drikke en guldøl. Så skulle han være til at finde.

Han blev da også fundet. Og de to blev enige om at lave et firma sammen, at de ville holde sammen i 10 år, og at københavneren skulle flytte til Århus.

Sådan startede software-virksomheden Systematic, der har hovedsæde på Søren Frichs Vej og i dag omkring 450 ansatte.

Succes-virksomheden laver avancerede software-programmer blandt andet til Forsvaret og har udvik-let den elektroniske patient-journal, der nu skal indføres på sygehusene i hele Region Midtjylland.

I dag fejrer såvel firmaet som den århusianske stifter og administrerende direk-tør, Michael Holm, 25 års ju-bilæum.

Edb-assistent af trodsSom barn ville Michael Holm - årgang 1957 - være dyrlæge. Da han midt i 1970’erne gik på studenter-kursus, så han på opslags_tavlen en reklame for en ud-dannelse til edb-assistent.

»Det er slet ikke noget for dig,« sagde erhvervsvejlede-ren, der lige kom forbi.

Så var Michael Holms bane lagt, for han skulle i hvert fald bevise, at vejlede-ren tog fejl.

Det var i hulkortets dage, og det er uhyggelig mange gigabytes siden.

Systematics første store kunde var Søværnet, der skulle bruge et komman-do- kontrol- og informations-system - og Søværnet er sta-dig blandt de største kunder i virksomheden, der over årene har fået afdelinger i blandt andet USA og Eng-land og har kunder i 34 lan-de verden over.

Michael Holm er fortsat hovedejer og direktør, mens den københavnske med-stifter, Allan Schytt efter de aftalte 10 år solgte sin del af virksomheden og flyttede tilbage til Sjælland.

Far til fem Uden for virksomheden har Michael Holm blandt andet markeret sig i Alexandra Instituttet i IT-byen på Ka-trinebjerg, hvor han sidder i bestyrelsen og tidligere har været formand.

I januar i år blev han hæd-ret med Årets Erhvervspris af Erhverv Århus.

Privat bor Mr. Systema-tic i Risskov, hvor fem børn i alderen fra 10 måneder til 19 år, optager en stor del af fritiden.

Tid til en kold dukkert ved Den Permanente bliver der

dog ofte for den aktive vin-terbader.

»Jeg prøver at holde fri i weekenderne. Prøver,« siger Michael Holm, der i år har fået en helt ny fritidsinter-esse, der betyder, at han lige nu skylder en del timer på hjemmefronten.

I form til ParisHer i sommer cyklede han med på Team Rynkeby-hol-det hele vejen til Paris. Et projekt der krævede sin for-træning for en mand, der fik målt sit kondital til minus 7, da han startede på motions-cyklen i januar.

»Jeg havde aldrig siddet på en racercykel før, men jeg syntes, det var en fascineren-de udfordring at skulle cyk-le hele vejen til Paris,« siger Michael Holm.

Udover udfordringen blev cykelturen til Paris også til sjove og givende møder med mennesker, direktøren aldrig ville have mødt, hvis han ik-ke havde iført sig cykelshorts og sat sig i sadlen.

Men inden turen gik syd-på, skulle han altså lige i form.

Siden marts er det blevet til 4500 km på landevejene, hvor Michael Holm har fået øje for, at den østjyske natur er noget helt andet og meget

smukkere end det, man ser gennem bilruden fra motor-vejen.

Reception og festSystematics og Michael Holms fælles jubilæum bli-ver markeret med en recep-tion i firmaet på Søren Frichs Vej 39 i dag fra kl. 14-17. Og i aften er der så stor fest for alle medarbejdere.

Lørdag er der åbent hus i virksomheden for alle med-arbejdere og deres familier.

»De skal se og høre om, hvad det er vi laver. Og det bliver i et sprog, så selv min mor kan forstå det,« siger Michael Holm.

