Our background and experience
Solutions By... was founded in 2018 by Michael Ørum in collaboration with Carsten Schulz Sander.
We are a boutique consulting firm whose purpose is to help companies realize their goals and ambitions within our niche markets, the DACH region and Scandinavia.
We offer assessment, strategy, implementation and evaluation as well as other related core services.
Together we have 25 years of sales and management experience from Bang & Olufsen in Germany and Northern Europe.
We consider ourselves experts especially in retail, but we also work with customers in IT and other industries.
Michael Ørum
Michael Ørum has 12 years of management experience from Bang & Olufsen, including Managing Director for the DACH region.
He has lived in Munich for seven years, and during a period of great financial challenges for the B&O Group in the wake of the financial crisis in 2008, Michael Ørum played an important role in restructuring the sales organization and built a competent business controlling team across Europe.
His efforts helped transform the European distribution through the 2010s. With his focus on Germany, Michael Ørum helped create growth to such an extent that Germany became the largest single market in the B&O Group.
During his 12 years at B&O, Michael Ørum has held senior positions with direct responsibility for sales (Sales Manager DE/AT), distribution development (Head of Business Controlling EU) and as a business partner for the sales organisation with the responsibility of following up on sales and results (Director of Business Finance).
Michael Ørum is a trained accountant HD-R from Copenhagen Business School and has previously held positions at Tech Data, BDO ScanRevision and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Carsten Schulz Sander
Carsten Schulz Sander has 13 years of management experience from Bang & Olufsen in Scandinavia, including as Managing Director for Northern Europe and product manager for the Audio and Gift items product group, which at the time accounted for 40 percent of the company's total revenue.
His core competencies are especially within distribution-, market- and sales development in Scandinavia and Central Europe as well as brand- and concept development. Additionally, Carsten Schulz Sander has continuously worked with organizational development, team motivation and team management.
Carsten Schulz Sander has been Network Director for Netværk Denmark / Executive Global Network and co-founder and partner of Co-Create GmbH - a management network for 1st and 2nd level Management Executives in medium-sized German companies.
With a German-born father and studies in the US, Carsten Schulz Sander speaks German, English and Danish at mother tongue level. He also has an in-depth knowledge of both German and Scandinavian corporate culture.
Carsten Schulz Sander has an HD-A from Aarhus University.
“Michael Ørum has an in-depth knowledge of the German-speaking markets. He has really been on the road and built new business opportunities within a business concept. Michael has an unusual profile because he is not only strong in finance, but also has a sales gene and can lead sales teams. He is a calm and competent person who builds trustworthy, lasting relationships. Many B&O dealers in Germany still reach out to him for professional advice. During Michael's sales management, B&O reached new heights and results. If you have a business with a concept to be rolled out in the German market, Michael and Solutions By... are strong in analysis and implementation."
Jakob Odgaard
Regional Director DACH region
Bang & Olufsen
"I had Carsten from Solutions By... recommended through my German network, because I was looking for someone who could help get the German BORA-products into the Danish market. Carsten has led the sales work in Scandinavia to a point where after three years, we have 100 BORA dealers in Denmark and 350 in Scandinavia. I always bring Carsten along in negotiations because he is pleasant, convincing and trustworthy. He approaches the tasks with great energy and puts his heart and soul into his work. Carsten is extremely skilled in strategy, business development, collaboration, and sales. He has strong diplomatic skills, is extremely well-liked, and he speaks fluent German and understands German culture. Carsten is also a natural leader and has been a crucial part of BORA's success and expansion in the Scandinavian market."
Eva Hannisdahl
CEO
Morten Engebretsen A/S
BORA retailer Scandinavia