The Bodø/Glimt of Consulting: How Arne is Building a Winning Culture at Azets

What happens when one of the Nordics' leading professional services firms decides to become the best version of itself? With Bodø/Glimt as his inspiration, Arne Norheim is building the winning team at Azets, brick by brick. By focusing on culture, honesty, and trust, he is preparing the team for a future where technology handles the heavy lifting, freeing up people to be true advisors. Together with partners like Kravia, Azets aims to prove that the more digital the world becomes, the more vital human trust and security remain.

Inspired by Football

‍Azets is currently in the midst of an extensive technological transformation. When Arne Norheim took over as CEO of Azets Norway a year ago, he brought with him 25 years of experience from the IT industry and a sharp focus on change management. Arne doesn’t look to his competitors for inspiration; he finds it on the football pitch. He believes the business world has much to learn from Bodø/Glimt, a club that has built a winning team brick by brick.

“They didn’t say they were going to win the Champions League overnight; they said they were going to become the best version of themselves. That is my philosophy for Azets as well. By having clear roles, translating strategy into practice for every individual, and standing shoulder to shoulder, we can achieve results that others might see as miracles.”

Sandra Messel, Head of Marketing and Communications at Azets, describes Arne’s arrival as a true "game changer" for the team.“What is crucial for the organization is that Arne is extremely honest in his communication. We know that if something isn't good enough, we talk about it openly so that we can set higher goals and deliver better in the next round,” says Sandra.

Arne elaborates:“We always ask ourselves: ‘Does this provide value for the customer or the company?’ If the answer is yes, we prioritize it. But to achieve that, we must dare to speak the truth about our situation, even when it’s difficult.”

Technology Does Not Replace the Need for Security

He is not concerned that AI and automation will make accountants redundant. On the contrary, he views technology as the key to freeing up time for what truly matters: the trust built between people.

“What we actually sell at Azets is security and peace of mind. Technology will never replace the human need for a partner who has your back,” Arne asserts.

Rolling Out a New Insight Platform

To give advisors the time they need to be the partners customers rely on, technology must handle the heavy lifting. Azets is currently rolling out a new data insight platform that combines internal figures with public sources and data from partners.

“The key lies in shifting from being a reporting partner after the fact, to becoming an advisor ahead of the customer's needs. With this insight platform, we can see exactly what is happening with the customer in real-time,” Arne explains.

The goal is for the data to help customers run their businesses even better.

“In the future, we will be an insight and advisory unit that actively helps customers get the most out of their own business,” he states.

The Hunt for the Smartest Partners

To succeed with the changes at Azets, Arne depends on a functioning ecosystem. He highlights a well-known principle when choosing whom to collaborate with:

“It is said that you should always hire people who are smarter than yourself. I believe the same applies to partners. If we find the best partners out there—those who are the best at what they do—then we make ourselves better too,” says Arne.

The partnership with Kravia is a testament to this strategy. Where Azets are experts in advisory and accounting, Kravia specializes in automated solutions for payment follow-ups and debt collection.

“When everyone stays close to their core competence, we create an ecosystem that delivers a completely different level of impact and value to the customer. We share a common goal of making our customers happy, and to achieve that, we must stand together,” Arne concludes.

Azets + Kravia: Preparing the Team for the Future

‍Svein Ove Kvalsund, Group CEO of Kravia, makes no secret of the fact that Azets is a vital strategic partner for them. He believes the collaboration is a testament to what can be achieved when technology and professional expertise pull in the same direction.

“For us at Kravia, Azets is an ideal partner because they dare to challenge the status quo and invest in the solutions of the future. When such a strong match is found—both culturally and technologically—we create real value for the customers,” says Svein Ove.

Benedikte Rasmussen, CCO of Kravia, emphasizes that success lies in the human connection:

“Just like Arne, we are passionate about the human element within technology. Our goal is to make the accountant shine by providing them with the security and insight they need to stay ahead. When we share these values, we create results that are directly reflected in the customer's bottom line,” she concludes.