Search Brief for Group Head of IT
The assignment
Haugen-Gruppen is seeking its first in-house Group Head of IT. The role will bring the Group's systems, processes, priorities, suppliers and responsible use of AI together under one shared, business-led direction — and translate it into decisions, adoption and momentum.
The opportunity
This is a rare opportunity to shape the Group's future IT function and operating model from the outset. The role will work closely and directly with the Group CEO and Group CFO on a day-to-day basis, lead one team member from day one and take visible ownership of decisions with significant impact across the Group.
Why the role is being created
Haugen-Gruppen operates across six countries and seven legal entities. AX 2009 is out of vendor support, critical legacy platforms require a transition plan, and cyber security, compliance and reporting requirements must be managed across markets. The ERP decision and the opportunities presented by AI must therefore form part of one prioritised business agenda. Development, hosting, service desk and security operations may continue to be delivered by external partners; internal ownership cannot be outsourced.
The three most important priorities for year one:
- Create transparency, governance and control over critical risks and suppliers.
- Establish the direction, business case and decision model for ERP and process harmonisation.
- Develop a realistic AI roadmap with prioritised use cases, robust governance and an adoption plan.
Mission and mandate
Mission
To translate the Group's strategy and business needs into a prioritised, coherent and financially responsible IT plan — and ensure that Haugen-Gruppen retains ownership of scope, business cases, decisions, risks and benefits realisation.
- Develop and drive the Group IT roadmap, investment priorities and relevant decision-making forums.
- Own the ERP programme on the client side: process harmonisation, scope, business case, governance, selection, implementation and benefits realisation.
- Establish principles for target architecture, integrations, data and common standards — as well as the foundation required for AI.
- Create transparency in IT spend, contracts, licences and supplier performance, and strengthen commercial negotiations.
- Set the direction for cyber security, compliance and responsible AI, and select use cases based on value, risk and maturity. Specialists may be engaged externally; ownership remains internal.
- Lead and develop the first team member and, over time, recommend the right internal organisation and sourcing model.
Location and ways of working
- Permanent base at the Danish office, enabling direct and continuous dialogue and decision-making with the Group CEO and Group CFO.
- Group-wide mandate across Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Poland and the United Kingdom, with relevant travel.
- Title: Group Head of IT — not CIO. The role must carry substance and influence without suggesting that a large, established IT organisation is already in place.
- Profile level: a strong combination of classic Tier 2 and Tier 2-plus — sufficiently strategic for Group management and sufficiently practical to create structure and deliver personally.
How to understand the profile level
We are looking for a strong, commercially minded generalist: more strategic and Group-oriented than a traditional IT Manager, yet more hands-on and proportionate to the organisation than a heavyweight Group CIO. The candidate must combine a Group-wide perspective and transformation capability with personal execution. The classic Tier 2 element is ownership of suppliers, governance, compliance, service delivery and acting as the client-side ERP counterpart; the Tier 2-plus element is the ability to carry more of the ERP selection, target architecture, AI direction and direct advisory relationship with the CEO and CFO. Specialists will be used selectively — ownership will remain with the candidate.
Vi sætter smag på din hverdag
HAUGEN-GRUPPEN DENMARK, Kildebrøndevej 44F, DK-2670 Greve
Tel.: (+45) 36 34 30 00, CVR No.: 35069712, www.haugen-gruppen.com
HAUGEN-GRUPPEN
Denmark
What success looks like
TimingExpected outcome0–3 monthsA fact-based overview of systems, processes, contracts, costs, suppliers, ownership and critical risks. A prioritised action plan is in place, supported by clear governance and decision-making forums.Within 12 monthsA management-endorsed Group IT roadmap is being executed, with improved control over suppliers, contracts, budgets and critical risks. The direction, business case and governance for ERP and process harmonisation have been approved. Prioritised AI use cases are progressing under clear value and governance criteria, and a realistic plan for the future IT organisation is in place.
The candidate we are looking for
The preferred candidate will have learned strong discipline in a larger, more mature organisation where multiple systems, ways of working, countries or business units had to be brought together in one prioritised plan. The size of the company and the candidate's title are not decisive; what matters is demonstrated personal accountability for harmonisation, difficult prioritisation and delivered results.
- Has held a role as Head of IT, IT Director, senior IT leader or a strong number two with responsibility across business units or countries.
- Has tangible client-side experience from a major ERP or platform programme and can clearly explain their own decisions, deliverables and measurable results.
- Has experience with full or partial ERP replacement projects.
- Understands integration and cloud-based hub platforms.
- Has brought disparate systems and processes together in a shared roadmap or target architecture and managed the tension between Group standards and local needs.
- Understands finance, supply chain, sales and operations, and can translate technology into financial impact, risk and business value.
- Can establish a pragmatic AI direction: identify use cases, put governance in place, select partners and drive adoption — without needing to be an AI developer.
- Has strong experience with suppliers, contracts, budgets and commercial negotiations.
- Can build commitment without extensive formal authority and can communicate concisely and decisively with the CEO and CFO.
- Is genuinely hands-on and thrives with a small internal team; the candidate must not depend on a large support structure to succeed.
- Is fluent in English and a Scandinavian language.
Relevant background and personal fit
- Experience from FMCG, wholesale, food distribution, logistics, manufacturing or another international high-volume business is an advantage.
- Curious and resilient; able to challenge respectfully, maintain relationships after disagreement and make firm priorities when everything cannot be done at once.
- Motivated by genuine influence and the opportunity to build, rather than by title, prestige or team size.
Profiles we are not actively seeking
A primarily infrastructure-focused leader, a pure enterprise architect, a consultant without accountability for the consequences, an ERP super-user without a Group-wide and supplier mandate, or a manager of managers who depends on a large support structure.
