Board members in profile

We asked two of our board members why they chose to be part of Verdo’s Supervisory Board.

Jan Guldmann Board member since 2020

My motivation to stand for election to Verdo’s board back in 2020 was that I felt a need for a direct voice for the many thousands of tenants in the social housing sector, who for example are charged for heating in a very different manner to private consumers. Verdo also needed to consist not only of politicians and businessmen.

I also wanted to make a difference by helping to improve Verdo’s image, which was characterised by lack of transparency and poor communication with consumers at the time. I think that the new management and Supervisory Board have improved satisfaction among consumers, and this has also had a positive impact on our many capable employees at Verdo.

Since 2011, I have been Chairman of the Board of ‘Randers Boligforening af 1940’ (with 2,500 tenants) and the RandersBolig management company (with almost 8,000 tenants). I have thereby gained extensive experience with management and communication, and have been responsible for financial statements on a large scale. I have been elected as chairman of a trade union since 1993, with responsibility for operations and finances for up to 8,000 members. Both have equipped me well for the board work at Verdo.

Verdo is facing a very exciting future, and must make some big decisions about the future energy supply. I see this as the task that clearly has the highest priority in the coming years. We must also focus on ensuring Verdo’s commercial companies add value in the form of profits – profits that can be used to benefit our consumers and give something back to citizens of Randers and Herning, for example through sponsorships and ensuring clean drinking water and a good forest environment for the next 100 years.

It is also important that we continue to focus on even more direct and transparent communication with our consumers, the media and the Board of Representatives. This will be

Jan Guldmann

particularly important over the next few years, as we face the difficult task of explaining to consumers in Randers the rise in heating prices that is inevitable when the repayments of recent years resulting from the old heating cases – which have artificially lowered the heating price – soon come to an end.

The best thing about being a member of Verdo’s Supervisory Board is that I have gained more direct insight into the company’s operations and both the regulated and commercial strands of the company, and have gained direct influence in several areas. It has also been enriching to help make Verdo function well and as a cohesive unit for both Randers and Herning, after we became an energy company for both municipalities a few years ago.

I am also proud to have supported the decision to introduce more direct election for the members of the Board of Representatives – a change that took effect with the Board of Representatives election in spring 2022. This is a good, democratic change that gives greater influence to each consumer.