Mr. Systematic

Michael Holm og Systematic fejrer 25 års jubilæum sammen. Stifteren står stadig i spidsen for Danmarks største private softwarevirksomhed, der fra hovedsædet på Søren Frichs Vej leverer IT-løsninger til såvel forsvaret som sygehusvæsnet. Arkivfoto: Axel Schütt

Tidl. fodboldlandstræner RICHARD MØLLER NIELSEN, Kerteminde, fylder i dag 73 år. I 1990 overtog »Ricardo« landstrænerposten efter Sepp Piontek. I alt blev det til 73 landskampe - heraf 40 sejre - men kronen på værket for fynboen med den lidt hjemmestrikkede humor var det sensationelle europa-mesterskab i 1992. Siden blev han engageret som træner i Finland og i Israel.

G Nyt ph.d. projekt fra Det Sundhedsviden-

skabelige Fakultet på Aar-hus Universitet indikerer, at specielt muskelkræfterne omkring hofte, knæ og ankel

i det lammede ben er vig tige faktorer, når ganghastighe-den forbedres blandt patien-ter med blodprop i hjernen (apopleksi).

Bag ph.d.-projektet står

fysioterapeut John Brincks. Hans forsvar af ph.d.-projek-tet er offentligt og finder sted fredag 20. august kl. 14 i Mul-tisalen på Hammel Neuro-center.

PH.D-PROJEKT

l torsdag 19. august: Hospitalsdi-rektør Henning Vestergaard, Fyr-

revej 14, Hadsten, fylder 60 år.Henning Vestergaard har i fire år

været direktør for Hospitalsenheden Vest, som består af de fem sygehuse i Herning, Holstebro, Lemvig, Ringkø-bing og Tarm.

Inden da var han direktør for Silke-borg Centralsygehus og Hammel Neurocenter i 10 år, hvor han stod i spidsen for den store om- og tilbygning, som ho-spitalet afsluttede i 2004.

Han er uddannet cand. merc. fra Aalborg Universitets-center og har også en fortid på både Grenaa Sygehus og som kontorchef i Århus Amt.

FØDSELSDAG

Forsvarets foretrukne IT-leverandør startede med en Cecil og en guldøl. Systematic og dets stifter Michael Holm fejrer 25 års jubilæum

Reception

Filialchef Hanne Maj Labich havde

25-års jubilæum den 1. august.

Derfor inviterer vi kunder,

forretningsforbindelser og venner

til reception

onsdag 1. september

kl. 14.30-16.00

i bankens lokaler.

APauls Plads AfdelingSkt. Pauls Kirkeplads 78000 Århus Cnordea.dk

Hanne Maj Labich

RECEPTION

Østergade 13 · 8450 Hammel · Telefon 8696 9100 · [email protected]

CARØE, KVIST &JENSEN ASSTATSAUTORISEREDE REVISORER

Statsautoriseret revisor Niels Bjerring Højbjerg fratræder sompartner i Carøe, Kvist og Jensen A/S med udgangen af august2010, efter mere end 40 år i branchen heraf de 30 år i Hammel.

I den forbindelse vil vi gerne invitere til afskedsreception

torsdag den 26. august 2010 kl. 13 – 16på adressen Østergade 13, 8450 Hammel.

Vi håber, at mange af Niels’ nuværende og tidligere kunder,forretningsforbindelser samt venner af husetvil lægge vejen forbi.






























Mr. Systematic








PH.D-PROJEKT






FØDSELSDAG


Reception





til reception

onsdag 1. september

kl. 14.30-16.00

i bankens lokaler.


Hanne Maj Labich

RECEPTION




































Mr. Systematic








PH.D-PROJEKT






FØDSELSDAG


Reception





til reception

onsdag 1. september

kl. 14.30-16.00

i bankens lokaler.


Hanne Maj Labich

RECEPTION




































Mr. Systematic








PH.D-PROJEKT






FØDSELSDAG


Reception





til reception

onsdag 1. september

kl. 14.30-16.00

i bankens lokaler.


Hanne Maj Labich

RECEPTION







Portrait published in a Danish newspaper in connection with Systematic’s 25th anniversary (19.08.2010).

