EMEA Recruitment Podcast #140 -The Yoda of Tax, Treasury and Audit – Jens Svolgaard

In this episode of the EMEA Recruitment podcast, we are joined by Jens Svolgaard, Vice President Tax, Treasury and Internal Audit at Bolt.

“As a leader, give them direction and context and then get out of the way and enjoy the view.”

Paul Toms begins the podcast lightheartedly, with Jens giving mention to his wonderful partner Sabine and his four children, who make him smile every day and are always in his heart. 

Jens offers his advice to aspiring leaders on the importance of getting joy out of the people you have hired. 

During the new era of remote working, Jens states that he didn’t have to change his leadership style conceptually. The only difference is his team is spread over nine countries and 18 nationalities; therefore, communication requires a harder and much more structured effort. 

Later on in the episode, listeners will learn about Jens’ role at Bolt and why he finds it to be a huge privilege, referencing his previously enjoyable experience at audio and media streaming giant Spotify. He later touches on his passion for the discipline of work and the most memorable part of his career - a career that he had no grand masterplan for.

Giving advice to recruiters, Jens states that finding great people to work with becomes an art. Having the ability to be patient and put the hard work in to find the right people that have the technical qualifications, but also the right energy and personality that will fit into the business, is key. Jens advocates never compromising; if there is any doubt about the person, the answer is no.

Closer to the end of the episode, Paul and Jens explore the effects of business intelligence and data on leadership, along with the impact it is having on the Finance function. Jens understands the concerns, however, people can not blindly trust data. In his opinion, common sense comes above all.

Moving away from Finance and recruitment, Jens reveals that, for the past four to five years, he has been engaging himself in personal and spiritual development. He is pursuing several qualifications, which listeners will learn how he is applying this learning in the workplace. 

 

If you’re looking for a specific part of the episode, please use these timestamps:

02:19: The people that make Jens smile
03:21: Secrets to family success
04:40: How Jens structures his day
07:10: Jens’ advice to aspiring leaders
10:00: Jens’ tips for remote leaders
13:05: What it feels like to be VP Tax, Treasury and Internal Audit at Bolt
14:15: Jens’ passion for his role and discipline
17:40: The most memorable part of Jens’s career and his experience at Spotify
19:40: Does Jens see the glass half-full?
22:30: How to find great people to work with
27:35: Personality traits Jens looks in candidates
29:50: Challenges in his current role
32:15: Exploring the effects of BI & data on Finance
34:05: Will data change the role of leader in the future?
36:55: Jens’ long-term goals
41:59: How to connect with Jens

If you would like to contact Jens, you can connect with him on LinkedIn. 

 

The EMEA Recruitment podcast is produced in partnership with Operation Smile. We’re on a mission to create 100 new smiles through raising awareness and vital funds for this cause. If you would like to donate, please visit our website: https://www.emearecruitment.com/operation-smile

 

This episode is hosted by Paul Toms, our Founder, and Rose Jinks, our Senior Marketing Executive.

Learn more about our professional services recruitment through our website: https://www.emearecruitment.com/

You can also follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/emea-recruitment-limited/

If you’d like to connect with Paul, visit his LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paultoms/

Or you can find him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/paul_toms

 

Do you have any feedback on the EMEA Recruitment podcast? Please get in touch with Rose: rose.jinks@emearecruitment.com 

 

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