BCG Platinion's Line Eriksen on working in digital and women in tech

Since June last year, Line Eriksen has been working as Manager/Project Leader for BCG Platinion. “I was impressed by the broad spectrum of technical expertise within the company,” she said of her arrival at her current employer.

“BCG Platinion’s brand arguably is not out in the wide open yet, but it should be! The combination of strategy and in-depth technical expertise that the firm brings works very well and is extremely valuable for our clients.”

Having worked in IT project delivery for some nine years, Eriksen felt it was time for a new challenge, and joined BCG Platinion nine months ago. After a period of maternity leave, Eriksen realised that she was ready for a change that would give her renewed energy at work and at home, so when a headhunter knocked on the door, she knew the time was right for a new chapter in her career.

“What attracted me so much to BCG Platinion was the opportunity to work with high-level stakeholders, with whom I can influence strategic IT choices that really have an impact.”

BCG Platinion is the division of Boston Consulting Group that helps clients with digital and IT transformations. A great deal of collaboration takes place with colleagues from BCG, Digital Ventures and BCG Gamma to make multi-disciplinary progress with clients in complex contexts and in a short period of time. Since its founding in 2000, the division of the strategy consultancy has grown rapidly. Today, BCG Platinion has more than 550 employees, who work from 29 offices throughout the world.

Eriksen’s core expertise consists of large digital transformation programmes, particularly in the field of ERPs, so in the first year of her job, she has continued to build on that foundation. She is currently working on creating a best in breed next-generation supply chain architecture, which once operational, will help the client bolster efficiency and end user service while adding to transparency in the value chain.

She is enjoying the challenge so far, stating; “Our clients usually come to us with complex problems that must be solved in a short time frame. You must be able to identify the questions to be answered, guide the team, and ensure that you ultimately deliver the highest possible value to the client. It can be difficult to find the right balance.”

Woman in technology

On the back of BCG Platinion’s diversity strategy – BCG research has demonstrated a clear link between more women in leadership positions and financial performance – the firm sees Eriksen as a positive example towards other women contemplating a career in IT. But what exactly is it in which women distinguish themselves from men in the workplace? “I cannot speak for all women, but I can talk about what I bring to the table,” explained Eriksen. “There are three main characteristics that I recognise in myself, and that may be a common characteristic of women.”

“Firstly, frequent and open communication. I believe in being as open as possible within the team and responding quickly to feedback in order to adjust the course in time. Secondly, I always try to introduce structure and manage expectations. Certainly when there is a short time plan, it is important to plan our iteration points. This is also important for me because I want to spend time with my family in the evening. I hope that this will also be an example for the members of my team of how they can balance this type of work with a family in the future.”

Finally, she pointed to building relationships; “I like to get to know the people I work with, both internally and our clients. Instead of "again" an e-mail, I prefer a round through the office and then chat with the people I meet – to hear about their day, but also to come back to current affairs. I notice that people respond differently to this approach, and it is usually more effective.”

“We are really focusing on diversity in our further growth of BCG Platinion,” said Kaj Burchardi, Managing Director of BCG Platinion’s Amsterdam office. “In doing so, we are also an integral part of the WomenInTech agenda of the broader BCG group. With Line we have made a first great step for our growing Amsterdam office!”

Burchardi continues: “So far, she had a fantastic start by helping her client to recover from a challenging project. Additionally, she is completely embedded in practice areas to help building further insights.” Eriksen concludes; “It has been a great beginning of my journey.”