In this Q&A Karoline Førde from our VAS (Value Added Services) business unit will answer some questions about how life and work plays out at PatientSky. During the year we will have several more Q&A's with people in our organisation, so stay tuned for more. Enjoy!
Name: Karoline Førde Oppheim
Age: 29
Position: Product Owner and team lead of Product Management, VAS BU Copenhagen
In PatientSky since: November 2019
Can you explain what you do at the VAS business unit?
My task as a team lead is to make sure my team can use and develop their skills and deliveries, while having some fun on the way. We are in an exciting growth of expanding our team and our product portfolio, which also requires more strategies and planning.
As a Product Owner (PO) I develop concepts for new products or upgrading our existing ones. This includes working with designers, customers, colleagues, and developers exploring various solutions, before breaking them into detailed plans and following through development, testing, release and iterations.
What are your main challenges in VAS?
Working in PatientSky is challenging as we are growing, and you don’t have a specialist for everything but need to dive into many areas of work. It challenges my management skills in developing our team together and focusing sharply on priorities in a dynamic environment. I get to work with many stakeholders and customers. I continuously learn the craftsmanship from our super talented developers to build cool products. This is what I love with PatientSky, I experience being trusted to explore and learn a big variety of skills – and smaller teams create the space to shape.
Could you describe the perfect workday?
I prefer the days that are divided between teamwork, discussing and developing together with colleagues and having hours of headset, coffee and focused deep dives. I don’t like fluff, but I’m very driven by the right visions. Exploring ideas and concepts together with colleagues gives me so much energy.
What’s the best part of working at PatientSky?
I get so much energy from seeing colleagues thrive and solve something we’ve been working on. I get really proud of my team members and the work and results they provide, especially when it involves stumbling on the road to get there because we do something we haven’t done before and had to learn something new.
What advice would you give a new employee at PatientSky?
PatientSky gives you a good opportunity to get your hands dirty and build your portfolio. Try to enjoy the turbulence of a dynamic environment by staying curious and open to changes. Add your ideas to the table and use your team lead to make your priority list. And remember to go offline and get to know your colleagues on a Friday with board games or a coffee.
What impact do you think your work has on people?
Healthcare is an industry we all are a part of at some point in our lives, voluntarily or not, and I can sense that people are working with purpose. There are many inspiring talents here who value transparency, honesty and quality for the end-users which is really important when working within healthcare.
How do you see the future for PatientSky in the years to come?
I really believe in the ecosystem approach to innovation, which also includes sharing knowledge and skills to get the best end-user solutions. Development in tech is changing how we work and what we work with so fast. It’s a fun train to be onboard. There are many fearless innovators in PatientSky and with our partners, so I can’t wait to see how the product portfolio develops together with partners - such as VAS.
What are you personally looking forward to in 2022?
I’m soon delivering my proudest release so far – my first daughter – so 2022 will be a very different and exciting year. Things are often developing fast in PS, so I can’t wait to return at the end of the year to see what my colleagues have developed. It’s not unlikely that I need to feed my curiosity and longing of my colleagues by popping by now and then at the new office in Ryesgade until I’m fully back.
