CAREER

However, the startup profile has some thoughts on where it is going now, after he left the company he has helped build it from five to 240 employees.

– There is a time for everything. I have been at Attensi for 10 years and have been part of a truly wonderful journey. The company is growing tremendously and with a team of bright and energetic middle managers ready to take over – so it’s a great time for the company and me, replied Anne Lise Waal, when we asked her why she was grateful.

The tech profile was one of Attensi’s first employees when he joined the start-up in the basement at Startuplab in 2013. Since then, the learning technology company has experienced adventurous growth, and Waal has filled several leadership roles along the way, including general manager and chief technology officer. Attensi now has 250 employees worldwide, and annual subscription revenue is NOK 140 million.

“Sad”

The real exit will happen early next year, and Waal is determined that it’s something he himself wants.

– This is something I’ve wanted myself and that has come a bit over time – I’ve had a good and transparent dialogue with Trond, our founder and CEO, and found the right time to start downsizing. I will still have connections with the company going forward, but my “day job” will be elsewhere.

– I think Serena Williams puts it well, “I’m not ready to quit, but I’m ready for what comes next” – that sums up the feeling. Sad to leave, but I can’t wait to explore new opportunities while watching Attensi continue to be successful from the touchline.

Unknown sight

The attention was started by Trond Aas and Odd Skarheim, who brought in Anne Lise Waal from Funcom from the start. Ten years ago, the use of game technology and 3D simulation in training was unknown to most companies, both in Norway and elsewhere in the world, so concepts had to be kept as simple as possible. . Attensi chose a strategy to create a technology platform where “everyone” can design and distribute their own learning games.

– Now 10 years later, we are used by some of the biggest and most innovative companies in the world; everything from Equinor to BCG, Accenture and the largest retail and service chains. This is really unbelievably cool.

– What is the best?

– The best thing about Attensi is the people, and how we, as a team, have managed to create a product that has revolutionized the way people learn, while at the same time having fun on the go. Attensi has a truly unique culture, incredibly talented people who combine world class growth with the party and fun of a different league. I will negotiate admission with all parties of the company before I quit.

READ ALSO: An old man in the front row fell asleep during an investor meeting with Attensi CEO Anne Lise Waal

Future plan

Waal doubts that he has yet to decide what his next step in his career will be, but much can suggest that it will be something that falls within Shifter’s sphere of influence.

– Throughout my journey with Attensi, I have also come into contact with the Oslo ecosystem of startups and growth companies, many through the StartupLab and Viking Venture environments, but also through the Oslo Business Area and other networks I have visited. I will probably stay on the ecosystem, but whether it will be on the enterprise side or the investment side remains to be seen. I’ll take my time and explore a few miles of Marka and mountains before I conclude.