Throughout March, to celebrate International Women’s Day 2026, Pacific International is amplifying the voices of female leaders who embody this year’s theme, “Give To Gain”. These leaders champion inclusive leadership not only through their own success but through the intentional support they provide to others.
We begin the series with a conversation between Margaret Jaouadi and Dorte Kamper, SVP at Kamstrup and a founding partner of WiRED, a dynamic forum advancing women in renewable energy in Denmark. In this discussion, Margaret explores Dorte’s career journey, the role mentoring, coaching, and sponsorship have played in shaping it, and how Dorte now gives back by developing talent, advocating for women, and using her influence to create opportunities for the next generation of leaders.
Huge thanks to Bjarne Sandager Nielsen, a member of Pacific’s Advisory Board, for introducing Dorte to Margaret Jaouadi.
Margaret Jaouadi
Looking back on your career, what role did mentoring, coaching or sponsorship play in your progression, and can you provide some examples of its impact?
Dorte Kamper
Looking back at my early career, I didn’t have formal mentoring, coaching, or sponsorship, and I didn’t think much about them at the time. Gender was never an issue for me in the workplace, and I didn’t feel I needed anything special because I was a woman. Even later in my career, I didn’t have much formal support. While I never had sponsors, I did participate in some formal mentoring programs later on.
When I look back now, I can see that, even though I did not have formal coaches or mentors early on, I did have strong role models in both my personal life and my career who, in effect, mentored me without any formal agreement. There are strong women in my family who have done very well both personally and professionally. In my work life, I have also had strong female role models and mentors over the years.
Having role models who show the way has been very important in my career. There are many examples, but in my early career, I worked closely with a couple of female colleagues who were slightly more senior than I was. They shared a lot of advice based on the challenges they had overcome in their own early careers. They helped me understand how to find my footing in a new company, particularly in a male-dominated industry. They taught me how to build the courage to speak up and how to value my own opinion, even when I was younger and sometimes the only woman in the room.
There were many occasions early in my career when I was significantly younger than others in the room. That in itself was a form of diversity, not only in terms of gender but also in terms of age. Learning to navigate both of those dynamics was a key part of my development.
Margaret Jaouadi
You have chosen to give back by mentoring and supporting other women. What drives your commitment to developing female talent and creating opportunities for others?
Dorte Kamper
Part of it comes from the experience of being one of the very few women. When I was working in the renewable industry and meeting other female leaders, we all knew each other very well because there were so few of us. At industry events, you would see black and blue suits everywhere, with very few women in attendance. I never personally saw it as a limitation, and I have to be honest, I had to be reminded that it was unusual, not normal, for so few women to be there. But once I became aware of it, I could not stop thinking about it. I kept asking myself how we could get more women into the industry and why there were so few in the first place.
Together with some of my female counterparts, we started discussing what we could do ourselves. It is easy to complain or worry about it, but we wanted to take action. That was why we decided to start a network called WiRED, Women in Renewable Energy Denmark. We aimed to create a forum where female leaders could meet, share experiences, connect, support one another, and grow together, especially because there were so few of us at the time. That was really the starting point.
We built the network as a formal organisation. We have the full structure in place, including governance, a chairperson, and an annual general meeting, and we operate as a formal entity. We do not run leadership programmes, as that is not our focus. Instead, we organise networking events and establish new committees as we continue to grow. We are still early in our journey, but we are laying the foundations.
One example of what we have introduced is WiRED Circles, mentoring circles based on co-mentoring. Rather than a traditional model with one senior and one junior person, we focus on learning from each other within a group. It is about sharing experiences, supporting one another, and developing together.
For us right now, the most important thing is to continue building the organisation and raising awareness that we need to take action and create more opportunities for women in the industry.
Margaret Jaouadi
Many women I’ve spoken with describe mentoring as a two-way street, much like the initiative you just mentioned. It’s about both giving and receiving: offering guidance allows you to receive feedback, gain new perspectives, and grow personally and professionally. This approach is more collaborative than top-down.
That ties nicely into the next question. This year’s International Women’s Day theme is Give to Gain. From your perspective, how has investing your time, influence, and advocacy in other women shaped your leadership and the impact you’ve been able to make?
Dorte Kamper
I think there is a very direct impact: seeing female talent rise. There is a real joy in working with someone and seeing that person flourish, take on new challenges, and step into new opportunities. It is not only about career progression, but it is also about personal development and seeing someone grow as a person. That in itself is very rewarding.
For me personally, mentoring, coaching, and being part of networks have also helped shape me. It has made me a more rounded person and a better leader. I feel that I have developed a stronger understanding of challenges and a more complete, 360-degree view of problems. That allows me to navigate situations more effectively, including opposition, because I understand different perspectives more clearly.
