On her very first day, she was welcomed by professor Lars Mathiassen, at that time head of the IS group.
- Right from the start, Lars Mathiassen relieved me of any doubts that I may have had as to whether I was up for the job. He simply lined up some tasks and asked for my assistance including helping out at a conference he was organizing. So I thought that if he was confident that I could manage, then why should I not be? This kind of trust and motivation is very important and one of the reasons why I felt good about moving to CS, she says.
Before taking up her first position at AAU, Helle worked for ten years in the private sector. One job was at the Mercedes dealership in Aalborg.
- We were 80 men and two women, and if, at times, I may be a bit direct in my communication, I am pretty sure that that is where I learned it, she says with a smile.
A small boat
The move from the private to the public sector in the form of a university faculty was a bit challenging:
- Initially, I thought that it was not really for me. There were many rules, and the chain of command fairly complicated, so when I saw an ad for a position as secretary at CS, I got interested. It was a small, new department, and the people from CS that I had come to know through my work at the faculty had made a very positive impression on me. I clearly remember that I thought of the department as a small boat with an outboard motor that we could pretty easily navigate in the direction we wanted.
Internal Accounts and PhD Students
Helle’s primary responsibilities lie within finance, more specifically the internal accounts. She is also responsible for a number of administrative tasks related to the PhD students at the department.
- Over the years, a great number of PhD students have been by my office. For some, it has not only been for administrative support, but also to have a good talk, if things were difficult. I really enjoy following them and seeing how they are doing, and some of them actually still write me birthday cards.
Freedom with responsibility
Helle enjoys working at CS, where she feels that she is surrounded by colleagues dedicated to their respective work areas.
- We have freedom with responsibility and as I see it, a feeling of mutual respect working together for a common goal, whether we are administrative or scientific staff. I believe that it is important that we motivate and support each other in being successful at what we do. This is not least important with new colleagues that may have doubts about how they are going to cope, just like me years ago. On my very first day, I was lucky enough to meet somebody who supported and motivated me, and that is an example that I hope that I have been able to follow.
Family is important
Helle lives in Nørresundby with her husband, and most of her spare time is dedicated to her family.
- Family is very important to me. My husband, our two sons and our nine-month-old granddaughter are very much at the centre of my life, she says.
Gardening and riding motorbike together with her husband are favourite leisure activities. She used to ride her own bike, but now she prefers sitting behind her husband on their BMW K 1300 GT when taking small trips into the countryside, preferably including a good lunch.