Hi!

I've created this website to tell you a bit about myself.

About Me: My Journey in AI and Localization

I am an AI and Localization professional with nearly 15 years of experience, driven by a longstanding passion for languages, specifically Danish (my native language) and English, and their interplay with technology. This unique combination has always provided me with a sense of purpose and belonging in my career.

My background spans a variety of roles within the language industry, from hands-on work as a translator and editor to specialized data annotation and leadership positions managing linguists. Currently, I'm contributing to the development of Large Language Models through data labeling (groundedness detection) and enhancing online safety through content moderation.

My experience in international environments has provided me with valuable lessons in cross-cultural communication. Finding clarity across languages and cultures is not only challenging but incredibly rewarding.

To explore my career in more detail, please see my LinkedIn profile.

About Me: My Personal Interests

I grew up in Denmark, where my love for languages took root. Norwegian and Swedish were included in our school curriculum, and I also enjoyed German lessons, German radio and TV, and later on in life I became certified to teach German. High school introduced me to Spanish and Latin; Latin, in particular, was a gift. Understanding its foundational role in Western European languages proved to be one of the most valuable lessons I ever learned.

My upbringing also instilled in me a passion for travel and exploration. I've been fortunate to see much of Western Europe, Israel, Jordan, New Zealand, Southern Africa, the United States, and Canada. In fact, it was while exploring Southern Africa that I met my future wife on Likoma Island in Lake Malawi. After two years of a long-distance relationship, I moved from Denmark to Seattle.

Now, with two kids, much of our lives revolve around adventures in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. We all share a love for discovering new places. The Seattle area, with its mountains, lakes, rivers, trails, and waterfalls, is perfect for exploration. I've also extensively explored the region by bike—it's a healthy way to experience the area at a slower pace. I could talk about biking for ages, so I've even dedicated a whole page to it!

Testimonials:

Sarah - French-Canandian, English-Canadian Annotation Specialist

Sarah reported directly to me

Steen has been the best manager I've had so far. His work ethic is unparalleled. He listens and genuinely cares about the people on his team. He sees employees as humans first instead of numbers. He is able to think on his feet and quickly resolve problems as they arise. He acts concretely to help propel his employee's careers and is always a positive person to be around. Anyone would be lucky to work alongside him.

Marcia - Portuguese-Brazilian Annotation Specialist

Marcia reported directly to me

Steen is a focused, calm and committed worker who would make a great addition to any team. He has exceptional expertise in leadership, coaching motivation. He concisely demonstrated a solid work ethic at Microsoft plus a dedication to success. Steen is dedicated, self-motivated, methodical and very capable. He is not only a reliable and forward-thinking Manager but also inspiring team player.

Karine - Portuguese-Brazilian Annotation Specialist

Karine reported directly to me

I've had the pleasure of working with Steen as my direct manager in the AI Operations team at Microsoft. I can confidently say that he is one of the most effective and proficient leaders I have ever worked with. He always made sure that every team member was equipped with the tools and resources needed to succeed and consistently went above and beyond to ensure that our goals were met and that we felt valued as contributors to the team. He consistently demonstrated a genuine desire to go the extra mile for each employee under his care. He was always respectful, transparent and communicated clearly, which made my professional experience truly enjoyable. Steen is an inspiring leader who truly embodies what it means to lead by example. His impact on our team and company as a whole is undeniable and I am grateful I had the opportunity to learn from him every day. I highly recommend Steen for any future leadership positions.

Ali - Arabic Annotation Specialist

Ali reported directly to me

I had the pleasure of working with Steen as a part of the AI operations team for two years. He was promoted to a manager position just a few months after being hired. I reported to Steen directly, and I was consistently impressed by his commitment to encouraging and inspiring the team to achieve exceptional results. Steen is dynamic, flexible, and reliable, and he has demonstrated an ability to effectively and efficiently lead his team through periods of change and uncertainty. I highly recommend him for any future positions, and I am confident that he will be a valuable asset to any team he joins.

Heather - Content Delivery Manager

Heather worked on the same team as me

I was lucky to work with Steen at Microsoft, building a new team in AI Operations. Steen was recognized for his great people management skills right away, and promoted within months of first hire. He is a dedicated manager who really cares for his team, and yet can balance the challenges of working in a dynamic and fast-paced operations environment with constant change. Steen is reliable, decisive, accountable, and inspires his team and peers to perform at their highest level of quality. He is fun to work with and is greatly missed. Thanks Steen!

Terry - AI Operations Manager

Terry worked on the same team as me

I am very fortunate to work with Steen together to build up the AI Operations Team in Microsoft. Steen is a trustworthy partner with excellent communication and management skills. Steen is a pleasure to work with. He is always willing to go the extra mile to ensure that our team / project meets its goals and objectives, and he has a positive attitude that makes him a valuable member of our team. I highly recommend Steen for any future projects or positions. He would be an asset to any organization lucky enough to have him on their team.

