Customers first
Decisions based on experience, internal opinions or what has always been done are not enough. I start with what customers, the market and sales actually show.
About Michael
I work with companies that want more. And that are willing to ask the right questions to get there.
Approach
I am a Commercial Transformation Advisor with 20+ years of experience from commercial leadership roles in large brands and complex businesses. I have worked with LEGO Group, Nordisk Film, KRUUSE and Demant, and I have held commercial responsibility for markets in Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany and the US.
What I bring into an advisory engagement is not a standard concept or a fixed framework. It is the ability to quickly see what is actually holding growth back, what should be prioritized, and what requires action now.
I work with clarity, not complexity. I ask the questions that need to be asked, listen to what the market is actually saying, and help translate insight into concrete decisions and action.
Principles
Most companies are not short on ambition. They are short on connection. Customers say one thing, sales experience something else, marketing works on a third agenda, and digitalization too often becomes a systems project. My approach starts with what actually drives growth.
Decisions based on experience, internal opinions or what has always been done are not enough. I start with what customers, the market and sales actually show.
Digitalization should not be an extra layer on top of the business. It should make it easier to create demand, follow up on customers and execute faster.
Many companies have plenty of activity, but too little clarity on what is working. I help identify the few commercial numbers that should actually guide prioritization.
How I work
A company's own assumptions are the starting point for many poor decisions. I prioritize understanding what customers, the market and sales actually show before we decide what should be done.
Most companies do not suffer from a shortage of ideas. They suffer from too many initiatives and too little focus. I help identify the few things that actually move something.
A good plan that cannot be executed is not a good plan. I work closely with leadership and the organization to ensure that what is decided can actually be realized.
I do not use models for the sake of models, and I do not deliver reports that are hard to turn into something concrete. I say what I see, and I help do something about it.
Core values
Good commercial decisions do not require more information. They require a better understanding of what is already there.
It is not the number of initiatives that creates growth. It is the right priorities, well executed.
What a company thinks about itself is rarely what decides whether customers choose it.
Questions and answers
I work in a practical, commercial way and close to the decisions that need to create impact. First, it is about understanding customers, the market and the business. Then it is about prioritizing sharply and turning insight into action.
It means commercial choices should start with a real understanding of customers, not only internal wishes, channels or activities. The question is always what makes the company more relevant and easier to choose.
It means digital development should create more business, better customer experiences and stronger commercial execution. Not just more systems, campaigns or dashboards.
It means decisions should be supported by data, performance and commercial reality. Numbers should not replace judgment, but they should help show what works and what should be left behind.
By bringing customer perspective, market understanding, digital development, financial reality and organizational execution into one coherent picture. Clarity emerges when it becomes clear what should be prioritized and what should no longer take up space.
Contact
Does any of this sound relevant for you? Get in touch, and let's see if there is a fit.
Let's talk