Industry Insights: Gitte Ganderup, Arca-Blanca Partner

Industry Insights: Gitte Ganderup, Arca-Blanca Partner

Meredyth Grant

The tech world is constantly evolving, and Gitte Ganderup has the tools you need to keep up. Here’s passionate career advice from this partner and co-founder of Arca-Blanca.

Combine data science with business acumen (plus a few veterans working in technology) and you’ve got the world-class team at Arca-Blanca.

Gitte serves clients across a wide range of industries, using data science backed organisational programmes to enhance their operations. She specialises in digital transformation- solving each client’s complex business issues with the right application of digital tools, systems, and AI technology. It’s challenging work, but Gitte has more than 20 years of experience in delivering these award-winning transformational change programmes.

These days she works alongside both experts within the commercial sector and veterans who’ve transitioned into tech jobs after military careers. Read on for her journey and tips!

Pursuing ‘Data with a Difference’

Like many of our veterans, Gitte has a varied background and skill set. She studied engineering, manufacturing, product management and sales, earning her MBA before transitioning to tech and co-founding Arca-Blanca.

“It was quite a natural evolution for me,” she shares. “In many ways, business design and transformation is about ‘connecting the dots’ across the business and taking people on the journey with you.”

Connecting those dots can be intimidating for businesses who aren’t familiar with data science – but it’s worth it. Gitte helped build Arca-Blanca to fill that need.

“Many companies in the market realise the value of using data and digital within their business, but lack the exact skill sets or a partner or mentor to help them,” she says. “I started Arca Blanca 4 years ago with the vision of creating an integrated AI and consulting company, and I am happy to say that it was definitely a case of ‘right time, right place’…now we’re a fantastic senior and multi-disciplined team with backgrounds in industry, consulting, academia, and technology.”

That expertise helps Arca-Blanca offer what they call ‘data with a difference,’ reliable datasets that drive growth/change for each client.

RELATED: Guest Blog: Raising the Bar in Tech Staying Focused on Emerging Data Science

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Gitte says new technologies are constantly changing the game for today’s business world.

In her words, “Developments in data science over the last few years have opened up exciting opportunities for business leaders to resolve complex growth and profitability challenges using the transformative power of data and artificial intelligence.”

In order to stay competitive, we all need to be open to change.

“This field is moving so fast that we can do things that would have been much more difficult just 2-3 years ago,” Gitte explains. “These changes are almost always enabled by digital tools, systems and technology. And increasingly not just enabled by them but led by them. So again, this is the space to be in if you want to help transform organisations.”

Citing the character Tigger from ‘Winnie the Pooh,’ Gitte says it’s more important to be “open to new experiences, new ideas, and [stay] full of life” than to just focus on being clever. Those who succeed in this industry do it with an open mind!

RELATED: Why Are Tech Companies Actively Employing Veterans

Working with Veterans in Tech Careers

Gitte says veteran employees bring unique skills to her Arca Blanca team. It’s undeniable that their experience in the Forces has set them apart from their non-military peers.

“All our team members have very different backgrounds and it helps us solve very complex problems,” she shares. “Indeed our veterans also have very different military experiences, so they all bring something different. One thing that often does stand apart is the veterans’ ability to cope with ambiguity – they do that particularly well, and when you solve complex problems, there is always ambiguity.”

She advises any ‘tech-curious’ service-leavers to keep their eye on emerging technologies in the data science field (especially if they like maths).

“There’s loads of talent in the vet community and many people just might need a spark to get them really interested in the space,” says Gitte.

Have you got that spark but don’t know where to start? Take Gitte’s advice:

“I have benefited hugely from all of my talented colleagues over the years – and if I have learned one thing from them it is that help is never far away, you just have to ask for it.”

RELATED: Contact Us to Join the TechVets Community

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