Interview with Helle Gormsen

Helle Gormsen is Head of AI Development at PFA.

Where did you graduate from and with which degree?

I did my bachelor’s in physics at the University of Copenhagen, and I was lucky to spend a semester on exchange at the University of Queensland in Australia. After the bachelor’s, I decided to continue with two master’s degrees. The first was a one-year Master of Advanced Study in Physics at the University of Cambridge in England. Then, I came back to the University of Copenhagen for another master’s degree in Quantum Physics.

Please give a description of the work you do in your current position.

I work at a company called PFA, which is Denmark’s largest commercial pension company with around 1.3 million customers. Besides pensions, PFA offers a range of insurance products like health insurance, life insurance, and coverage for critical illness.

At PFA, I’m involved in Artificial Intelligence (AI) development, and we apply AI in many different areas of PFA. A lot of what we do is in health and insurance, where AI helps with things like preventive measures, claims handling, detecting fraud and recommendation engines. We also use AI for digital pension advising, fighting money laundering, and building AI assistants using generative AI.

I’ve worked at PFA for five and a half years now. I started in 2019 as a data scientist in the graduate program, where I worked with every stage of developing AI products – designing, building, deploying, and monitoring them. Back then, AI was still a new area at PFA, almost like a startup within a big company, so our focus was on finding good use cases to show how AI could add value.

Now, I’m the head of a team called AI Development, which includes 11 data scientists. I’ve been in this role for three years. As a team lead, my main job is to create the best possible environment for the team to thrive and produce the best AI solutions. I don’t spend much time programming anymore, but I have stayed close to the technical aspects, just from a more high-level perspective. I love the challenge of building a team and creating an environment that’s fun, ambitious, and where we make a real difference for our customers.

What motivated you to study physics or engineering in the first place?

I always did well in math as a kid – it just felt natural to me. But it wasn’t until high school that I really got into physics. I was lucky to have an awesome teacher who was inspiring and made physics fun. He ended up being a big influence on my decision to study it at the university. I also thought about studying psychology because I was fascinated by the brain and understanding why people behave the way they do. Even though I’m sure I would have loved psychology too, I’m really happy I chose physics. The study environment was fantastic, and I learned so many valuable skills.

What made you decide to pursue a career in the private industry?

Going into the private sector wasn’t an obvious choice for me at first. I loved studying and doing research, and I was really fascinated by CERN and experimental particle physics, which was my area of expertise. But the main reason I didn’t pursue a PhD was that I wanted a career with more human interaction, where I could see the direct impact of my work on people’s lives.

When I graduated, I found a job as a data scientist at PFA. It seemed like a fun place to work with talented colleagues and a “let’s do it” vibe. Plus, there was – and still is – so much potential in data science at PFA, so it was an exciting academic challenge as well.

How do you use the skills you learned as a physicist or engineer in your work?

As a physicist, you get a lot of useful skills. The technical ones – like math, experimental techniques, and programming – are obviously really handy when you’re working with data science and AI. You’re constantly analyzing big datasets, developing models, and doing software engineering.

When studying, we were always told that the most important skills you learn as a physicist are problem-solving and critical thinking. And even though that might sound like a cliché, I believe it’s true. Being trained to think that “all models are wrong, but some are useful” makes you critical, adaptable and a bit more pragmatic, which is important when you’re solving problems in a business context.

On the softer side, I learned persistence when studying physics. Working on long-term projects within particle physics where you don’t see immediate success taught me that sustained effort is key. That’s something I find very useful in my current job too.

Finally, the most important skill that I learned as a physicist was teamwork. Looking back, I’m amazed by the supportive physics community at the University of Copenhagen. There was a real “we can do this together” attitude that was so unique and inspiring. That’s the kind of atmosphere that I try to create at PFA.

What does being a physicist mean to you?

That’s a great question. For me, being a physicist is about curiosity and wanting to understand the world around you. I sometimes still introduce myself as a physicist because it helps explain who I am. And honestly, I do enjoy surprising people when they find out I’m a female physicist – though I hope that won’t be so surprising in the future.

What advice would you give to young people (in particular women and minorities) with a background in physics who would like to pursue a career in the private industry?

Finding a job after university can be pretty overwhelming, and that’s completely normal. For me, being a physics student became a big part of my identity, so stepping out of that safe space took some courage. My advice is to remember that it’s okay to feel a bit lost during that transition.

There’s a lot of help out there, though. People – and especially other physicists – are usually happy to share their experiences and offer advice. I was lucky to have some friends from physics and a boyfriend who had already started working in the private sector, and they were a big help. If you don’t have that network, communities like KIF or online groups for physicists or STEM professionals can be great resources.

My second piece of advice is to find a work environment where you feel supported and valued. That can be tricky to find out, but here are a few things you can look for:

• Company values: Do they prioritize employee growth, innovation, and mental health?

• Leadership style: Ask about the leadership style and how your future boss support the team’s development.

• Talk to a colleague: If you don’t meet any future colleagues during the interview process, ask if you can talk to someone from the team. It’ll give you a better idea of the culture.

• Trust your instincts: Do you feel comfortable and respected throughout the recruitment process? If something feels off, if might be worth reconsidering the fit.  

And remember, your first job might not be exactly what you expected, but it can still be a valuable experience. Good luck! And if this interview has made you curious or if you want advice on starting a career in data science or AI development, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’d be happy to chat 😊.