“Would you like to try a leadership role for six months?”
That was the offer when Silke asked her manager for guidance on the next step in her career. The temporary leadership trial became yet another chapter in a remarkable journey through Bankdata – one she has shaped herself by continuously taking on new challenges.
In 2015, Bankdata restructured its entire development organisation around agile methods. The traditional annual development review was replaced by short, experimental learning loops, where employees – in collaboration with their managers – take responsibility for shaping their own development. Silke Fisker has made full use of that opportunity, holding four different roles over six years.
“I’m driven by meaningful challenges and seek out opportunities where I can learn. If those challenges don’t exist within my current role, I find ways to contribute elsewhere – and I often end up taking part in the work before the role formally exists. That’s why my transitions have felt natural rather than driven by a strategic career plan.”
A path to leadership
According to her manager, Silke’s story is a great example of how this approach can help surface future leadership talent.
“We look for people with strong interpersonal skills and a hunger that allows them to take the leap. They need to read the social context and be willing to work on themselves. Silke carved her own path and demonstrated the drive it takes,” says Peter Bruun, Vice President for Finance & Risk at Bankdata.
“Becoming a leader is a significant career change – and both the company and the individual take on a lot of responsibility. You suddenly carry responsibility beyond yourself, and that takes something special. That’s why I tend to prefer internal candidates.”
Started as a business consultant
Six years ago, Silke joined Bankdata as a business consultant shortly after earning her MSc in Economics from Aalborg University.
“When you come straight from university, it can be hard to really understand what a job entails until you’re in the middle of it,” she says.
She became part of a team developing systems for financial reporting and risk management in banks. But she quickly realised she needed a role with more concrete tasks and a closer link to her background in mathematics.
“I come from a world where there’s a clear right answer. The consultant role was more fluid, and I wasn’t sure it was the right fit. I spoke to my manager, and he suggested changing my title – suddenly I was a software developer. So, I had to learn that.”
Complex problems and technological solutions
Silke joined a small team tasked with building a new tech platform for risk management.
“It was a complex challenge – everything had to be automated and built from scratch. We designed the processes, mapped the dataflows, and developed the functions. And we could see the results quickly.”
She naturally stepped into a more business-oriented role, taking responsibility for clarifying what needed to be built.
Product Owner experiment
When the project ended, Silke started looking for new opportunities. She wanted to try the role of Product Owner and suggested testing it in practice – even though there wasn’t an official PO position available.
“It was a role I really enjoyed. I love speaking with customers and exploring new areas. You need to be persistent and curious.”
A new chapter: first steps in leadership
Later on, Silke took the initiative to discuss her next step with her manager. In spring 2025, the timing was right – a temporary opening had emerged for her to test the waters as a team leader.
“I had to adjust, because I was in the middle of some great work as a PO. But I also had a sense that I was ready to try something new. The timing was right, the challenges were exciting – and I felt ready to step out into deeper waters.”
Over the course of spring and summer, it became clear that the role was a good fit – and in autumn 2025, Silke and Bankdata agreed to make the position permanent.