About Jesper

Technology has to create value in practice

I believe technology only creates real value once it becomes a natural part of the way people and companies work.

Whether I am teaching AI, advising a manager or stepping into a company as a consultant, I start from the task and the reality the technology has to work in: What do we want to improve? What is in the way today? And how can technology, processes and people work better together?

Jesper Højmark Esbensen

More than 30 years of experience in technology and leadership

I have worked in software development, technical leadership and process improvement for more than 30 years – as a specialist, project manager, team lead, department manager and consultant.

My experience ranges from small companies to large international organisations, including Grundfos, JYSK, OJ Electronics, Siemens Gamesa, Siemens and IBM/Mærsk Data.

It has given me a broad understanding of how technology, people, processes and business interact – and of what it takes to turn new possibilities into solutions that work in practice.

  • 30+ years of experience
  • M.Sc. Eng. from DTU
  • Software development
  • Technical leadership
  • Process improvement
  • AI

Technical depth and leadership experience

In my consulting work I combine technical insight with leadership experience and an understanding of processes and organisation.

That lets me get to grips with a new organisation quickly, understand the actual situation and contribute where experience, structure and momentum are needed.

Read more about my consulting services

AI grounded in practice

I use AI actively in my own work and have practical experience of turning the technology into better workflows and concrete improvements in companies.

I bring that experience into my teaching, where the focus is on making AI understandable and usable – and giving participants tools and methods they can use in their own working day.

See my AI courses

See the full career 30 years in software — as developer, project manager, department head and consultant.
Oct 2025 — now
Interim Software Manager · OJ Electronics A/S

Day-to-day leadership of a software department of ~20 people across Denmark, Ukraine and Romania. Mandated by executive management to lift the whole organisation on AI — both cross-cutting workflow systems and AI tools for the individual developer.

Aug 2024 — May 2025
Consultant · Grundfos A/S

Automated test procedures to verify a Bluetooth interface on an embedded Linux controller. Requirement specifications in DOORS, test setup in Python and hardware-in-the-loop in a CI/CD environment — verified against iOS and Android.

PythonEmbedded LinuxCI/CDDOORS
Nov 2023 — Jun 2024
Consultant · JYSK A/S

Web server for central administration of the stores' network routers: automatic configuration, access lists and remote restart from head office, plus REST endpoints and a NetBox connector. Built in Perl with HTMX, JavaScript and GitHub Copilot.

PerlHTMXRESTGitHub Copilot
May 2023 — Aug 2023
Consultant · BetterBI

Power BI reports giving insight across the client's systems. Power BI, Azure Data Factory and SQL Server.

Power BIAzure Data FactorySQL Server
Jan 2021 — Sep 2022
Consultant · Turftank

Development and debugging of cloud software for Turftank's line-marking robot, including migration of pitch descriptions from earlier app versions. Dart/Flutter and JSON.

Dart/FlutterCloudJSON
Sep 2018 — Sep 2022
Consultant · Siemens Gamesa, Brande

Design, development and project management of a CI/CD system for quality assurance of control algorithms for Siemens wind turbines. GitLab-based with Python, MATLAB, C++, LaTeX and Perl — including migration from Mercurial.

GitLabPythonMATLABC++
2015 — 2018
Fintech Development Manager · InfinianceTECH A/S

Head of development at a fintech start-up in FintechLab, Copenhagen. Prototypes for payment systems, data and fee analysis in C++, C# and SQL on Azure/ASP.NET — ISO 20022 messages and security per ISO 27001.

C++C#AzureISO 20022
Sep 2011 — Sep 2015
Department Manager, Software · Siemens Flow Instruments

Department manager and systems engineer on the Coriolis mass flow meter. People responsibility for 12 engineers in DK and the USA, a project budget of DKK 4–6 million and cross-disciplinary coordination of hardware, software and mechanics across Denmark, France and the USA.

2010 — 2011
Project Manager · OJ Electronics A/S

Project manager for control units for HVAC and heating control. Introduced the V-model and contributed to the company's project model — from concept to production and customer delivery.

2006 — 2010
Global Software Quality Manager · Sauer-Danfoss

Process development based on CMMI, plus configuration and change management in ClearCase/ClearQuest. Training, auditing and management reporting, and a metrics and BI system in Perl and Java on Tomcat.

CMMIClearCasePerlJava
2004 — 2007
Adjunct Lecturer · University of Southern Denmark

Taught 5th-semester engineering students in digital control engineering — three classes brought through their exams with strong results.

2001 — 2006
Consultant & team lead · IBM / Mærsk Data

System development of a new booking system for Maersk Line in an international environment of 100–120 developers. Team lead and C++ development on Sun, plus setting up ClearCase with weekly tested releases. The system is still running with 15,000+ users.

C++ClearCaseTeam lead
2001 — 2002
Consultant · Motorola

Porting of the Dimetra system to the European TETRA standard for emergency-services communication. C++ and ClearCase in a CMM level 5 environment.

2001 — 2002
Consultant · Novo Nordisk / HIQ Wise

Validation of MES software for production — high-level test specifications to verify FDA compliance.

1999 — 2000
Software Project Manager · LICENERGY Inc., Houston

Windows applications simulating oil and water flows in pipes for the oil industry. C++/MFC in Visual Studio.

1993 — 2000
Project Engineer & Project Manager · LICENERGY A/S

Technical software for calculating pressure and flow in drinking-water, oil and gas pipelines, developed in C++ on Windows.

Education & board positions

1993
M.Sc. in Engineering, DTU
Mechanical design & engineering physics
2024 — now
Co-founder, IDA AI
2020 — now
Chair of the board, IDA Syd
2017 — 2021
Chair of the board, IDA Sønderjylland
2009 — 2017
Chair of the board, Ahlmann-Skolen

On the side

In my spare time I cast bronze sculptures by turning video footage into 3D models, refining them in CAD and 3D-printing the moulds — using tools like Blender and Meshmixer.

gestalters.com →

Tools & technologies

AIMachine LearningTensorFlowDeep LearningOpenCVPythonC++C#JavaPerlSQLDart/FlutterMATLABGitGitHub CopilotLinuxCI/CDPRINCE2CMMIScrumSystemdesignAfdelingsledelseStrategi

Or see the profile on LinkedIn →