BEHIND THE CHARM
Pandora has charmed its way into the hearts (and
onto the wrists) of consumers in more than 100
countries around the world. It was founded in
Denmark in 1982 and has its manufacturing facilities
in Thailand. Its jewellery goes beyond charms;
encompassing a variety of bracelets, necklaces, rings,
earrings and pendants. These are all produced in line
with the company’s mission of allowing women to be
creative with their self-expression through jewellery.
Kenneth’s journey to Pandora began with his first
role at Denmark’s Carlsberg Breweries. There, he
undertook a management trainee course and quickly
found marketing and sales to be his calling. He then
moved to Rolling Stone, where he came in contact
with the music industry and was later offered a
position at UK-based record company EMI Capitol.
There, Kenneth worked in its international product
centre, managing the sales and marketing of new
albums launched. He got to work with big names
in the music business, including Robbie Williams,
Coldplay and the Pet Shop Boys. “That was a
fantastic time,” Kenneth reminisces. “I was in my
twenties and believed that it was where I would
grow old.”
But after six years with EMI, Kenneth felt the
need for a change of pace. “The music business is
very interesting when you are young, but it’s not a
place where you develop yourself mentally in terms
of your management and communication skills,” he
continues. “Very few companies at that time had an
HR department, so it was all about going in there,
getting the work done and not necessarily developing
yourself. And after a few years, I missed that.”
Kenneth then joined Danish shoe company
ECCO, working in its retail department and
developing its global retail concepts. Shortly after,
he moved to Poland as commercial director of the
company’s central and eastern European, and Middle
Eastern businesses. From there, Kenneth took up
the opportunity with Pandora Jewellery, which
he helped launch in Central Eastern Europe (CEE)
and the Middle East (ME).
“We had absolutely nothing in CEE and ME,”
Kenneth recalls. “We had never sold a single charm
there. I think back to that time fondly; we were
doing the budgeting, business plans and strategy
in a coffee shop because we didn’t have an office.”
Since opening its first store in CEE and ME,
Pandora now has more than 400 stores in the
region. “It was an incredible journey to be part of,”
Kenneth adds.
KENNETH MADSEN’S
LEADERSHIP APPROACHThere are several strategies
Kenneth implements when
it comes to leadership:- Proper communication
and direction - Share the good and the
bad news with your team - Trust your team
- Don’t consider yourself
superior, think of it as a
team effort
INVEST | Interview