Interview with Bente Hansen
Why did you choose a career in Executive Search?
This was a career that resulted from my participation in management positions in healthcare, medical device and biotech. As a VP of a startup biotech company in the CV area with seed money from a group of physicians, I saw firsthand the importance of having a CEO who had experience in commercializing a product and leading a team. The CEO with whom I worked was a founding instrumentation expert who worked on the product continually to make it better without knowing how to get it on the market. This was early in my career and had I known more about the startup environment, I would have been able to complement him in commercializing the product. Through this experience, positions I have had in a biotech startups, and all of my search work, it is my belief that the team is the key ingredient in making a company successful. Being an executive search consultant allows me to help my clients in making their teams the best they can be.
What do you like most about your job?
There are so many things I like about my job. I like learning new science and new technologies, I enjoy working with the CEO and/or Board of Directors in identifying and attracting a key individual that could make a difference in the company and I enjoy watching the growth of the company and the growth of the team. I like new challenges and look forward to being involved with each new search.
What do you find most difficult about your job?
Communicating to highly interested individuals that they were not a fit for a position s/he loved.
What do you do to give back to the community?
I enjoy mentoring and do this on a regular basis – both informally and through organizations such as Athena, Women in Bioscience, UCSD Rady School of Management, UCSD von Liebig Center, panel presentations and BIO. I have served as a Board Member and President of the American Lung Association of San Diego and Imperial Counties. I am passionate about animal causes and will be much more involved as time permits. We recently worked with an environmental organization, Equinox Center, and I look forward to becoming more involved with that.
Our company has done a number of searches for non-profits as we feel that the skillful leadership from a management and board perspective is vital to their success.
I will also serve on start-up boards.
What is the most important advice you give people who are looking for a job?
Network, see how you can help someone and look for a position in an industry in which you are passionate.
What gets you up in the morning?
First of all, I love mornings and I always approach it as a day where I can improve on what I did the day before. I start with walking my dog, Sheba, and then go for my run. I have frequent meetings with my clients and I believe I make a difference.
What is something you would do if you had more free time?
One of the things that I would love to do is to go back to Norway where I was born and take Bo Saxberg, one of our advisory board members who is also Norwegian and set up some type of partnership with the Oslo Biotechnology consortium that they are developing.
I’d spend more time in Breckenridge, ski and work on my photography.
Is there a need for executive search consultants in this challenging economy?
Yes, I believe the need is greater than ever as companies are inundated by potential applicants and resumes that come over the transom. Search consultants can apply their skills in identifying the candidates who are a fit for the company in skills, culture and experience. Often companies see a resume of someone who lives in close proximity and may not go through a rigorous interview selection process. Every hire is a crucial hire.
Why are you good at this?
Been there – done that. I have walked the walk and I have learned a lot over the past 14 years in this industry.
I have been in companies where I have witnessed the effect of one person who can displace the entire team and throw the entire business plan off track and I have seen also how one person can change things for the better.