Chairman of VELUX, MT Højgaard and VKR Holding is appointed adjunct professor at CBS

Photo: VKR Holdning

Søren Bjerre-Nielsen, who takes up his adjunct professorship at CBS next Wednesday, has more than a little experience as chairman and financier. Bjerre-Nielsen has been Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Deloitte, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Danisco and is today chairman or member of the boards in an impressive array of Danish companies. Søren Bjerre-Nielsen will become adjunct professor at the Department of Accounting. Head of Department Carsten Rohde considers this appointment part of the cooperation between CBS and the Danish business community. 

- It is important to us that our academic disciplines are developed in dialogue between research and the corporate sector. Søren Bjerre-Nielsen has exceptional qualifications in accounting and auditing and can make extraordinary contributions to research, teaching and dissemination at the Department of Accounting. Furthermore, he knows us really well. As a state-authorised accountant, CFO and board chairman, he is an excellent ambassador for CBS and our ambition to contribute to the value creation of companies and society, says Carsten Rohde.

Søren Bjerre-Nielsen is MSc in Business Economics and Auditing from Copenhagen Business School. According to the recommendation, he has an “impressive and varied background” from different companies. He started his career at Schøbel & Marholt (now Deloitte Touche) as an accountant and then became partner and co-owner and CEO of the company. Between 1995-2011, he served as a CEO of Danisco and played a central role in selling the company to Dupont. Since 2011, he has focused on being chairman and member of boards in significant companies such as the Nationalbank, VKR Holding, MT Højgaard, Carlsberg and Scandinavian Tobacco Group. He has also served on committees such as: The Confederation of Danish Industries’ tax policy committee (chair), committees in The Institute of State Authorised Public Accountants and the committee for electricity regulation (chair).

About the appointment, Head of Department Carsten Rohde adds that Søren Bjerre-Nielsen is actively committed to the Board Leadership Society.

 - We also attach importance to the fact that Søren Bjerre-Nielsen’s massive experience in board and governance work makes him a highly appreciated lecturer of the CBS Board Leadership Education programmes and a great source of inspiration in the development of the board programmes. He also contributes actively to society through his involvement in committees laid down by government and business community, says Carsten Rohde from the Department of Accounting, to which Søren Bjerre-Nielsen will be affiliated.

In terms of research and teaching, the department holds a strong position in relation to value creation, governance and ownership, as the Department of Accounting merged with the Center of Corporate Governance and the Centre for Owner-Managed Businesses in the summer of 2018. The department has a large focus on research and teaching in external reporting, profitability management and auditing.

Søren Bjerre-Nielsen gives an inaugural lecture Wednesday 29 August 2018, 17:00 - 18:30 at Porcelænshaven 22, Frederiksberg. The lecture theme is: ”Transparency and relevance in company reporting are essential to value-creating decisions and confidence in the company - what is the role of the board, CFO and auditor?”.

Read more about the inaugural lecture

For more information, please contact Carsten Rohde, Head of Department, CBS

Or Tom Jacobsgaard, Board Leadership Society and CBS Board Leadership Education

LUX and VKR Holding, one of Denmark’s largest industrial companies.