It has definitely given me something back. It motivates me to see people develop, and I genuinely enjoy both formal and informal leadership roles, including mentoring and coaching. I thrive on seeing people grow, and if I can contribute even a small part to that, it is very meaningful to me.
Margaret Jaouadi
What do you believe female leaders need most today from mentors, sponsors or allies? And how can leaders give that support in meaningful, practical ways?
Dorte Kamper
One of the most important things to remember is that we are not there yet. With everything happening in the world today, there are many urgent issues at the top of the agenda, and rightly so. There are conflicts and global challenges that require attention and focus. But even with that in mind, we must remember that we still do not have full equity in all shapes and forms. We are speaking about gender here, but diversity is also about age, ethnicity, background and more. There is still a lot of work to be done, and we cannot stop this work or stop these conversations just because other issues are competing for attention. As human beings, we can focus on more than one important topic at a time, so we need to continue the work.
A key part of that is continuing to address bias. What I see now is that when diversity is not as high on the agenda, some of the bias that we thought we had moved beyond can begin to return. That bias exists in all of us, including me, and I actively work on it. So we must keep talking about diversity and continue addressing bias in all its forms.
In more practical terms, when we look at what mentors, sponsors and allies can offer, I think one important lesson is about balance. Many people want to do everything, but it is not necessary to do everything at the same time. For younger female leaders entering the workplace, it is important to remember that you do not have to achieve everything in one year or be exceptional at everything at once. It is about managing your energy and focusing on what matters most to you at a given time.
This approach also requires some patience with yourself. It is not about slowing down your career or lowering your ambitions, but about being realistic with how much you take on at once. In Denmark, where I live, many people try to balance career, children, a home, a car, a dog, fitness, and a social life, but it simply isn’t possible to do everything at once. We need to be able to prioritise and recognise that it is acceptable not to do everything simultaneously.
Part of supporting others, therefore, is helping to set that expectation. Leaders can play a role in showing that it is acceptable to prioritise, to manage your own resources, and to build a sustainable way of working and living. Otherwise, we may succeed in improving diversity but risk creating an environment where people are unable to cope with the expectations placed on them.
Margaret Jaouadi
For women who may feel they are not senior enough or too busy to mentor others, what would you say about the power of support even early in their careers?
Dorte Kamper
The power of support is immense. Even if you are only slightly more senior than the person you are supporting, the advice you can offer still has real value. Seniority does not define the impact you can have. As we discussed earlier, mentoring is a two-way exchange. When I have mentoring conversations with younger female talent, I also receive valuable feedback and new perspectives. There is always something to gain, regardless of experience level or background.
At the same time, when you enter into a more formal mentoring relationship, it is important to align expectations from the start. It helps to be clear about what you want to achieve through the conversations and what challenges you are trying to solve. It is also important to understand the boundaries of the role, where you can offer support and where you may not be the right person to help.
Having open conversations about expectations early on makes the mentoring relationship more effective and meaningful for both parties.
Margaret Jaouadi
Do you think living in Denmark plays a role in shaping these conversations? The Scandinavian countries have a strong, positive reputation for equality and diversity. Does that cultural context make these conversations easier than in other locations?
Dorte Kamper
I think you are pointing to something very important. When you look at Denmark, many of the foundations are already in place. As a leader in a Danish company, I see every day how policies such as parental leave support both mothers and fathers. There are strong regulations that promote balance and shared responsibility, so, in many ways, the framework is in place.
In society more broadly, diversity is also widely discussed. If you look at university data, you will see many female graduates across STEM subjects and other advanced education programmes. So on the surface, the pipeline and the structures are there.
However, when you look at the outcomes, we are still not seeing full equality. The proportion of women in CEO, executive and board positions is still not where it should be. So something still isn’t working, even in a country with a strong foundation.
The upside is that we have a solid basis for these conversations. But it also highlights that having the right structures in place is not enough on its own. There is still work to do, and that is an important part of the ongoing discussion.
Margaret Jaouadi
Is there anything you would like to add as a final closing statement?
Dorte Kamper
I think we have covered most of it, so I do not have a specific closing statement. But I would say that working with people, whether they are female or male leaders or emerging talent, brings a great deal of passion, engagement and motivation.
Personally, I gain a lot from investing my time in supporting others. That sense of giving and gaining is very real. I would encourage everyone to continue doing that, for both their female and male colleagues, because it benefits individuals, teams and organisations as a whole.
For a confidential chat about how Pacific International can assist you with your Strategic and C-suite hiring or Diversity challenges, please contact Manuel Preg or one of our Heads of sector.