126

FYLDER ÅRAnne Mette Høiler

50 Chefkonsulent i er-hvervsorganisationen

Dansk Industri, DI, Anne Mette Høiler, Gentofte, fyl-der 50 år i dag. Hun er ud-dannet cand.merc. i 1989 og kom – efter blandt andet en række år i Brasilien – til Dansk Industri som konsu-lent i Afsætningsenheden i 1998. Her fungerede hun

frem til 2006, hvor hun skif-tede til DI Byggematerialer. Hun blev udnævnt til chef-konsulent i juli 2007. I dag er hun blandt andet ansvar-lig for branchefællesskabet DI Byggematerialers salgs- og markedsføringsnetværk, og hun er foreningssekretær i DIB - Danske Isoleringsfi r-maers Brancheforening.

Henning Jakobsen

50 Ingrediensvirksom-heden Chr. Han-

sens fi nansdirektør, Hen-

ning Jakobsen, fylder 50 år og fejres derfor i dag. Hans karriere har rakt langt ud over landets grænser, siden han efter endt skolegang og gymnasietid i Køge tog turen om ad Copenhagen Business School, hvorfra han dimitterede i 1985 som HD (R). Hans internationa-le erfaring har givet ham et godt blik for perspektiverne i en global virksomhed – ik-ke mindst fra de mange år i Colgate Palmolive, hvor han i 1989 blev ansat som fi nans-direktør for Norden og avan-cerede til vice president for Finance i USA. Han kom til Chr. Hansen i 2006 og har her med sin mangeårige er-faring bidraget til at trans-formere virksomheden til en moderne specialiseret bio-

science forretning. Han er gift med Pernille og har tre børn samt et stort netværk af familie, venner og bekendte. Samtidig er han lidt af en livsnyder, men lægger og-så stor vægt på, at holde sig i form. Det er bl.a. blevet til maratonløb i både Køben-havn, Sydafrika, New York og Berlin.

JUBILÆUMPia Aarestrup

25 Underdirektør Pia Aarestrup kan fej-

re 25-års jubilæum i Dan-ske Bank-koncernen i dag. Hun er udlært i Nørre Afde-ling og supplerede siden sin uddannelse med en DBA, en ejendomsmægleruddan-nelse og senest executive-ud-dannelsen PIL. Undervejs har hun arbejdet med så al-sidige områder som realkre-dit, IT, kommunikation, ud-dannelse, projektledelse og forretningsudvikling, heraf de seneste 15 år som leder, både i Danske Bank og Real-kredit Danmark. Siden janu-ar 2009 har hun været HR-chef i Danske Bank DK. Hun er endvidere medlem af PIL gruppe 32 og VL gruppe 64.

I NYE JOBVibeke Monrath

Vibeke Monrath er blevet ansat som ny chefkonsulent i Poulsen Job & Research med placering på virksomhe-dens Århus-kontor, hvor der dermed er 10 medarbejdere ansat. Hun har en cand.merc-uddannelse plus fl ere års er-faring som HR-manager med i baggagen og skulle således være godt rustet til at fi nde de bedste kandidater til en stil-ling. Ambitionerne mangler heller ikke, da hun gerne vil være en af Danmarks bedste rekrutteringskonsulenter.

Christina Rasmussen er tiltrådt som ny økonomidi-rektør i servicevirksomhe-

den G4S Security Services A/S. Hun kommer fra en stilling som økonomidirek-tør hos Toms Gruppen A/S og afl øser økonomidirektør Tommy Linnebjerg, der går på pension.

