Helle Østergaard Kristiansen joins Systematic’s Board of Directors

Danske Commodities CEO to strengthen the Danish software company’s continued growth.

The software company Systematic has brought a new and unusually strong business profile on board, as Helle Østergaard Kristiansen, CEO of Danske Commodities, has become the seventh member of its Board of Directors.

Helle Østergaard Kristiansen has been ranked 31 by the American business magazine Forbes on its list of the most important women in business outside the USA – she heads a company which recently posted an operating profit of DKK 375 million. On top of which, she is bold.

It required a degree of courage when Helle Østergaard Kristiansen agreed to take over the role of CEO of Danske Commodities after its founder and owner Henrik Lind sold the company to the Norwegian energy company Equinor. By that point, Helle had been working at Danske Commodities for nine years – first as Chief Risk Officer and then as VP Group Finance, CFO, before finally being appointed CEO at the beginning of 2019.

Helle Østergaard Kristiansen holds a Master’s degree in Business Economics and Auditing, and started her career in the finance sector, working with risk and compliance. Today, she also sits on the boards of directors of Dampskibsselskabet Norden and Stauning Whisky, and is now able to also add Denmark’s largest privately owned IT company to the list, something which fills her with enthusiasm:

“Systematic is an impressive company, which over the years has fully financed its own success through re-investing its profits in innovation and the development of new software solutions which are sold worldwide. The company has experienced massive growth, and continues to move into new business areas each year, and I’m thrilled to be given the opportunity to contribute to this development,” says Helle Østergaard Kristiansen.

For Michael Holm, Systematic’s owner-manager, Helle Østergaard Kristiansen’s strong competences will undoubtedly benefit the company’s Board of Directors:

“Helle is a far-sighted business strategist with a strong financial and commercial profile. She possesses a natural curiosity for and an interest in learning from other companies, and combined with her focus on strengthening and supporting business competitiveness, she is just the right person to contribute to Systematic’s ongoing growth,” he says.

Helle Østergaard Kristiansen

• Born 1978
• Master’s degree in Business Economics and Auditing
• 2019 CEO, Danske Commodities
• 2014 Vice President, Group Finance (CFO), Danske Commodities
• 2010 Chief Risk Officer (CRO), Danske Commodities
• 2008 Compliance Officer, Sparekassen Østjylland
• 2005 Controller, Den Jyske Sparekasse, Grindsted