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<v ->How do you take a business to a new performance level</v>

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by keeping its beloved culture intact?

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COWI did it.

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Founded in 1930, COWI is a global

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engineering services firm focused on major bridges,

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urban transportation, and renewable energy.

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Over the 94 years of its history,

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COWI has been involved in more than 50,000 projects

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in 175 countries, including the recent design

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of the world's longest suspension bridge.

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Just over a year ago,

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the company's ambitious executive management

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launched a strategic transformation program.

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(soft music)

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I'm here at COWI to speak

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with Jens Hojgaard Christoffersen,

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President and Group CEO,

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about their successful transformation

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and his personal journey leading it.

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<v ->-I wanted to start by asking you</v>

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about what personally led you to spearhead

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such a significant transformation here at COWI?

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<v ->A couple of years back,</v>

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I realized that our involvement

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with some of the most, let's say,

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spectacular projects in the industry,

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record-breaking bridge and tunnel projects,

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groundbreaking renewable energy projects,

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and much more, perhaps have shaded our eyes

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from the fact that we were not able to turn

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our activities into margin at the same level

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as the best of our competitors.

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And as we, at the same time, realized

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that we are looking into a future

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with much increased need

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for investments in technology, new materials,

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and digital solutions, not least AI,

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then the combination of these two factors

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led me to understand that we were up

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for significant change.

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<v ->Could you talk a bit about what you have learned?</v>

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<v ->Perhaps the biggest realization</v>

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or change has been to realize the difference

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between continuous improvement and transformation

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and really to try to double our margin

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in a short period of time really requires me

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and others to have a completely different perspective

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of what's achievable

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and also being able to take decisions

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at a much faster pace than before.

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I think we've been able to do so

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because we set up this joint BCG-COWI

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Transformation Office that has changed the pace

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of decision making processes at COWI

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to a totally new level.

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<v ->As you lead through this transformation, Jens,</v>

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what legacy are you hoping to create?

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<v ->Our vision is to help our customers</v>

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to shape a more sustainable and livable world,

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and that vision stands,

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but I would like to create a new legacy

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where we are perhaps more business-savvy

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in the organization.

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<v ->What excites you about the growth</v>

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and profitability opportunities

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that now lies ahead for COWI?

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<v ->Even these times, there are demands</v>

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in the market for what our people can do.

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Could be in renewable energy,

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it could be in mass transit,

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it could be some of the work we do now

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on a larger scale for pharmaceutical companies,

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but it's also exciting to take the company

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to a new level when it comes to business performance

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because being able to share the information

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with all the employees that we intend

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to double the annual investments in digitalization

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and sustainability and innovation,

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maybe tripling in a few years time is also exciting.

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<v ->Jens, it's been a pleasure to work</v>

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with you and your team,

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and it's been a real pleasure speaking today.

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<v ->Thank you, Christin, the pleasure has been ours.</v>

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<v ->Transformations are not always</v>

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about saving a company from an impending crisis.

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Even great companies have the potential

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for performance and value acceleration

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with the right leadership and boldness.

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We at BCG are thrilled to work with companies,

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like COWI, who are ready to embrace the future

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by making change happen now.