Udviklingskonsulenterne A/S i Brabrand har ansat tre nye organisationskon-sulenter. Manon de Jongh, 31 år, cand.com. fra Univer-siteit Twente med speciale i »Adfærd i organisationer« er startet i en stilling, hvor hun primært skal varetage den stigende efterspørgsel efter proces- og organisati-onsudviklingsopgaver. Hun har levet i Danmark i to år og taler perfekt dansk. Med fokus på gruppedynamik og procesledelse er hun ved at færdiggøre sin Ph.D. om påvirkningen af gruppedy-namik i demokratiske pro-cesser i Holland i efteråret. Desuden er Morten Fogs-gaard, 32 år, Cand.psyk. fra Aarhus Universitet tiltrådt som konsulent, hvor han pri-mært varetage udviklings-konsulenternes indsats på »Master i Offentlig Ledelse« (MOL). Han kommer fra en stilling som forskningsmed-arbejder i »Den arbejds- og organisationspsykologiske faggruppe« på Aarhus Uni-versitet. Endelig er Camil-le Hvidbak Abildgaard, 36 år, cand.mag fra Idehistorisk Institut, Aarhus Universitet, og master i Coaching fra Co-penhagen Business School ansat i en stilling, hvor hun skal varetage konsulentop-gaver med ledelsesudvik-ling som omdrejningspunkt. Hun har tidligere primært arbejdet med lederuddan-nelse og procesledelse (in-volverende ledelse, social ka-pital som ledelsesstrategi).■

PORTRÆT

Mennesker&kulturNavne og profi lstof til disse sider sendes til: profi [email protected] – annoncemateriale sendes til: [email protected]

Hvad skal Danmark leve af i fremtiden? Det er et spørgsmål, der går igen i den ak-tuelle samfundsdebat. Svaret er: Michael Holm, der i dag kan fejre 25-års jubilæum i den århusianske IT/softwarevirksom-hed Systematic, som han sammen med iværksætteren Allan Schytt var med til at starte i 1985. Det er i hvert fald iværksæt-tertyper som Michael Holm og hans virk-somhed med et højt videnindhold, der er fremtidsmuligheder i.

Det stod ikke skrevet i kortene, at Mi-chael Holm skulle få en glorværdig er-hvervskarriere som IT-pioner helt fremme i skoene. Faktisk skete det lidt i trods, da en erhvervsvejleder sagde til den unge Holm, at han ikke skulle være edb-assistent. Han meldte sig dog under IT-fanerne, selv om han aldrig havde set en computer før. Der-med var hans skæbne beseglet og han star-tede ud på informationsmotorvejen, hvor hulkort, mainframes og Cobol viste sig at være vejen frem for Michael Holm, som programmerede løs.

Systematic har stor styrke inden for for-svars-IT, og den vej blev lagt, da Michael Holm var på et fi reårigt studie/arbejdsop-hold i Frankrig, hvor han lærte at bygge radarovervågningssystemer. Hjemkom-met herfra fandt han sammen med Al-lan Schytt, som han startede Systematic Software Engineering med.

Et år efter at selskabet var stiftet, fi k virksomheden sin første store kontrakt – på et kommando-, kontrol- og informa-tionssystem til det danske søværn. En ny spiller var offi cielt trådt ind på det danske softwaremarked.

I dag er Systematic, som virksomhe-den kom til at hedde i 2007, det største privatejede softwarehus i Danmark med 450 medarbejdere og kunder i 34 lande. Allan Schytt solgte efter ti år sin andel af virksomheden, mens Michael Holm sta-digvæk er direktør på hovedkontoret i År-hus.

Systematic har med Michael Holms stærke iværksættergen igennem årene

udvidet produktpaletten langt ud over forsvaret. Det er f.eks. helt aktuelt blevet til den elektroniske patientjournal, som Region Midtjylland før sommerferien valgte som den fremadrettede fælles EPJ for hele regionen. EPJ-løsningen Colum-na skal dermed erstatte de fem forskellige journalsystemer, som regionens otte hos-pitaler bruger i dag.

Patientsystemet vurderes at have sto-re muligheder på eksportmarkedet, hvor Systematic allerede begyndte at operere tilbage i 1992. Dertil kommer afdelinger i både Storbritannien og USA, hvor antal-let af ansatte er på omkring 100.

