“I am really happy to have joined the Cloud+ (CIS) sales team and I’m looking forward to collaborating with the wider Cognizant community to sign new contracts, develop existing client relationships, and contribute to our clients’ successes”, says Knut when asked what his main focus will be in the time ahead.
After finishing his education, Knut has spent most of his career working for IBM where he ended up as a Client Partner Executive. Before taking up his position at Cognizant he worked for a Norwegian NGO as an IT Vendor Manager. His 30-year commercial, delivery, and management experience within the international IT services and software sectors gives Cognizant a new SLS with a background that will help us grow our digital business further.
Knut describes himself as an active listener – a skill that has served him well throughout his career as it has helped him understand client challenges and to develop psychologically safe teams. His positive attitude when faced with a problem has also proven a great personality trait to bring to the table when working within IT.
We are living in exceptional times and the pandemic has created some serious challenges when it comes to doing business, especially when it comes to forming and maintaining relationships with colleagues and clients through a screen.
To get to know a person when you talk to them alone on a video call isn’t too difficult. The challenge is to avoid tunnel vision and being able to identify when other stakeholders need to be brought onboard. Knut is really looking forward to being able to meet both colleagues and clients in face-to-face meetings again. Despite this, he is impressed by how much the company has been able to accomplish via teams and other collaboration platforms. “I think all of us have learned new ways of working and we have raised the bar when it comes to digital interaction. I think this is something we will benefit from going forward”, he says.
In his spare time Knut devotes his time supporting and coaching the activities of his three children (13, 16 & 20). Together with his wife he is also an active sailor during weekends and vacations, and he is also the head of his local sailing club located south of Oslo.
Knut holds an MBA in Strategic Management and a Cand.Mag degree in Computer Science, Economics and Pedagogics.
