Former Head of Section for LAC, Kenneth Thomsen, has returned to DTU Wind Energy after spending the last year and a half in Shanghai working for Envision. His new adventure is a position as Head of Section in COS.
He is enjoying his new office in building 228 at DTU Risø Campus. He knows a lot about DTU Wind Energy however, now he is working within a new field of expertise. Before leaving for Shanghai, Kenneth Thomsen was Head of Section for LAC, a section working with loads and control. Now, he has the responsibility for the section COS, that works with materials and material science. At the same time, he holds the position as Programme Manager for Materials and Structures.
“We have an amazing working environment at DTU Wind Energy, and the level of knowledge is extremely high. I know without any hesitation, that DTU Wind Energy has an important role in the future. That is among others a reason for my return to DTU Wind Energy.”
From fibre composites to loads – and back to fibre composites
Thinking back on his education, he smiles:
“The funny part if, that for my thesis I chose to focus on fatigue failure of fibre composites,” he remembers:
“As recently graduated, I noticed that there was a job opening at Risø. I applied for the job and was invited to an interview.”
He remembers that he was late for the interview and thus he was certain, that he would not get the job:
“I had never been to Zealand before, and I had to visit the Cathedral in Roskilde first,” he says with a smile on his face.
However, the job was his, and thus he worked at DTU wind Energy for the next 17 years within the field of loads and control alongside many of the colleagues still employed at DTU Wind Energy today.
As a senior researcher at DTU Wind Energy, Kenneth Thomsen was in close contact with many different people, one of those being Henrik Stiesdal from Siemens Wind Power. Stiesdal contacted Kenneth Thomsen and offered him a position in which Kenneth Thomsen should be in charge of the first Siemens Wind Power office on Zealand. The challenge was accepted.
”Then I found myself all alone in an office in Lyngby. I hired a few people, and then I had to visit IKEA in order to buy some lamps,” he remembers with a grin.
After seven to eight years, he missed DTU Wind Energy and he missed the research community, and thus he returned.
Off to Shanghai
18 months ago, he needed a change, and thus Kenneth and his wife moved to Shanghai, where he got a position working with Envision.
“It was innovative and exiting. I had never been to Asia before,” he says.
Thus, he signed a five year long contract with Envision. It was, however, not his plan to stay in Shanghai for five years:
“When I signed the contract, I promised Envision, that I would stay in Shanghai for at least a year. I told them not to expect, that I would stay there for five years. It was our plan that we would stay in Shanghai for about two years.”
Back working with composites
Today, Kenneth Thomsen is enjoying his new position and area of expertise. It is a challenge; he is looking forward to dealing with:
“I am thrilled, that I have been chosen to be in charge of this section. It is a new area of expertise for me, and it is a very interesting area, where I can focus on the overall management oriented areas, which I really like to do.”
“I can without a doubt see myself working at DTU Wind Energy for the rest of my working days – I know, I said the same two years ago,” he says mysteriously.