Inside TARGIT Careers: Bjarne’s 30-Year Journey of Adaptability and Growth

Our Head of IT, Bjarne Nielsen, recently celebrated his 30th anniversary at TARGIT. However, his TARGIT history spans far beyond IT. Bjarne worked in nearly every department and played key roles in many of the projects and initiatives that helped shape TARGIT into the organization it is today.

Starting a Career in Software Development

Bjarne has been around for many milestones in TARGIT's history. His career journey here began even before the 'TARGIT' brand came to be. In 1992, after completing military service, Bjarne applied for a support technician role at a company known then as Sandlykke & Leifsgård.  

Bjarne's application was initially rejected – but that was far from the end of his experience with the company. A few months after applying for the support tech role, Bjarne was contacted by Co-Founder Søren Leifsgård about a different opportunity: a position as a Developer.   

Bjarne eagerly accepted the position and used his background in programming in Sandlykke & Leifsgård's Tank Data Department, which focused on developing ERP systems for gas stations. 

Evolving Alongside the TARGIT Brand 

In 2000, Sandlykke & Leifsgård split into two separate business entities, one of which became a business intelligence (BI) and analytics company called TARGIT. However, Bjarne stayed on with the other half of the organization, an ERP provider called Retail Planet.   

After several years at Retail Planet, Bjarne began exploring other career opportunities. And just as he was about to sign a contract with an IT firm, TARGIT's leadership team stepped in to ask if he would consider (re)joining their team instead.   

This time, he took on the role of Head of Consulting, a position that allowed him to expand his skill set further and gain valuable experience in leadership and client engagement. 

Moving to the U.S. and Expanding Horizons 

In 2004, TARGIT began its expansion into the U.S. market, and Bjarne and his family moved to America to help get the U.S. side of the business up and running. This led to the opening of an office in Tampa, Florida, where Bjarne was involved in everything from consulting and training to leading business operations.   

Bjarne played a big part in establishing TARGIT's presence in the U.S., but after three years there, he wanted a break from traveling. He returned to Denmark and took over TARGIT's Test and QA Department, once again proving his flexibility and ability to adapt to new challenges.  

When describing his professional strengths and what he's enjoyed in his many roles at TARGIT, Bjarne shares, "I really enjoy work that's technically challenging. It doesn't have to be challenging all the time, but it has to be something that you need to use your brain for, not just busywork." 

Navigating New Roles and Organizational Change 

Over the years, Bjarne continued to take on various leadership roles, including heading the support team and working closely with the development team. His knack for troubleshooting and improving processes made him an asset at all levels of TARGIT's operations.   

TARGIT was sold to GRO Captial in 2017, and Bjarne remained deeply involved in IT operations and development projects during this critical transition period.  

One of his most significant contributions during that time was a project that optimized ETL processes, which lowered operating costs for the company by minimizing the need for always-on virtual machines.   

At one point, Bjarne spent about six months working for TARGIT part-time and taking on other clients in a role that allowed him to spend 100% of his time on software development. While the work fit his strengths and passion, his role was fully remote with a U.S.-based team.   

Bjarne explains that the office culture and in-person interactions are a big part of what drew him back to a full-time role at TARGIT. "I missed my colleagues so much, and I couldn't see myself sitting in Denmark in my own home office and having colleagues in the U.S. and never working with them face-to-face."  

"When I'm in the TARGIT office, I can talk to my coworkers about everything. I can go and talk to someone who can provide me with some additional info, tell me what I'm missing, or just offer a different perspective on the task at hand." 

Strengthening TARGIT’s Cybersecurity Strategy 

Bjarne has followed the evolution of the TARGIT brand and company culture from the very beginning. He's seen a lot of changes over the years, from the products and services the company has offered to the strategic focus of TARGIT's leadership team. He explains that more recent strategic initiatives have reshaped team culture:   

"I think with our current management team, TARGIT has become a different place. For example, they introduced CultureDrivers, and they do a good job of following up regularly on that. That's a big change I've seen in the company in recent years, especially with Jakob as CEO. We don't start anything that we don't follow up on anymore."  

Like most organizations, TARGIT is ratcheting up its focus on cybersecurity and data security in general. As a result, Bjarne is preparing to take on the role of Information Security Officer (ISO) — where he will oversee the development and implementation of policies for cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and overall compliance.   

"We're prioritizing work on new policies now, and our employees will eventually have access to all this documentation. That way, if you're in doubt, read the password policy, and you'll know exactly what you need to do and what you're allowed to do."  

This new challenge aligns perfectly with his technical background and his desire to work on projects that require critical thinking and problem-solving. 

Embracing Company Culture

When asked why he has stayed at TARGIT all these years, Bjarne explained, "There are a lot of opportunities here. If you want to try something different, you just reach out, and often, our leadership team will try to find a way to help you move into the role you want."  

Bjarne's TARGIT career journey has included many twists and turns. It's a testament to both his adaptability and TARGIT's dynamic work environment.

He's just one of many employees making a lasting impact here at TARGIT. From Jan's 30-year tenure in Development to Alexander's journey from Student Research Analyst to Chief Financial Officer, our flexible structure and continued commitment to our employees gives everyone the opportunity to pursue their passions and the learning opportunities that most interest them.