I do not seek risk for the sake of it, but I have taken some chances that have turned out well.
Henrik Lie-Nielsen
‘I'm not that much of a risk seeker’
This year’s Lehmkuhl lecturer is serial entrepreneur, investor and adviser Henrik Lie-Nielsen.
‘I will tell my story, the choices I made and how I got into the situation I’m in today, and also dedicate a lot of time to talk about future possibilities.’
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
Henrik Lie-Nielsen is a serial entrepreneur based in Bergen. He founded his first technology company in 1995, and has later started a host of other technology-related businesses.
Lie-Nielsen has spent most of his career in the intersection between business and technology.
He is currently an investor and shares his time between developing his own companies and mentoring companies he has invested in. He also advises boards and management teams on digital transformation and innovation.
On 26 September, he will host the Lehmkuhl Lecture at NHH.
The lecture:
APPETITE FOR DECONSTRUCTION - AN ENTREPRENEUR'S PERSPECTIVES ON CAREER CHOICES
‘Apart from talking about my background and story, I want to point out why it might be smart to think a little unconventionally and innovatively, and which skills are becoming more and more important,’ say Lie-Nielsen.
UNTRADITIONAL CHOICES
‘What were these choices about? Education and work, or have you been good at taking chances?’
‘I believe it was partly about daring to choose something slightly untraditional, and partly about grabbing the opportunities while the risk is low. I do not seek risk for the sake of it, but I have taken some chances that have turned out well.’
Apart from talking about my background and story, I want to point out why it might be smart to think a little unconventionally and innovatively
Henrik Lie-Nielsen
‘You say that reproducing existing knowledge isn’t an important skill. Do you have any advice for students as to how they can learn to think untraditionally?’
‘I think it’s about different things, but I do think that it is of utmost importance to seek knowledge and insight in other areas of study than one’s own. It is this combination of knowledge – one’s own field combined with other fields – that makes people capable of thinking outside the box. It also means that it can be smart to build networks outside of one’s own specialisation – it’s often a team of complementary people who find good solutions to important problems,’ says the investor.