Before Kasper Thomsen joined Oras Group in Denmark, he didn’t know much about the company. Now, he knows it inside out – and taking it to new heights makes him tick.
Challenges don’t scare Kasper Thomsen. If anything, he runs towards them. That’s why he said yes to a job offer from Oras Group despite not really knowing what the company does.
“I just really like a challenge,” he explains. “I need to be pushed, and I want to look at new problems and find solutions to them.”
With a background in the electronics industry working for giants like Sony and Samsung, Kasper has extensive experience in both sales and product category management. During his 10 years at Sony, he held 10 different positions, sometimes several at once.
In 2016, he joined Oras Group thinking that the industry might be old-fashioned and slow – particularly in comparison to what he had gotten used to in the fast-moving electronics sector. However, he’s learned that things actually progress much more rapidly than he had imagined – and job titles don’t really matter, particularly if you have a good idea.
“If you work for multinational companies, you often have what you have and that’s it,” he describes. “At Oras Group, you’re always quite close to top management, product developers, and top sales guys, and there’s an open dialogue between all employees. If you have a business case and you can show it, you will be listened to.”
Up, down, sideways
Initially, Kasper started out as a country manager for Denmark. Last year he was asked if he’d be interested in product management in public health and care, setting in motion some new ideas in core areas.
As per usual, he jumped at the opportunity.
“If I think about it, I have always been looking for new challenges. Oras Group is a company that offers these opportunities.”
Now Kasper gets to work with a range of countries, all with their own personalities. He points out that although there’s potential everywhere, each area needs the right kind of product portfolio. Creating one requires close and open co-operation with country managers, who know the players of the market and its needs.
Heading for greener options
On top of being able to impact his own job, Kasper also believes that people at Oras Group are part of shaping the future of the industry itself. Particularly in the Nordics, he sees a huge request for greener products, especially as buildings are expected to become more and more eco-friendly. Another factor is the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has made hand hygiene a top priority.
As Oras Group has been developing its products for decades already and leads the market in electronic and smart solutions, Kasper says it’s ahead of the competition. However, there’s neither room nor time for complacency.
“We need to benchmark all the time, as the competition is also moving fast.”
This is what drives Kasper: meeting targets, creating the right kinds of portfolios, and developing the right products, and generally making sure that progress takes place. All this means that there must be continuous communication across teams, departments, and countries.
Kasper adds that as a family business, Oras Group has a strong culture with employees and a working environment in focus.
“This is a company where you’ll be challenged but your ideas will be heard and appreciated as well,” he concludes.