By Dr. John Gøtze, Chair of the awards jury
Novo Holdings is a finalist for the Excellence in Business Transformation Award, hosted at IRMUK’s Business Change & Transformation Conference.
When Novo Holdings decided to reinvent and future proof the way it makes investment decisions, the assignment landed on the table of the Digital team – where Digital Change Manager Nana Lundgaard leads the Change & Adoption stream. “My role is about more than delivering technology; it’s about ensuring that people, processes, and platforms align to create measurable value,” she explains.
Ambition
Novo Holdings set out to integrate artificial intelligence, automation, and real‑time intelligence into every stage of the investment life‑cycle. Nana recalls, “We launched a bold digital transformation initiative designed to fundamentally reimagine how investment decisions are made.”
The goal was to improve decision quality, speed, and precision in a data‑saturated environment where thousands of documents accompany each investment decision.
Two strategic platforms underpinned the programme:
- HALO – an AI‑driven investment‑intelligence engine that condenses weeks of due diligence into minutes.
- OEX – an operational‑excellence framework that applies automation and citizen development to free resources in finance, compliance, HR, and legal.
Scope and Drivers
The transformation spans the entire value chain—from sourcing and screening to post‑investment tracking—while simultaneously upgrading core operational functions. Externally, fast‑moving capital markets demanded quicker, more data‑driven choices. Internally, Novo Holdings wanted to deliver returns that also advance the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s mission.
“This was never about adopting digital tools for the technology sake,” Nana stresses. “We set out to build a future‑proof, AI‑augmented operating model that positions Novo Holdings as a frontrunner in intelligent capital management.”
Governance Model
Executive leadership provided a strong top‑down mandate, establishing a transformation office and a cross‑functional steering committee. At the same time, business units co‑owned the change. “We empowered value‑stream leads and multidisciplinary teams so the people closest to the problems were also designing the solutions,” Nana says.
Design sprints, pilot programmes, and continuous feedback loops ensured local insights shaped every rollout.
Methods in Action
Five complementary approaches drove delivery:
- Agile at scale – Value streams with clear KPIs delivered in short iterations, allowing constant reprioritisation.
- Design thinking – Empathy‑driven workshops and rapid prototyping secured early adoption and relevance.
- AI‑augmented decisions – Using frameworks such as Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats, human experts tested HALO’s recommendations from multiple angles.
- Citizen development – No‑code/low‑code tools let employees automate routine tasks instead of waiting for IT.
- Embedded change management – A dedicated Digital Change & Adoption stream applied ADKAR principles, maturity assessments, and targeted learning.
“We applied a pragmatic mix of agile, design thinking, and AI‑augmented frameworks to accelerate and de‑risk the programme,” Nana reflects.
Business Impact
- Investment speed – Due‑diligence cycles reduced by up to 60 %, with 100‑page reports distilled into actionable insights in minutes.
- Operational efficiency – Unlocked 250+ hours of efficiency gains annually through the ESG platform, enabling deeper sustainability analysis.
- Optimized tax modelling, cutting processing time by 25%, freeing specialists for higher-value tasks.
- Financial returns – AI and streamlined workflows are projected to lift assets‑under‑management performance by 0.02–0.04 % between 2024 and 2027—a material gain at Novo Holdings’ scale.
- Cultural shift – Digital literacy is rising as employees move from passive tool use to proactive solution building.
“These outcomes aren’t incremental improvements; they’re a performance leap,” Nana notes. “When you integrate AI, automation, and human expertise in the right way, you don’t just digitize—you transform.”
Sustaining the Momentum
To keep the flywheel turning, value streams such as HALO, OEX, CRM, and Change have moved from project status to permanent features of the operating model. Continuous funding, KPIs, and training academies embed digital practices in day‑to‑day routines. Ongoing adoption tracking and maturity assessments turn change management into a discipline, not an event.
Lessons Learned
The journey was not friction‑free. Early resistance, siloed ownership, and change saturation required careful pacing and co‑creation.
“Success is not measured in rollouts but in outcomes,” Nana points out. The team shifted the narrative from features delivered to value created – time saved, decisions improved, returns boosted.
Conclusion
Novo Holdings’ experience shows that strategic clarity, empowered teams, and a relentless focus on adoption can turn AI and automation into a competitive advantage. As Nana sums up, “Transformation is not a destination—it’s a discipline.”
About the IRM UK Awards and the Conference
Novo Holdings’ digital-first, insight-led approach to transformation is just one of the standout stories being recognised at the IRM UK Enterprise & Business Architecture Conference Europe 2025, co-located with the Business Change & Transformation and Service Design conferences.
As a finalist for the Excellence in Business Transformation Award 2025, Novo Holdings joins Medway Council in showcasing people-centred innovation, intelligent automation, and the power of design thinking in delivering measurable change.
📅 Awards Presentation
Monday, 16 June 2025 | 🕘 09:50 – 10:05 AM
📍 Partnership 2 & 3 Stage
🏆 Finalists – Excellence in Business Transformation Award 2025
• Novo Holdings – Nana Lundgaard, Digital Change Manager
• Medway Council – Paul Boyd, Chief Information Officer & Vicky Bichard, Lead Service Designer
The IRM UK Awards spotlight organisations transforming strategy into action—championing bold leadership, agile delivery, and sustainable impact at scale.
Let’s celebrate transformation done right—where purpose meets performance.
📄Find Out More: Click Here
🎟️ Book your place: Click Here
