Nordic Gamechangers: finding purpose in people and technology
Denmark-native Jens Gram Larsen didn’t set out to work in telecoms. He studied to become a teacher, only to discover that his true inspiration wasn’t exactly inside the classroom. What stuck with him, though, was the drive to help people grow and succeed together – a quality that’s been a constant his entire career.
It’s this mindset that led Jens to pursue a career in sales and customer service, eventually joining Telenor (then Sonofon) nearly 20 years ago.
“I liked customer service more than hardcore sales,” he recalls. “From here, I had the opportunity to move into IT and network roles, steadily building a broad understanding of the technical landscape in a telco.”
That was where Jens discovered his true calling. “I found my sweet spot in technology,” he says. “I really love the constant development in this area and the possibilities it brings. For me, the combination of people and technology is the place to be.”
Today, as Head of Nordic Technology Programs, Jens stands at the heart of a critical shift in Telenor: building strong cross-border collaboration across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. His role is to lead transformational programs that bring together technology and network experts from across the company’s business units.
“Telenor has been around for around 170 years, which means that any change in a company of our size and legacy can be challenging. But that’s also the fun part of the job – convincing people, creating relationships, and showing the value of doing things together, for the greater good of Telenor and more importantly, for our customers.”
Jens says he’s motivated by the enormous potential he sees for Telenor to capture innovation and harmonise its ways of working. “The willingness and the ideas are here. If we succeed in synchronising and coming together where it makes a difference, we will be in a better position to create the best customer experiences, a stronger brand, and contribute even more to society.”
Being a gamechanger, in Jens’ eyes, is all about persistence. “Transformation is hard. You get knocked down and you get up again – or you try another way. But when you see people coming together across markets and realising the potential, that’s where the real value is created.”
In a way, Jens has come full circle. While the classroom wasn’t where his future lay, the essence of teaching – helping people move forward, unlocking potential, and creating results together – is still a part of his everyday life. Only now, the students are teams across four countries, and the lessons are all about how people and technology can come together to transform Telenor for a bright future.