Meet the board members
Just right before the easter break, we introduced you to our new Chairwoman Trine Tolfsby. Now, it is time to shine the light on the remaining new members who are completing our board.
We do believe that we have so many strong assets complementing our new formed board and that each and every single one will help us reach our growth and development goals in the future.
In this brief article we have gathered a short portrait of our board members to give you the chance to get to know them as well.
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Education:
Master of Science in Business Administration | NTNU
Current occupation and responsibility:
CEO in TheFactory Growth. Supporting growing Start-ups and Scale-ups with capital and competence.
Why Marinette joined the board:
AvantGarde Search has done many things right by working more agile and creating more satisfaction for customers and applicants. AvantGarde has been awarded as a gazelle three times and has now plans for further growth. It is the combination of a super interesting company, challenging the market, and high ambitions to grow further. This is right up my alley.
Strengths Marinette will bring to the board:
I am adventurous, strategically, structured and I know how to build companies.
I am a board member and part of the investment committee in TheFactory Norway Fund. Therefore, I understand how investors work and what they are looking for. This can help AvantGarde to consider investment possibilities. I am a founder myself and I also help numerous Start-ups and Scale-ups to grow. Meaning that I can help with business development and strategic decisions for growth and help overcoming the first growth challenges.
How she plans to contribute:
I understand innovators and growth companies very well, which is one of the biggest customer segments of AvantGarde Search. I can identify needs, and how can we create more value for clients in different stages.
Previous experience with recruitment companies:
I have worked with several recruitment companies within different niches. I advised Start-ups and growth companies on recruitment - from students to CXO positions. I have recruited 30+ people myself in different positions ranging from interns, contractors, temporary and full-time positions. AvantGarde Search is a partner to TheFactory Growth. We collaborate to ensure that our portfolio of 53 Start-ups and hundreds of accelerated Start-ups get advice on recruitment. Finding the right talent is crucial, especially in these early stages. Recruitment isn’t easy but with great advice, competence, and a network it can get easier.
How Marinette sees AvantGardes journey ahead:
Firstly, having a good understanding of the markets, and the risks involved, and having the right team to expand with. We need to think differently and not underestimate new markets. We need to have a good understanding of what differentiates the old markets from the new ones as well as engage and interact with new segments. We need to look at how AvantGarde can scale its services, if there is something we can do to further innovate. Let’s find out!
Education:
Ina has a bachelors in Pedagogy and psychology and a masters in leadership and organizational psychology from BI Norwegian Business School.
Current occupation and responsibility:
Head of learning & organizational development at Oda, which means she leads the team with responsibility for all talent development, leadership development and learning initiatives for both office and operational roles at Oda. Some keywords are people development cycles, strategic capability planning, succession planning, leadership development programs, learning management systems, e-learning, and a bunch of other very interesting things!
Why Ina joined the board:
When joining a board, it is from great importance to me that I believe in the mission of the company and the product they deliver. I think AvantGarde brings a level of quality and modern working methods to the talent acquisition industry in Norway that we have been missing. The AvantGarde approach very much resonates with what I consider best practice talent acquisition.
Strengths Ina will bring to the board:
My previous experience is all about scaling organizations at pace. One the one side I've worked with the operative parts of growing a company through Talent Acquisition, development, and retention. Secondly, I've been part of building organizational structures and processes that are fit for scale from the “people lens”. I'm all about keeping things simple enough to push out products quickly and iterate based on feedback. What gets me up in the morning? A talent centric approach to the people space, a good dose of inspiration from product- and tech-ways of working and a geeky obsession with putting people science and research into practice!
How she plans to contribute:
I hope to represent the view of the end user on the one hand, and a subject matter understanding of the product AvantGarde offers on the other hand. My overview of the talent acquisition landscape in the Nordics will hopefully come in handy too.
Previous experience with recruitment companies:
In my first HR-role I did key account management and sales for psychometric tools where many of my customers and prospects were recruiting companies. Later, as a director of Talent Acquisition in a blitz scaling organization I was responsible for vendors for third party hiring - located in six different countries.
How Ina sees AvantGardes journey ahead:
In my opinion AvantGarde has already set their mark on the Norwegian talent acquisition scene and raised the bar when it comes to customer and candidate centricity. I'm excited to see how this will be welcomed in other markets. I'm specifically excited to see how AvantGarde will change the executive search market, where the need for innovation and DEI-focus is particularly high.
Education:
Bachelor in «Culture and communication” and additional studies in pedagogy, sports, and fitness. She has also completed an executive course on Customer Success.
Current occupation and responsibility:
She is currently working as a Chief Talent Sourcer at AvantGarde Search where she is building a new branch, Executive Search.
Why Maša joined the board:
I was humbled to be asked and could not say no. This is a great experience for me.
Strengths Maša will bring to the board:
Have no idea! Maybe that I am straight forward, and I have experience from recruitment. Also, that I can contribute on behalf of the employees.
How she plans to contribute:
With my passion for communication and building a healthy, sustainable business.
Why she thinks AvantGarde is different to other recruitment companies:
Because we put the client and candidates in focus, not ourselves.
How Maša sees AvantGardes journey ahead:
It may be rocky, but I think it’s going to be very fun. If everything is easy and stress-free, we won’t be able to grow, then we will just “linger”. I am very motivated to be a part of this, I love challenges.
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AvantGarde Search is for the first time in our history in the process of raising capital to allow for significant expansion plans both here in Oslo, but also in Denmark and Sweden. We are considering a share-issue round via www.folkeinvest.no. In the coming weeks we are speaking to professional investors and hobby investors with the interest of investing 10 000 NOK to 250 000 NOK. Feel free to see our presentations via the linkor contact Erik Falk Hansen (efh@avantgardesearh.no | +47 40 43 54 93).