Press Release - 05.04.2023 - 10:00
Jesper Lund, President and CEO of Lars Larsen Group, turns 60
There were only nine employees in the organisation when the name ’Lars Larsen Group’ was introduced in 2020. But in just three years, Jesper Lund and the Brunsborg-family have developed and built the ‘umbrella’ of the company group, which today employs 60 people within an array of different fields such as investment, tax, accounting, sustainability, real estate, and legal.
”We have expanded rapidly, and I am proud of the successful company we are today. Our core values – tradesmanship, responsibility, and growth – which were defined by the owner family, constitute a strong foundation for our long-term strategy to create growth and value for the societies which we are a part of”, says President and CEO of Lars Larsen Group, Jesper Lund.
”Expect the unexpectable”
While the organisation has grown, the surrounding world has changed as well, and a pandemic followed by a war in Europe has made its distinct mark. According to Jesper Lund, it requires focus and trust to navigate a global company with more than 40,000 employees worldwide through the crises:
”It is like the ‘Kinder Surprise’ we have never opened before: A war in Ukraine, financial uncertainties, and an escalating climate crisis. It is the perfect storm. But my core philosophy is to focus on the things I can influence – and to expect the unexpectable. I am optimistic and I believe that we can come out the other side strong. But it requires that we, as a society, have more faith in each other and show greater trust in one another,” says Jesper Lund.
A new path mid-life
Jesper Lund grew up in Viborg, where he graduated from Viborg Katedralskole. In his youth, he spent time windsurfing and was a sound engineer in the local rock band, ”California” – a career path he did not pursue, though. Instead, he moved to Aarhus to study and completed a Master of Science in Business Economics and Auditing and became a state-authorised public accountant. In 1985, he pursued a career at the accountancy firm PwC, where he worked for a total of 34 years and spent 20 of them as partner and co-owner at PwC Denmark.
But in 2017, Jesper Lund decided to take some time off to reflect on his next career move and therefore initiated a proper ‘phase-out’ from PwC. However, his intentions of a long vacation were quickly revised when Lars Larsen and Jacob Brunsborg approached him with the proposition to become President and CEO for the family company.
”I was very happy working with PwC, but I felt a desire to explore what else was ‘out there’ for me mid-life. It felt like the perfect next step to take the opportunity which was offered to me in Lars Larsen Group, and I am humbled by the amount of trust the family has shown me,” says Jesper Lund.
About Jesper Lund
- Born 8 April 1963.
- Grew up in Viborg.
- Graduated from Viborg Katedralskole.
- Master of Science in Business Economics and Auditing in 1988 from Aarhus School of Business/Aarhus University.
- Became a state-authorised public accountant in 1991.
Career:
- 1985-96: PwC Denmark, auditor, state-authorised public accountant.
- 1996-98: PwC UK (England), senior manager.
- 1998-2019: PwC Denmark, partner and co-owner, where he worked with the Brunsborg-family and Lars Larsen Group for many years.
- 2019-20: Holiday – by choice.
- 2020-: Lars Larsen Group, President and CEO.
Positions of trust:
- Member of the Board of Lars Larsens JYSK Fond and Jabami A/S among others.
- Board member of several companies within Lars Larsen Group.
Personal:
Jesper lives in Risskov near Aarhus and is the father of two children; his daughter Pernille holds a Master in Dairy Science and Technology as well as a Ph.D. and is now a postdoc at the University of Copenhagen, while his son Christian, who holds a Master of Science in Business Economics and Auditing, works as an auditor at PwC.