Matt - Senior Localization Manager

I reported directly to Matt

I've known Steen for over 10 years and managed him directly through his various roles at Big Fish Localization for eight years. As he assumed the mantle of each new role, Steen grew quickly "into the box" that is the role and then started to push the boundaries of those roles continuously seeking to expand his skillset and to grow himself to the next level. Steen brings a vast array of experiences which led to his success: translator/linguist, editor/tester and translation project manager - Steen has operated effectively at all levels of the localization process. An expertise that guarantees he will succeed in whatever direction he applies himself. Steen will be a valuable addition to your organization.

Alicia - Outsource Manager

Alicia and I worked on different teams

I’ve had the honor of working with Steen for over 8 years, and he is one of the most capable, quick, and kind people I have interacted with professionally. Our work together often included super tight deadlines and I could count on Steen 100% of the time to collect and provide the input and feedback necessary to ensure that I could deliver localized marketing assets on time. A quality I appreciate highly in Steen is his ability to complete any task, assignment, or work needed without the drama and ego that often appears and inhibits efficiency within work environments. His problem solving, forward moving, resolution motivated approaches to his position made him a joy to work with, and we connected well through our shared goal of a strong work ethic mixed with welcomed bits of timely humor.

Raphael - French Freelance Translator

Raphael was one of my clients

I've known Steen for several years, both when I was working for Big Fish inhouse, and now as a French localization vendor. I highly recommend his project management and people skills: he's flexible, well organized and highly reactive, with a pinch of humour that makes him a pleasure to work with. I've also always appreciated his knowledge of software localization and of translation constraints, which enables us to always go for the best possible quality; as a translator, it's a pleasure talking to someone who understands what you do and what you need to produce quality. I think he's an asset in any localization team.

Sandrine - French Freelance Translator

Sandrine was one of my clients

I have known Steen since 2011, when we were both localization translators at Big Fish Games. Over the years, he was promoted to become localization manager, and became my main point of contact at Big Fish for all projects sent to me, as I was by then an external localization provider. Working with Steen on localization projects is a breeze. He has a deep understanding of game localization issues, both technical and linguistic. On top of being very approachable and friendly, Steen is extremely professional. He always answered my queries very fast. He tracked the info I needed from the relevant stakeholders. He forwarded my comments to the relevant teams. And generally, he made sure that we felt part of the team and valued as freelancers, and were provided with all the tools we needed to work: reference material, technical support, and, most importantly, trust. I am confident that Steen will be an amazing fit in any team, and a great asset for the company.

Kit - German Freelance Translator

Kit was one of my clients

I worked for Steen as an external localization provider for many years, first in his role as a Translation Manager, and then in his role as a Localization Manager, both for Big Fish Games. Steen always went above and beyond to make sure that I not only had clear work instructions and as much reference material as he could possibly provide but also to make sure that I was happy with any assigned project and its deadline so that I could plan my tasks according to my various clients' needs and schedules. I have rarely met anyone who was so considerate of what an external provider's need to juggle different clients and projects can mean. Steen is approachable, dedicated to excellence, a great communicator and simply a joy to work with. I cannot recommend him enough!

Valerie - Mexican-Spanish Linguist

I was senior to Valerie but didn't manage her directly

I had the pleasure of working with Steen for a little over 4 years at Big Fish Games, where he oversaw and managed all things related to translations and the localization process. Steen has an impeccable work ethic and the patience of a saint! There was nothing he couldn't solve or work around, always with the best attitude and a calm demeanor that made working with him a delight. I can honestly say that he was an instrumental part of the Localization team and anyone looking for a diligent and committed project manager would be lucky to have Steen in their team!

Alyson - Recruiter

Alyson worked with me but on a different team

Steen is a highly dedicated and thoughtful localization manager and hiring manager He made hiring the best possible team a priority. It was a real treat to work with someone so committed to their team's success. From fostering talent, to empowering his team, he was an asset to the Localization group at Big Fish.

Dee - German Translator

Dee reported directly to me

Steen was one of my favorite managers! Not only does he have extensive knowledge about the localization industry he is also a great leader! Steen had many roles at Big Fish - he was trusted by his peers, management, direct reports and our external trans. He is always a pleasure to work with. What really always stands out to me is his positive outlook on everything! I really hope that one day I will get the chance to work with him again!

Michaela - German Translator

Michaela reported directly to me

Steen is not just a great Manager, he is an extremely great person! He really cares about every last translator on his team and makes sure that everyone is taken care of. He goes above and beyond to take care of all his team members and makes sure that every project is going to be the best possible result by everyone on the team, before delivering it. He is going to make any team a better one by being part of it. Steen is not just a great Manager, he is an extremely great person! He really cares about every last translator on his team and makes sure that everyone is taken care of. He goes above and beyond to take care of all his team members and makes sure that every project is going to be the best possible result by everyone on the team, before delivering it. He is going to make any team a better one by being part of it.

