“I Knew Economics, But Not ‘Business’”

After 30 years in the Armed Forces, Gunn Elisabeth Håbjørg swapped her uniform for the life of an entrepreneur. One decisive step gave her the kickstart she needed to put her experience to use in an entirely new context.

She smiles as she recalls the beginning of her career. In 1992, at just 19, she left her home village in Trøndelag to attend the admission tests for the Air Force Officer Candidate School.

“It was a rather untraditional choice at the time. I remember my father raising an eyebrow – perhaps even a little sceptical – but that only motivated me even more to get in,” says Håbjørg, laughing.

Little did she know then that the Armed Forces would remain her workplace for nearly three decades.

Looking back on those early years, she sees them as a period when she spent far too much energy trying to “fit in” – an experience that has shaped her ever since.

“It’s only when you are true to yourself that you find the energy to really do a good job – and perform at your best,” she says.

Being authentic also makes it easier to identify what you excel at, and where there is room for improvement – both professionally and personally.

“It’s about taking what you’re good at, what you’ve already learned, and building from there. You don’t need to have everything figured out before you start. You have to dare to take the leap and learn along the way,” says Håbjørg.

Gunn Elisabeth Håbjørg attended staff college and the command course at the Norwegian Defence University College, gradually taking on increasingly complex leadership roles in finance, corporate governance, strategy, and HR – both nationally and internationally.

“I Considered Doing Something Else, But It Never Went Beyond the Thought”

We meet Gunn Elisabeth Håbjørg at the symbolic headquarters of the Armed Forces: Akershus Fortress in Oslo. Here, the Ministry of Defence, the Defence Staff, and the Defence University College are all located.

The official residence of the Chief of Defence lies just nearby. Within the fortress walls, history and military tradition walk hand in hand.

Along the cobbled paths, both tourists and uniformed personnel from the Army, Navy, and Air Force pass by.

Håbjørg always imagined a long career in uniform.

“There were times when I considered doing something else, but it never went further than a thought. The opportunities to grow and develop – whether through courses, studies, or new roles – are excellent in the Armed Forces.

So the years passed – to put it mildly,” she says with a laugh.

Easy to Stay When You’re Thriving

As a senior leader in the Armed Forces, Håbjørg felt a strong need to bring in new perspectives – to broaden her understanding, including what the public sector might learn from the private sector.

At the same time, her curiosity grew about who she could become, and what she might achieve, outside the military.

“I knew that if I was ever going to take the step out, it had to be then. It’s easy to stay when you’re thriving and feel secure in your role – but I also had a strong sense that something new could be right for me.”

In 2022, she left the Armed Forces, carrying with her extensive leadership experience, solid knowledge of finance and corporate management, and deep insight into strategy and HR.

Still, she knew that to succeed in her next chapter, she would have to challenge herself academically – particularly in the commercial field.

“I understood economics, but not ‘business’. You learn a great deal in the Armed Forces, but not how to develop, run, and grow a commercial company,” she says.

“Exactly What I Needed”

In March 2023, she began an Executive MBA (Master of Business Administration) at BI Norwegian Business School – a decision that would prove decisive for her next steps.

“‘Learning by doing’ is valuable, but I wanted to give myself a real boost. I wanted to learn as much as possible, as quickly and effectively as possible. The Executive programme at BI turned out to be exactly what I needed.”

Håbjørg got what she came for – but also something more. Her mindset was: “Now I’m going to learn to think like a CEO.” That insight came both from the programme itself and from fellow participants who shared their experiences.

On top of that, a spark was lit to create something of her own. She was pleasantly surprised that the programme not only provided the toolkit to succeed in business, but also the knowledge required to build a company from scratch.

“You really do get it all,” she says with a smile.

In the Armed Forces, you become skilled in operations, cost control, and structure. But business development, marketing, and growth receive less focus – and those were areas Håbjørg wanted to learn more about.

“BI Gave Me a Kickstart”

Just one month after completing her studies at BI, Håbjørg left her consultancy job to commit fully to her own company: Head Heart Body AS.

For others considering the move from the public to the private sector – or from a “regular job” to becoming an entrepreneur – she has one clear piece of advice:

“Take the time to build knowledge. You can learn along the way, but it takes longer and costs more. BI gave me a kickstart that made it possible to apply my experience in a new context.”

She emphasises that the transition is not easy – but entirely possible.

“Many skills are transferable. You just need to learn a new language. And you have to recognise what you actually know – which is often more than you think.”