Host Sue Stockdale interviews Bettina Ovgaard, a versatile professional who has pursued a career by following her curiosity. Bettina shares her experiences working in various industries, including costume design for film, leading tours in the Arctic, and serving as Chief of Civil-Military Cooperation for Joint Arctic Command.

They delve into Bettina's work at the Thule Air Base (now Pituffik Space Base) in Greenland situated near the North Pole, the attraction of the dark season, the challenges and freedoms of remote living, and the unique experiences and personal growth that can come from living in a confined and isolated environment. Finally, Bettina reflects on evolving nature of Greenland, and the importance of networking and building relationships.

About Bettina Ovgaard
Working on and off in Greenland for 25 years, most recently Bettina has been Chief of Civil Military Cooperation at Joint Arctic Command which is the operational branch of the Danish Defense in the Arctic. From Nov 2023 she begins in a new position as Strategic Advisor at the National Defense Technology Center at Aalborg University Campus in Copenhagen.

Connect with Bettina Ovgaard on Facebook and LinkedIn

Key Quotes

• "I find it fascinating that nature is this unforgivable force and makes us very small."
• "The thing about Greenland that I love is the people and nature and how they mix."
• What I really like to do in my professional life is startups. I love to do something from scratch because I can develop it together with other people."
• "For me, variation is the spice of life."
• "Nothing about us, without us, means that Greenland does not want to be exploited. Greenland wants to be a part of what is going on in its future."

Time Stamps
[00:04:05] Fascination with Greenland's culture.
[00:05:07] Choosing a career path.
[00:11:13] Living on Thule Air Base.
[00:13:42] Freedom and confinement in Greenland.
[00:21:44] Civil-military cooperation in Greenland.
[00:28:25] Embracing curiosity and variation.
[00:31:06] Greenland's self-assertion and global role.

This series is kindly supported by Squadcast by Descript –the remote recording platform which empowers podcasters by capturing high-quality audio and video conversations.

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Credits:
Sound Editor - Matias de Ezcurra, Producer - Sue Stockdale