Systematic blev både i 2002 og 2003 kåret til Entrepreneur Of The Year i Midt-jylland – og i 2003 også som Entrepre-neur of The Year på landsplan. Michael Holm selv blev i januar 2010 hædret med Årets Erhvervspris af Erhverv Århus. Det er han stolt af, men det er ikke noget, han skilter med udadtil, og i det hele taget ly-der hans skudsmål på, at han er en venlig

og imødekommende jyde, hvis kæmpe er-hvervssucces ikke er vokset ham til hove-det. ers

IT-pioner – på trods

Afdelingsdirektør Bente Hjorth har den 1. august 2010 været ansat 40 år i Amagerbanken. Hun beg-yndte som bankelev i 1970 og har efterfølgende rådgivet kunder i fl ere af bankens afdelinger på Amager. I 1984 blev Bente Hjorth færdig som cand. jur. og startede samtidig i Erhvervsafdelin-gen i Hovedsædet. Bente Hjorth har gennem årene specialiseret sig inden for erhvervsområdet og har gennem sit virke i ledergruppen deltaget i ud-bygningen af Erhvervsafdelingen. I 1991 blev Bente Hjorth udnævnt til kontorchef og senere til afdelingsdirektør.

Der vil være mulighed for at hilse på Bente Hjorth fredag den 27. august mellem kl. 14 og 16, hvor der bliver afholdt reception i Amagerbankens Hoved-kontor på Amagerbrogade 25, 2300 København S.

40 års jubilæum

RECEPTION26.august kl.15-18

2 X 40JUBILÆUMOle Larsen

Jørgen Lund

2 X 25JUBILÆUMCharlotte Barlach

Ove Lund Jensen

1 x NY PARTNERLars Lind

olehagen arkitekterKong Georgs Vej 37 2000 Frederiksberg

It pioneer – in defiance

127

FYLDER ÅRAnne Mette Høiler

50 Chefkonsulent i er-hvervsorganisationen

Dansk Industri, DI, Anne Mette Høiler, Gentofte, fyl-der 50 år i dag. Hun er ud-dannet cand.merc. i 1989 og kom – efter blandt andet en række år i Brasilien – til Dansk Industri som konsu-lent i Afsætningsenheden i 1998. Her fungerede hun

frem til 2006, hvor hun skif-tede til DI Byggematerialer. Hun blev udnævnt til chef-konsulent i juli 2007. I dag er hun blandt andet ansvar-lig for branchefællesskabet DI Byggematerialers salgs- og markedsføringsnetværk, og hun er foreningssekretær i DIB - Danske Isoleringsfi r-maers Brancheforening.

Henning Jakobsen

50 Ingrediensvirksom-heden Chr. Han-

sens fi nansdirektør, Hen-

ning Jakobsen, fylder 50 år og fejres derfor i dag. Hans karriere har rakt langt ud over landets grænser, siden han efter endt skolegang og gymnasietid i Køge tog turen om ad Copenhagen Business School, hvorfra han dimitterede i 1985 som HD (R). Hans internationa-le erfaring har givet ham et godt blik for perspektiverne i en global virksomhed – ik-ke mindst fra de mange år i Colgate Palmolive, hvor han i 1989 blev ansat som fi nans-direktør for Norden og avan-cerede til vice president for Finance i USA. Han kom til Chr. Hansen i 2006 og har her med sin mangeårige er-faring bidraget til at trans-formere virksomheden til en moderne specialiseret bio-

science forretning. Han er gift med Pernille og har tre børn samt et stort netværk af familie, venner og bekendte. Samtidig er han lidt af en livsnyder, men lægger og-så stor vægt på, at holde sig i form. Det er bl.a. blevet til maratonløb i både Køben-havn, Sydafrika, New York og Berlin.

