It’s August 6, 2021 and Mikkel Fløj Lindegren is cursing loudly at the screen.
Mikkel is Head of IT at the Nellemann Group, which is best known for importing cars, but also owns the company behind the Copenhagen Historic Grand Prix. Therefore, the event’s IT infrastructure is also his responsibility, and now the final details are under control. The green light has been given.
The reason Mikkel is frustrated is different.
Because it’s Friday, and while Jac Nellemann is getting ready to participate in the Formula Junior race this weekend, Mikkel has gone to the group’s head office in Østerbro.
His team is on summer vacation, so he has promised to have some computers ready for new employees who start on Monday. He has just enough time to do that before the weekend.
Mikkel has put the car keys on the desk, brewed coffee and prepared for the final sprint of the week.
But there will be no sprint. Neither for Mikkel nor for Jac.
The Nellemann Group's new headquarters in Taastrup.
Belief in new technologies
Nellemann Gruppen is a family business with more than 120 years of history in the Danish automotive industry. It is a complex business with many parts, driven by a strong entrepreneurial culture and a desire to always be at the forefront of development.
This creates high demands on the organisation and culture of the company, but increasingly also on digitalisation.
Like Nellemann’s founders, Mikkel believes wholeheartedly in the potential of new technologies. That’s why he left his consulting job and took on the challenge at Nellemann.
He wanted to modernise and streamline the entire group’s approach to IT and create a digital foundation that can adapt to the needs of the business and take the curves as safely and quickly as Nellemann’s new cars from Kia, MG, Isuzu or Aston Martin.
In 2021, the first hopeful steps have already been taken with an ambitious rollout of Microsoft Intune and Autopilot for secure handling and provisioning of new computers.
These are cutting-edge technologies that can save IT departments time and money while increasing security. But this Friday, it’s not working at all.
Mikkel ends up spending the entire weekend troubleshooting and manually preparing four computers. He is deeply frustrated. It was supposed to be automated and efficient.
Three kilometers to the west, Jac Nellemann stands on the asphalt in Bellahøj next to his Volpini FJ. A race car that is fueled by equal parts petrol and passion and is a physical, rolling manifestation of the Nellemann Group’s pursuit of speed, freedom and perfection. But Jac is also cursing in his quiet mind. Because this weekend the car won’t start and has to retire from this year’s race.
A new beginning
Jac doesn’t lose faith in his Volpini FJ or the grand prix, and Mikkel doesn’t lose faith in the latest technologies. But Mikkel loses faith in his external advisors at that moment. He decides to look for a new implementation partner and to accelerate the building of a more secure and reliable digital foundation.
VENZO gets the chance and quickly becomes a one-stop shop for Mikkel and his team. Because the team behind it can both support Mikkel’s strategy and solve a number of specific challenges simultaneously.
Initially, VENZO manages the management of devices and helps with the rollout of what Mikkel calls “Modern Workplace”, so Mikkel’s team can concentrate on operations and employee support. VENZO is given a coordinating and advisory role in updating Nellemann’s firewall and network. They do a thorough review of Nellemann’s Azure setup, help clean up and create an overview so that there is 100% control of what is being used and how much it costs.
Month by month, Mikkel’s new digital foundation is becoming more and more solid. The improvements are clearly visible in the small IT department, which is an integral part of the development and operation of the new solutions throughout.
“We are really happy with VENZO as a digital partner. The professional level is extremely high and their approach is both personal and professional. From the start of our collaboration, they thoroughly understood the Nellemann Group's specific business needs and our existing IT environment.”
Mikkel Wing Lindegren, Group CIO, Nellemann
Peter Huse in a Focus Mark IV, the winner of the Formula Junior race at Copenhagen Historic Grand Prix 2021.Photo: Motorsporten.dk
IT security in theory and practice
But when it comes time to get a handle on security measures, it feels like the project briefly loses its grip and grounding.
In an effort to map security challenges and opportunities, VENZO creates a so-called “CIS18”. A CIS18 is based on a comprehensive IT security framework consisting of 18 critical control points. VENZO’s report is extremely thorough and in itself is also good as a general guide. But it raises more questions than it answers.
Mikkel wants concrete initiatives, not more paper.
Long side
Sunny daffodils are blooming in Fælledparken and although it’s cold and grey, spring is in the air in the CEO’s meeting room on 25 March 2024.
Simon, one of VENZOs security experts, who has not previously been associated with Mikkel’s ambitious recast, has been tasked with translating the CIS report into concrete initiatives and now the action plan is ready.
Simon has an ambition to leverage Microsoft’s entire portfolio of security tools and raise the level of security significantly. He confidently presents his ideas and initiatives with reference to security terms such as Identity Management, Entra ID, Identity Governance, Information Protection and Identity and Access Management.
Mikkel can feel his shoulders slump.
After what feels like a year-long Le Mans race, with countless battles against outdated infrastructure, outdated software, a slightly overconfident approach to IT security and much more, it finally feels like they’re heading down the straight and narrow at full speed.
Simon sets to work and when all the concrete initiatives have been implemented, Mikkel is pleased to note that his Microsoft Security Score has moved from an average 57% to an extraordinary 86%.
Together with his colleagues, and with VENZO as an implementation partner, Mikkel has succeeded in transforming the Nellemann Group’s digital foundation from a dirt road to a shielded racetrack. A racetrack that Jac can trust and on which the next generation of the family business can build the groundbreaking Nellemann adventures of the future.
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