What do you do in Plant Health?
Basically, what we do in Plant Health, is help microbes, plants and partners. What we test here is bacteria that can help our green friends. When plants grow out in the field, unfortunately, they go through a lot of challenges. Sometimes they lack water, sometimes they have pathogens attacking them. So, we look for bacteria that can help plants go through these difficult situations, so they are able to produce a higher yield and help both farmers, but also food production in general.
My interest in plant science started when I was a kid, and the reason for it, I believe, is because I have a really deep respect for plants, because plants are so intertwined with everything in our lives
How has your career in Chr. Hansen developed since you started?
My career in Chr. Hansen started as an industrial postdoc student about seven years ago. Then I became an application scientist, and at some point, I had the opportunity to take on a more managerial role as I started leading the biostimulant team in Plant Health. To be honest, at the beginning, I was a little bit frightened, and I think it had a lot to do with the uncertainty that comes with taking on a new position. But looking back, I’m really proud of taking that step. Especially the fact that I have been given so much trust and so much empowerment to develop myself. And of all the good things I have experienced during the past seven years in Chr. Hansen, this is something I will never forget.
Working as a manager has proved a different set of challenges than working as a scientist. When you work as a scientist you can be fairly sure of what you can and cannot trust because the decision-making is very much based on data. As a manager, you don’t always have that luxury. That is why I really can’t stress enough how grateful I am for the people that I work with. They tell me what my blind spots are and help me be a better leader.
