Meet Lene Gludsted

She is a trained electronics mechanic and has been with SKIOLD for 25 years: ‘I call myself a bit of an octopus’

For Lene Gludsted, a good working life is not just about job titles, but about community and making things work.

After 25 years at SKIOLD, the 55-year-old former electronics mechanic has developed into what she describes as an ‘octopus’ at the company's help desk in Ikast, where she uses her broad knowledge and, together with her good colleagues at the help desk, ties things together for both colleagues and customers.

Lene Gludsted's career started on a completely different path. For almost 10 years she worked as an electronics mechanic at Demex Electric in Tjørring, where she spent the last few years as workshop manager responsible for troubleshooting and repairing electronic controls for electrical panels and control panels.

The starting shot in 2000

She describes it as a ‘great place to work’, but after her maternity leave, she could no longer see herself in the job function she was returning to.

This was the starting point for a change, which in 2000 led her to SKIOLD, which at the time was based in Lind near Herning. Her primary task here was to configure the MF5000 and draw graphic layouts - a new challenge that she took on with an open mind.

She also worked on adding various programmes to the products that the fitters would install at the customers' premises, which also gave her some customer contact when setting up the equipment.

Community means a lot

The 25 years that have passed have seen many changes. Today, Lene Gludsted is based at SKIOLD's help desk in Ikast, where her working days primarily revolve around spare parts sales and licence registration.

But her role is much broader than that.

‘I call myself a bit of an octopus, because I've gradually built up knowledge of many things and help here and there when needed,’ she says with a smile.

In the department, she is part of a team of 10-12 colleagues in the office and 20-25 fitters covering the whole of Denmark, and for Lene Gludsted, community means a lot.

‘For me, it's about making the house work, because the community is more important than my job title,’ she emphasises.

When a customer calls and needs a specific spare part, for example, Lene Gludsted makes it a point of honour to shake the customer's hand and make sure they are up and running again as quickly as possible.

Caring for each other

When asked what has kept her at SKIOLD for so many years, the answer is clear:

‘The colleagues. We have a spirit of helping each other and standing together in good times and difficult times, both professionally and privately. Here at SKIOLD we care for each other. I've always appreciated that and it's important to me.’

Her good relationship with the fitters in the field is also important to her.

‘It's a pleasure to have daily contact with the fitters and I try to keep them in my ear in a loving way,’ she says.

From Lene's perspective, SKIOLD's strength is the strong unity that exists across the organisation's departments in Denmark.

‘In addition, we have some great products and a bunch of fantastic fitters who take their work seriously. They're the ones who are at the customer's site and have to get the product up and running and working so that the customer is satisfied. And our service is top notch, because if a customer has a problem, we're there right away and we don't say goodbye until it's working again.’

Pizzas and cream puffs are also important

In addition to her daily work, Lene Gludsted is also active in the staff association, where she has been chairman for four or five years.

She sees it as important that there are social events across the departments. These include bowling, go-karting, making pizzas and cream puffs, and an annual family trip.

‘It's important that we occasionally talk to each other about things other than work. It definitely helps the colleagues in Ikast and Sæby and the fitters to feel a sense of belonging and not just drive in a car in Southern Jutland and Funen. They're more than just lorry 12 and lorry 23. It has strengthened us.’

Lene Gludsted lives in Lind near Herning with her husband and their three boys.

She is the chairman of Herning Korforening, where she has sung since 2019.