The original among copies

He has been Managing Director of Flos Norway since 1998. The parent company is the Italian lighting giant Flos SpA, which was founded in 1962.

Many of Thomas' personal qualities have undoubtedly contributed to his success in business. He has strong stamina and is extremely goal-oriented. But at the same time, he describes himself as non-judgmental, willing to learn and creative.

- Being challenged mentally is hugely important to me. That desire has always carried me forward in business. According to a personality test I've taken, I'm extremely focused as a leader. My management philosophy is that all employees must have room to maneuver and flexibility - otherwise they will lose motivation. My employees have to be on the ball and show that they take on challenges. If they don't take that kind of responsibility, I'm probably pretty tough as a manager. Because if they don't, who will?

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However, he believes that it is important to be open to new thoughts and ideas. This is just as important as perseverance and determination. It's also easier to create good networks and relationships by being a positive and friendly person that people enjoy doing business with. The combination of Thomas' personality and upbringing has led him to where he is today. He sets high goals for himself and can be uncompromising. He has no patience for people who beat around the bush and don't address their challenges and problems.

Privately, he's quite similar, which is probably tiring. Privately, he's also soft - actually very sensitive. Not many people know that. He loves to share what he has with those closest to him. What gives Thomas the most satisfaction and energy at work is the opportunity to be creative in his field. He loves solving challenges and being a sparring partner in collaboration with designers and interior architects.

- I'm also incredibly stimulated when I see an employee I've believed in really blossom at work. It's absolutely fantastic," he says.

Flos Norway has been an important part of his life - for over 23 years. Thomas built up the company with his partner Rikke Mørk, and she has long been the creative director on all projects.

- You could say that Flos is a kind of "family business". My business philosophy combined with Rikke's understanding of culture and design has created the company that Flos is today. We're in this together. When I'm not at work, the people closest to me are everything. It's Rikke and our two children. Before I met her, only my oldest brother Torben really felt like family," says Thomas.

What is the key to commercial success?

Creating a truly great brand and commercial profile is never easy. Thinking long-term and finding out what the customer group you are targeting is willing to pay. Added value doesn't have to be the cheapest possible - it can be many other things," he says.

Thomas has always been committed to providing added value to customers in Flos Norway. The goal must be that projects are not completed until the customer is 100 percent satisfied. He believes that this is the driving force for continued development. "Creating brands that are commercially interesting and that generate customer loyalty is often about creating something unique. You also need to be genuinely interested in your customers' needs, according to Thomas.

- Good design solutions cannot be created in a vacuum. That's why Flos' motto has long been that design without thoughtfulness is like a body without a head: Useless. A successful company must be able to create tailor-made solutions. Solutions that emphasize and highlight the design profile that the customer wants," he concludes.

He believes that many entrepreneurs give up too quickly because they don't achieve immediate success. Perhaps they need to reset and look away from their own product.

- To succeed in the market, it's important to find your niche and be clear all the way. You must dare to charge enough for the work you do and keep your expenses down. But, and this is important, you must not only think about money and profit. Design is not created for profit. Good design is created out of need, desire and passion.

"The motivation for starting a business should never be money. It's not possible to create a successful business without an understanding or interest in business economics," he says.

- It's important to be adaptable and be able to adjust what you want to offer. This will help you find your niche. You can't expect to always be praised when running a business. If you need frequent praise and pats on the back, you're probably not suited to being a leader," he says.

The ability to keep going no matter what happens, he believes, was founded in his upbringing. From the time he was a little boy until he was a teenager, Thomas was bullied. Again, it was the will to keep going that got him through the years of bullying.

- Your personality and what you can tolerate later in life is shaped by the environment you grow up in. When I was a child, neither home nor school tackled bullying. I had to fight it myself and was bullied because I was "a big boy". But later success in both football and karate meant that it eventually stopped," he says.

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His brother gave him a broader outlook on life

Thomas describes his relationship with his brother Torben, who is 12 years older, as identity-building, personally developing and very close. He taught Thomas to see the world as big, complex and exciting.

- Torben was truly a product of the 60s, and lived it to the full - right up until his death. He was a flower child and a free spirit. For a time, he even became a monk in Tibet," he says.

His brother was his closest family and best friend. For over 10 years, they played Afro-Caribbean rock together in Copenhagen and shared a strong interest in music. Both were responsible for the percussion instruments. They played everything: Timbales, congas, maracas, surdo, bongo and djembe. Unfortunately, Torben died suddenly 18 years ago. He was only 53 years old.

We had a close relationship and spoke regularly. It was Torben who knew me best and who really knew who I was. My brother took me under his wing early on and gave me the security I didn't get from my parents.

From the age of 20 until he moved to Norway, Thomas always had friends from all walks of life. Torben believed in being open, trustworthy, curious and non-judgmental. How you are with others, you get that back. Often much stronger, too, in my experience," he says.

Applied for 130 engineering jobs without success

He started his career in design and lighting long before he became CEO of Flos Norway. The year was 1989. Thomas P. Sommerlund Hansen was 26 years old and opened his own shop for design lighting in Copenhagen: Spotlight. The concept was to help private individuals select good design lighting to suit their taste and needs. At the time, the store was the only one of its kind in Scandinavia.

Actually, the Spotlight establishment was a partly accidental product of adversity. Times were tough in the job market in the late 1980s, and Thomas applied for 130 jobs as an engineer. He went to interviews, but didn't get a single job offer.

- The rejections made him realize even more clearly that engineering was not for him. "The fighter in me woke up and he wanted to create something himself. In fact, Thomas is a trained civil engineer and electrician. He worked as an electrician in Copenhagen in the late 1970s for over 4 years.

- The best thing about the job was that it was physical work, with some complicated tasks. Even as a second-year apprentice, I was sent out on jobs on my own. I loved the environment: All for one and one for all," he recalls.

Became interested in design early on through friends

The Copenhagen native has had a strong passion for design, art and lighting since he was very young. When he left home at the age of 18, he found a colorful circle of friends in the Copenhagen design and art scene.

- Everything from industrial designers and textile designers to illustrators and painters. That environment influenced and shaped me positively. The people I got to know gave me an even better understanding of colors, shadows and textiles. For a while, I became very interested in painting, and in particular the quick sketch technique known as croquis. The croquis technique helps to develop a good sense of space and proportion. It fascinated me," he says.

Design, color and lighting affect more than just the eye that sees, but also the emotions. "That should never be underestimated," says Thomas. "You've probably often walked into a room and felt that it's so harmonious. Or quite the opposite. But you can't quite put your finger on why. Nevertheless, colors, design and lighting always affect how you feel when you're in a room.