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Martin Leifelt, Director of Strategic Accounts at Oxford Global Resources, has made great strides in Scandinavia, especially Denmark, where he is based. His contributions have established relationships across the globe, combining the global insights and delivery power of Oxford with the local knowledge and proximity to support managers dealing with urgent needs to deliver their projects in due time.
Q: What’s your role at Oxford?
A: I’m the Director of Strategic Accounts (DSA) for Denmark, which means I oversee entire the business in Denmark and Scandinavia. It’s a versatile role because I’m dedicated to strategic accounts, and I also support localization efforts for some of the retail accounts. I cover all disciplines, but here in Denmark, there is a heavy emphasis on life sciences, big pharma, and medical devices, with some engineering peppered in.
Q: What’s the most rewarding part of your job at Oxford?
A: First of all, it’s helping people fill those hard-to-fill roles. For clients, these projects don’t stop, so seeing that manager find the person that makes all the difference is incredibly rewarding. We’re pulling off what has been impossible for them and often also for our competition. You can see the joy and the light in their eyes – the relief is palpable.
It’s also very rewarding having interviews with consultants and getting better educated on what they’re doing – it’s interesting to learn all the technical details of these industries to work smarter with clients. The consultants really enjoy working with Oxford. Sometimes, these consultants are very specialized in an area and focused on technical skills, which sometimes means that it can be hard for them to find time to find the next roles that align with their exact skill sets.
Q: What inspired you to pursue the career you have today?
A: I’ve always been good at bridging gaps between two parties who usually would not find each other. I enjoy figuring out the logical way to challenge and optimize the way we currently work and seeing the next smart step to take. This is, to me, the true value of a partnership. You can say that my carrier has always pivoted around understanding the value of my services, which can most easily be measured by the value my team or I bring to the client.
Q: What’s one thing you wish someone had told you during your career journey?
A: You can’t please everyone. That would’ve been solid advice for me a long time ago. I am a people-pleaser, so I aim to please everyone. On the other hand, I’m old enough now to know that some people are impossible to please.
Q: What has been your favorite project/client you have worked on/for at Oxford?
A: Right now, we’re working with a large Danish pharmaceutical company. Because I am reaching out locally, the organization is very receptive to working with us. It’s nice to see that despite being a smaller company in Denmark, we can still be invited into bigger businesses and support them. It shows that we have a marketplace in Denmark, and we’re taken seriously because we have such a large global footprint and a fantastic network of skilled consultants.
Q: What is your work motto or favorite quote on success?
A: 1% – it means to be 1% better every day. Constantly optimizing and trying to improve is a key element in the Oxford way of working and the way I work. You can always find one more person to call and one more project to reach out to. The key element is to do so rather today than tomorrow.
Q: Who are you most inspired by?
A: I am inspired by people who think bigger than their isolated situation – people who think strategically and have a holistic approach to any problem.
Martin continues to push himself to be 1% better each day; by extension, he makes Oxford that much better. As the Denmark office continues to expand, we are sure Martin will be leading the charge every step of the way.