Professor Lars Kolind is a world-renowned business leader, professor, author, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is globally recognized as one of the founders of the Knowledge-based Organization and his work today focuses on building world-leading companies within a range of industries. He advises governments and selected major corporations at board and top management level on business strategy and leadership. His ability to ask the right questions and to focus on core challenges and opportunities is legendary.

He graduated from Aarhus University in 1972 with a degree in Mathematics and Statistics. His career spans 9 years as an international management consultant, four years as a director of the largest research laboratory in Denmark (Risoe National Laboratory), four years as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Radiometer A/S, a leading supplier of high-precision diagnostic instruments, ten years as CEO of Oticon and William Demant Holding A/S and 17 years as Group Chairman of Grundfos and the Poul Due Jensen Foundation. Kolind has been involved in businesses in more than 20 countries. He has started more than 25 businesses in a wide range of industries including pharmaceuticals, software, hardware, consulting, real estate and retail. Kolind has advised some of the world’s largest corporations such as Michelin, Movo Nordisk, LEGO, Coors and GlaxoSmithKline.

In December 2012, Professor Lars Kolind joined DeTao Masters Academy as a DeTao Leadership and Strategy Master.

 

Working Experience:

1999 – Present, Owner and CEO Kolind A/S. Holding company for numerous 　investments and start-up companies

1995 – Present, Board member and chairman (2008-2010) of the World Scout Foundation and the World Organization of the Scout Movement.

1998 – Present, Chairman and board member of numerous corporations including K.J.Jacobs AG, Unimerco Group, Tooling Invest, Løndal Østerskov, Kristelidt Dagblad (supervisory Board), Danske Bank (advisory Board), Wemind, LinKS, Kolind A/S, KeepFocus, Coensus, Jacob Jensen Holding.

1996 – 2012, Group Chairman of Grundfos and the Poul Due Jensen Foundation.

1988 – 1998, Group CEO of Oticon Holding A/S and William Demant Holding A/S

1984 – 1988, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Radiometer A/S

1981 – 1984, Director Riesoe National Laboratory

1973 – 1981, Management consultant and managing director Operations Analysis Centre A/S

Education:

1972, MSc. Mathematics and statistics, Aarhus University, Denmark.

1977, B.Comm. Copenhagen Business School 

2000 – present, Adjunct professor of leadership and strategy, University of Aarhus

1977 – 1984, Associate Professor in planning theory, University of Copenhagen

Current Position:

Chairman of several businesses and organizations, adjunct professor of leadership and strategy at University of Aarhus Denmark, serial entrepreneur.

Professional membership:

The Academy of Technical Sciences, Denmark

DeTao Leadership and Strategy Master, China

1993 The IT Prize, Denmark

1996 The Mangement Prize, Denmark

1996 Man of the Year, Denmark

1998 Social Entrepreneur of the Year, Denmark

The Bronze Wolf Award, World Organization of the Scout Movement

The Silver World Award, Boy Scouts of America

The Silver Fox, Scouts Canada

The Baden-Powell World Fellowship, Regal Circle

Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog

2012 UNBOSS, JP Forlag Copenhagen (in Danish and English)

2006 The Second Cycle, Wharton School Publishing (in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Russian, Swedish and Danish)

2001 The Knowledge Society (in Danish: Vidensamfundet), Gyldendal, Copenhagen.

Over 100 articles and book contributions