Introducing: Andreas Ebbesen

What was your first job? My first real job was unpacking, folding, sorting and repacking clothes at Diesel Norge’s showroom. I worked there one week during our work practice? in 9th grade and ended up being hired to help out 2-3 days a week after school. I was happy to earn my first paychecks and they were happy to set aside the tedious and monotonous tasks. Win-win!

Before joining BCG you worked 6 years at Orkla, mostly with production management and as a factory manager. What was your biggest takeaway from your work there? I got the chance to work with an extremely diverse group of people. I worked with operators, executives, suppliers, consultants and local communities both in Norway and abroad, and I think one of my biggest takeaways was developing the ability to relate and adapt to people regardless of position and background.

You joined BCG as a Consultant in 2020. What drew you to Management Consulting at this point in your career? My time in Orkla gave me industry specific experience, the chance to work abroad and personnel responsibility at a really early age. I had some character building experiences and felt that I grew a lot with the responsibilities I was given. However, I was always considering Management Consulting as an option ever since I graduated, and I felt that after 6 years in Orkla the time was right to develop a different part of my skill set and build on my experiences somewhere else.

You have a keen interest in preparing, planning and executing extreme expeditions. By the age of 13 you had crossed Greenland, and you still climb mountains unguided in the 6.000-7.000+m range. Are there any similarities between Management Consulting and going on expeditions? Yes, you can draw many parallels between the two. An expedition is a big project with high stakes that needs to be managed well, especially when it is unguided. Planning, research, training, role alignment, risk assessment and team building are just some of the recognizable elements in the early phase of an expedition project. As in business you can make a great plan, but you must also have the experience, confidence and creativity to adapt when things don’t go according to plan.

What do you do for fun when you're not at work or on expeditions? I’m having the most fun when I’m endeavoring in outdoor activities with the people I care most about. I’m always looking for new exciting activities to try out, but my favorites are climbing, diving, skiing, kiting, ice climbing and speedflying. My aspiration is to master a range of activities that allow me to go out and have fun regardless of season, weather and conditions.

What's the most interesting thing you have read or seen this week? When it comes to music I’m a big fan of rap, and recently I stumbled upon a YouTube video called “Omegle bars 45” by a freestyle rap artist named Harry Mack . The creativity, skill and knowledge required to do what he does is beyond my comprehension – truly fascinating!

What’s the last app you installed and why? The last app I installed was Curve, in order to get access to my DNB debit card in ApplePay. I want everything in one place and I don’t want to have to carry a wallet at all times. Works like a charm!

The best advice I ever received was...to always remember that everyone has something they are really good at. My parents always told me that when I was growing up. It helped me to not underestimate and judge people and to have a curiosity for what others could teach me.

Andreas Ebbesen is a Consultant at BCG in Norway. He joined BCG in 2020 after having worked 6 years in Orkla. He holds a MSc from NTNU (and UC Berkeley) in Industrial Economics and Technology Management.