Gibotech CEO Henrik Anker is this year’s Owner-Manager of the Year on Funen

At an awards ceremony held at Nature Energy Park on Thursday evening, Henrik Anker won the prestigious award for Owner-Manager of the Year on Funen.

Therewere broad smiles and applause in the air at Nature Energy Park when PwC announced the winner of the Owner-Manager of the Year award on Thursday evening. There were three nominees for the award, but it was Henrik Anker from the robotics and automation company Gibotech in Odense who took home the title for his vision and ambition to put both employees and customers at the center of everything.

According to the jury, this year’s winner from Funen is a charismatic, visionary, and ambitious leader.

Henrik Anker has won the award for Owner-Manager of the Year on Funen for his bold, visionary, and ambitious approach to both his own business and the industry as a whole. He has succeeded in building a successful, high-growth company with a focus on talent and skills. Alongside a market-oriented focus, including on the needs of individual customers, Henrik Anker has proven himself to be a well-rounded leader both professionally and personally.

Mikael Johansen, Partner at PwC Odense

Andthe Owner-Manager of the Year on Funen is quick to pass on the honor.

“I can’t exactly put together an electrical panel, program a robotic solution, or manage a large hospital project—or any of the many other tasks that employees perform every day. That’s why this is a huge compliment to the entire company and to all the employees who work there,” says Henrik Anker.

TWICE AS MANY EMPLOYEES IN TWO YEARS

Henrik Anker hopes that the award will help attract even more employees to the company, where new large orders require more staff. Although the number of employees has doubled to 90 since 2016, the company is far from finished hiring. It has already hired 30 new employees this year, and six more will start in November.

- There’s no such thing as “business as usual” at Gibotech. Because we’ve grown so quickly, more than half of our employees have been with the company for less than two years, so we’re constantly being challenged to find new ways of doing things. And I simply have to trust and respect the skills they possess and use them to drive the company forward. Because without them, there would be no Gibotech, says Henrik Anker.

Another reason the jury cited for selecting Henrik Anker is that he “leads the company with great respect for his employees and their diverse skills.” And there are signs that word of the award—and especially the rationale behind Henrik Anker’s selection—is already beginning to spread.

"We currently have about 15 open positions, half of which we’d like to fill by January 1. So, of course, it’s great that I’ve already received three unsolicited applications this morning, right after the awards ceremony," says Henrik Anker with a smile.

The seven regional winners of the "Owner-Manager of the Year" award will advance to the national competition, which will take place on November 8 at PwC in Hellerup.