JUBILÆUMPia Aarestrup

25 Underdirektør Pia Aarestrup kan fej-

re 25-års jubilæum i Dan-ske Bank-koncernen i dag. Hun er udlært i Nørre Afde-ling og supplerede siden sin uddannelse med en DBA, en ejendomsmægleruddan-nelse og senest executive-ud-dannelsen PIL. Undervejs har hun arbejdet med så al-sidige områder som realkre-dit, IT, kommunikation, ud-dannelse, projektledelse og forretningsudvikling, heraf de seneste 15 år som leder, både i Danske Bank og Real-kredit Danmark. Siden janu-ar 2009 har hun været HR-chef i Danske Bank DK. Hun er endvidere medlem af PIL gruppe 32 og VL gruppe 64.

I NYE JOBVibeke Monrath

Vibeke Monrath er blevet ansat som ny chefkonsulent i Poulsen Job & Research med placering på virksomhe-dens Århus-kontor, hvor der dermed er 10 medarbejdere ansat. Hun har en cand.merc-uddannelse plus fl ere års er-faring som HR-manager med i baggagen og skulle således være godt rustet til at fi nde de bedste kandidater til en stil-ling. Ambitionerne mangler heller ikke, da hun gerne vil være en af Danmarks bedste rekrutteringskonsulenter.

Christina Rasmussen er tiltrådt som ny økonomidi-rektør i servicevirksomhe-

den G4S Security Services A/S. Hun kommer fra en stilling som økonomidirek-tør hos Toms Gruppen A/S og afl øser økonomidirektør Tommy Linnebjerg, der går på pension.

Udviklingskonsulenterne A/S i Brabrand har ansat tre nye organisationskon-sulenter. Manon de Jongh, 31 år, cand.com. fra Univer-siteit Twente med speciale i »Adfærd i organisationer« er startet i en stilling, hvor hun primært skal varetage den stigende efterspørgsel efter proces- og organisati-onsudviklingsopgaver. Hun har levet i Danmark i to år og taler perfekt dansk. Med fokus på gruppedynamik og procesledelse er hun ved at færdiggøre sin Ph.D. om påvirkningen af gruppedy-namik i demokratiske pro-cesser i Holland i efteråret. Desuden er Morten Fogs-gaard, 32 år, Cand.psyk. fra Aarhus Universitet tiltrådt som konsulent, hvor han pri-mært varetage udviklings-konsulenternes indsats på »Master i Offentlig Ledelse« (MOL). Han kommer fra en stilling som forskningsmed-arbejder i »Den arbejds- og organisationspsykologiske faggruppe« på Aarhus Uni-versitet. Endelig er Camil-le Hvidbak Abildgaard, 36 år, cand.mag fra Idehistorisk Institut, Aarhus Universitet, og master i Coaching fra Co-penhagen Business School ansat i en stilling, hvor hun skal varetage konsulentop-gaver med ledelsesudvik-ling som omdrejningspunkt. Hun har tidligere primært arbejdet med lederuddan-nelse og procesledelse (in-volverende ledelse, social ka-pital som ledelsesstrategi).■

PORTRÆT

Mennesker&kulturNavne og profi lstof til disse sider sendes til: profi [email protected] – annoncemateriale sendes til: [email protected]

Hvad skal Danmark leve af i fremtiden? Det er et spørgsmål, der går igen i den ak-tuelle samfundsdebat. Svaret er: Michael Holm, der i dag kan fejre 25-års jubilæum i den århusianske IT/softwarevirksom-hed Systematic, som han sammen med iværksætteren Allan Schytt var med til at starte i 1985. Det er i hvert fald iværksæt-tertyper som Michael Holm og hans virk-somhed med et højt videnindhold, der er fremtidsmuligheder i.

Det stod ikke skrevet i kortene, at Mi-chael Holm skulle få en glorværdig er-hvervskarriere som IT-pioner helt fremme i skoene. Faktisk skete det lidt i trods, da en erhvervsvejleder sagde til den unge Holm, at han ikke skulle være edb-assistent. Han meldte sig dog under IT-fanerne, selv om han aldrig havde set en computer før. Der-med var hans skæbne beseglet og han star-tede ud på informationsmotorvejen, hvor hulkort, mainframes og Cobol viste sig at være vejen frem for Michael Holm, som programmerede løs.