Gilga - Spanish Freelance Linguist

Gilga was one of my clients

I have been working as an external Spanish Linguist for Bigfish for the last four years. During this time Steen has been my Project Manager and main contact. Working with him has always been a breeze, he is organized, reliable, and supporting; always available to answer questions, and find solutions. He treats the linguists with respect and true empathy, while at the same time keeping everybody informed and on schedule. He is one of a kind!

Alisa - Localization Coordinator

Alisa worked with me on the same team

I had a pleasure to work with Steen within the Localization group at Big Fish Games. I was always impressed with Steen's patience with training and on-boarding new localization QA testers as well as his ability to be in control of any challenging situation or project given to the team. Steen has a great attention to detail and knack for resolving technical challenges. He was stellar localization QA tester that received constant praise from management and other teams and it has been great to see him move up in his career.

Anne - Content Coordiator

Anne worked with me on the same team

I got to know Steen at Big Fish Games, when I started there in 2010. At the time he worked as an editor on the Danish team. I was hired to do the same job, but instead for Dutch. I quickly learned that Steen was a great person to learn from since he is very thorough and precise. He is willing to help and can explain well. In the years that I stayed at Big Fish, we both got promoted into different roles, in which we still worked together on a daily basis. I would recommend Steen to anyone. His personality, skillset and work ethic would make him a great fit in any localization role, as well as many other project coordination role.

Irina - Localization Coordinator

Irina worked with me on the same team

I worked with Steen at Big Fish Games in the critical time when the company was preparing to launch six new international websites. Steen showed himself as an extremely reliable and efficient editor and translator, willing to work on the project that were most important for the team at a particular time, often under considerable time pressure. Being a very reliable team member, he was able to juggle the priorities and produce timely translations and test reports. During my time with Big Fish Games, Steen showed a tremendous learning abilities and was able to take on new challenges and responsibilities which resulted in fast professional growth. I would be delighted to have an opportunity to work with Steen again and would recommend him to any team.

Juliette - French Language Editor

I was senior to Juliette but didn't manage her directly

Steen is the kind of person you want to have in your team. He knows a lot and is willing to share his expertise. Always friendly and eager to solve problems, he goes straight to the solution without getting lost in details, and never leaves any issue unresolved. He also has a talent for explaining complex concepts into simple words. His team spirit and commitment to the company's project are highly valuable.

Lindsay - Localization Coordiator

Lindsay worked with me on the same team

Steen was the Senior Localization Coordinator when I started with Big Fish and was responsible for my training. He was helpful and attentive, and guided me through the requirements of my new job with clear communication and much patience. He used his valuable experience as an in-house language editor, translator and localization coordinator to explain our processes in an effective, organized way that made me more than ready for my new position. Steen has continued to be a great support and we frequently discuss ideas and best approaches to new projects. He remains a professional role model of mine in regards to his work ethic and extensive knowledge of the localization field.

Aline - Portuguese-Brazilian Language Editor

I was senior to Aline but didn't manage her directly

I worked with Steen when we were launching the international sites for Big Fish. Steen had to stay focused in order to deliver 5 games a week to customers in Denmark. I admire his ability to adapt in any situation, to work in a high pressure environment without loosing his temper or calmness. Steen got promoted at least two times during my time at Big Fish because of his efforts to always improve his skills by taking courses and training. He is also very organized and clear when he is writing his emails. I definitely recommend Steen to be a team player of a company that values excellence and hard work employees.

Fusako - International Test Lead

Fusako worked with me on the same team

I've worked with Steen at Big Fish Games for 1 year, and I have only good things to say about him. Upon joining the Localization Testing team as Lead, I quickly noticed how his clear and thoughtful communication skills and organizational skills stood out. He is a great team-player who treats others with respect, kindness, and professionalism. He is dedicated to work, and strives to be a top performer. He is all around a great person and I very highly recommend him to any organization!

Katrin - German Product Manager

reported directly to me

Steen is a truly exceptional manager whose qualities and leadership style have made a profound impact on my professional journey. Steen stands out as the best manager I've had the privilege to work with. His work ethic sets a remarkable example for everyone he collaborates with. What truly sets Steen apart is his genuine care for the individuals on his team. He sees beyond titles and positions, valuing each team member as a unique individual with their own aspirations and challenges. This human-centric approach fosters a sense of belonging and inspires all of us to give our best. Steen's ability to swiftly address problems is a testament to his quick thinking and problem-solving skills. His calm and collected demeanor under pressure instills confidence in his team, fostering an environment where challenges are seen as opportunities for growth rather than obstacles. His commitment to propelling his employees' careers forward is truly remarkable. His concrete actions, coupled with his positive outlook, create a supportive and motivating atmosphere. Steen's positivity is infectious and makes working alongside him a truly uplifting experience. He is not only a dedicated and self-motivated professional but also a methodical and capable leader. His leadership isn't just limited to his role as a manager; he is an inspiring team player who leads by example. Under Steen's guidance, I experienced personal and professional growth that I am truly grateful for. His ability to navigate high-pressure situations and conflicting personalities with grace showcases his exceptional leadership skills. Steen's leadership is a driving force behind team cohesion and success.