Søren Rode

Founding Partner

2022

Founding Partner Strive Ventures (formerly Bjergegaard, Rode & Co) Strive (www.striveventures.dk) is a Danish incorporated venture fund with focus on non-leveraged minority investments in profitable scale-ups and growth companies with large potential. We are an active investor, fully committed towards our portfolio companies, and their founders. Strive Ventures Fund 1 is now 90% deployed with 7 active quality investments.

Member Board of Directors

2024

Agency Group is partnering with some of the largest financial companies in the Nordics to create measurable and sustainable B2B and B2C sales and retention results within the financial sector. Agency Group has a unique and scalable business model with a proven and documented track record.

Member Board Of Directors

2022

Group Chief Commercial Officer

2021 - 2022

Group Chief Commercial Officer. Key driver in the highly successful sale of ProData Consult from Polaris to Axcel in June 2021; from internal exit preparation, working with advisers, management presentation, etc. ProData was the most successful exit in the history of Polaris (www.borsen.dk/nyheder/virksomheder/polaris-saelger-milliardomsaettende-it-konsulenthus-til-axcel). Responsible for the Group Advanced Sales Unit (i.e. Nearshore and Managed Services), Group Marketing and Group Bid Management. Responsible for business development and new service offerings throughout the Group. Commercial lead and support on strategic client and service offerings.

Group CEO

2009 - 2021

Group Chief Executive Officer from 2009 to 2021. Took the company from around DKK 200/Euro 25 million to DKK +1.5 billion/EURO +200 million in yearly revenue and created a Scandinavian market leader with one of the largest high-end nearshore set-ups in Poland. Took over as CEO in 2009 during the Financial Crisis where the company for the first time had a decrease in revenue. Successfully made a turn-around, re-organized and re-focused the company, optimized the organization towards servicing the clients, reduced OPEX and discontinued all non-core services. In 2010 the company was above the 2008 performance both on revenue and profit. Build the company organizationally and commercially and digitalized processes building a state-of-the-art IT platform encompassing both administrative employees, external consultants and clients. Conceptualized and initiated the ProData Consult Nearshore-as-a-service and personally on-boarded the first large clients to the service which has become the fastest growing service offering of the company. Together with the local Polish management build up the Polish subsidiary at a fast pace organizationally as well as improved and developed the service offering which now encompasses +1000 administrative employees and consultants in our Polish operation. Did 5 acquisitions in the period; 3 before Polaris ownership and 2 after they acquired majority. Was integral in both target selection, negotiations and in the planning and integration phase. Was the lead in selling the majority ownership of the company to the Private Equity fund, Polaris, in 2018. Worked successfully under Polaris ownership with new board, grew the company +50% during the Polaris ownership period and won the Polaris value creation award (awarded the portfolio company with highest company value increase) in both years as CEO under Polaris ownership, 2019 and 2020 – no other Polaris portfolio company has ever won this award 2 years straight.

Sales Director Denmark

2000 - 2009

Started in the ProData Consult in 2000, where the company had less than 10 consultants placed – mainly subcontracting to other consultant companies, with the task of obtaining and creating end clients. Fast succeeded in obtaining larger end-clients, amongst them several trophy clients, tripled the revenue within a year and started building a sales organization. Became partner in 2001 and grew the company up to DKK 210/EURO 28 million in 2008. Was practically leading the Danish organization which did +90% of the revenue. Had the sales, sourcing and marketing crew in direct line and build that up to an organization on around 20 administrative FTE’s handling 200 contracted IT consultants at some of the largest Danish companies and organizations.

Investor

2000

Several investments directly in Private Equity, established companies and start-ups.