Systematic har stor styrke inden for for-svars-IT, og den vej blev lagt, da Michael Holm var på et fi reårigt studie/arbejdsop-hold i Frankrig, hvor han lærte at bygge radarovervågningssystemer. Hjemkom-met herfra fandt han sammen med Al-lan Schytt, som han startede Systematic Software Engineering med.

Et år efter at selskabet var stiftet, fi k virksomheden sin første store kontrakt – på et kommando-, kontrol- og informa-tionssystem til det danske søværn. En ny spiller var offi cielt trådt ind på det danske softwaremarked.

I dag er Systematic, som virksomhe-den kom til at hedde i 2007, det største privatejede softwarehus i Danmark med 450 medarbejdere og kunder i 34 lande. Allan Schytt solgte efter ti år sin andel af virksomheden, mens Michael Holm sta-digvæk er direktør på hovedkontoret i År-hus.

Systematic har med Michael Holms stærke iværksættergen igennem årene

udvidet produktpaletten langt ud over forsvaret. Det er f.eks. helt aktuelt blevet til den elektroniske patientjournal, som Region Midtjylland før sommerferien valgte som den fremadrettede fælles EPJ for hele regionen. EPJ-løsningen Colum-na skal dermed erstatte de fem forskellige journalsystemer, som regionens otte hos-pitaler bruger i dag.

Patientsystemet vurderes at have sto-re muligheder på eksportmarkedet, hvor Systematic allerede begyndte at operere tilbage i 1992. Dertil kommer afdelinger i både Storbritannien og USA, hvor antal-let af ansatte er på omkring 100.

Systematic blev både i 2002 og 2003 kåret til Entrepreneur Of The Year i Midt-jylland – og i 2003 også som Entrepre-neur of The Year på landsplan. Michael Holm selv blev i januar 2010 hædret med Årets Erhvervspris af Erhverv Århus. Det er han stolt af, men det er ikke noget, han skilter med udadtil, og i det hele taget ly-der hans skudsmål på, at han er en venlig

og imødekommende jyde, hvis kæmpe er-hvervssucces ikke er vokset ham til hove-det. ers

IT-pioner – på trods

Afdelingsdirektør Bente Hjorth har den 1. august 2010 været ansat 40 år i Amagerbanken. Hun beg-yndte som bankelev i 1970 og har efterfølgende rådgivet kunder i fl ere af bankens afdelinger på Amager. I 1984 blev Bente Hjorth færdig som cand. jur. og startede samtidig i Erhvervsafdelin-gen i Hovedsædet. Bente Hjorth har gennem årene specialiseret sig inden for erhvervsområdet og har gennem sit virke i ledergruppen deltaget i ud-bygningen af Erhvervsafdelingen. I 1991 blev Bente Hjorth udnævnt til kontorchef og senere til afdelingsdirektør.

Der vil være mulighed for at hilse på Bente Hjorth fredag den 27. august mellem kl. 14 og 16, hvor der bliver afholdt reception i Amagerbankens Hoved-kontor på Amagerbrogade 25, 2300 København S.

40 års jubilæum

RECEPTION26.august kl.15-18

2 X 40JUBILÆUMOle Larsen

Jørgen Lund

2 X 25JUBILÆUMCharlotte Barlach

Ove Lund Jensen

1 x NY PARTNERLars Lind

olehagen arkitekterKong Georgs Vej 37 2000 Frederiksberg

Portrait published in a Danish newspaper in connection with S ystematic’s 25th anniversary (19.08.2010).

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Systematic had its first offices at Arresøvej 6, on the outskirts of Aarhus, before the company’s growth made it necessary to move to larger premises in the Frichsparken business park in the late 1980s. Early in 2003, the company’s new headquarters at the nearby Søren Frichs Vej were ready, and Systematic Aarhus has been there ever since.

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Systematic logos

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co umna

Old product logos

S ITAWARET h e C 4 I F r a m e w o r k

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Product logos anno 2012

It's all about making a difference

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