Kirsten Suhr BundgaardVice Rector of Administration at VIA University College, Denmark

Kirsten Suhr Bundgaard

Kirsten Suhr Bundgaard is Vice Rector of Administration at VIA University College, Denmark which every year educates more than 40.000 students in higher education and continuing education to both private and public sector. Kirsten has, due to her educational background and work, a thorough knowledge of upper secondary education and higher education, including business academies and university colleges.

With a starting point in a line of national positions of trust, along with being vice rector at University College in Northern Jutland (2012-2017), and as current vice rector corporate administration for VIA University College (VIA), Kirsten has been active in developing higher educational institutions in Denmark. She has the finger on the pulse in relation to the young generations expectations and demands for future work life as well as an in-depth picture of the demands of competences needed for the future workforce in public and private sector.

Earlier in her career, Kirsten has worked at KMD with focus on getting the organization ready for further digitalization of the public sector and later at Aalborg Kommune building stronger leadership competencies and culture. Kirsten carries an intersectoral profile and has worked with developing public fusion organisations for the last 15 years, where many different professional competencies, cultures and traditions have needed to find each other in new ways in order to strengthen digitalization, innovation, knowledge and sustainable development.

She is trusted with national responsibility leading a board of directors in the sector Danske Professionshøjskoler and works in her positions in strategic cooperation with the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science. Based on her knowledge of higher education and sustainable development Kirsten is also member of the board at Aarhus Letbane and Aarhus Statsgymnasium.

Additionally, Kirsten has participated in a long line of international collaborations within higher education with the aim of strengthening e.g., mobility, educational collaboration and research collaboration across borders, for example with partner institutions in other Scandinavian countries, Vietnam, New Zealand and Canada.

As a leader Kirsten is recognized for building high performance leadership teams and organization, developing talents and driving changes in complex organizations.

She holds a Master of Science in Public Administration from Aalborg University, Denmark. She is a certified ICF coach and holds executive leadership programs from IMD Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland. Kirsten is based in Aarhus, Denmark.

She hosts – together withLone Aggersbjerg, CEO & Founder of Tink Tank GmbH and Tink Tank Spaces GmbH, the workshop „Future of Work & Impact on Leadership”.