The "Kors på halsen" helpline has recently launched a new technical solution, and Silje is particularly excited. Even though the Red Cross already reaches many children and young people with this service, a more tailored user experience and updated technology may help even more children who need someone to talk to. Silje has contributed to this project alongside colleagues from various departments within the organization. "It feels good," she smiles. It’s almost two years since she started in the IT department at the Red Cross, and she already senses she wants to stay on the job for a long time.

Finding good solutions

– My job is to bridge the IT department and the area I’m responsible for, which is international programs and preparedness," Silje explains. She is one of four IT Business Partners, each responsible for a specific area within the organization.

– Our role is to act as technical and strategic advisors for the different departments. We work closely together to harness the potential of technology, aiming to find solutions, streamline processes, and increase our humanitarian impact.

Silje Larsen, IT Business Partner NORWEGIAN RED CROSS

A strong balance between the various departments and IT is key to success. By combining knowledge of the field and core operations with a solid grasp of technology and enterprise architecture, innovative solutions can be developed.

– We work on different needs in the area. This can range from tracking vaccination coverage in different regions to determining how many people we’ve helped in Ukraine or how we can deliver telemedicine in the Americas," she explains.

At the moment, she’s working on how the Red Cross can be more efficient with IT in the field, a monumental task given the global scope and diverse needs of each region.

– "Delivering IT products to these regions is not the same as delivering them in Norway. These are challenging areas with completely different infrastructures. The needs in Syria, for example, are vastly different from those in Ukraine, so we have to adapt accordingly.

A desire to make a difference

As a business student at BI, it wasn’t the number-crunching that energized Silje. But when she chose to study economic development as an elective, everything changed.

– I realized I wanted to work in humanitarian aid. I wanted to do something that made a difference for others.

Silje Larsen, IT Business Partner NORWEGIAN RED CROSS

She went to Singapore on an exchange program, traveling through several Asian countries, where she met new cultures and people. These experiences left a lasting impression. After a few years in the private sector back in Norway, she still felt the desire to contribute. So, when the Red Cross posted a job opening, she quickly applied—and hasn’t looked back.

However, the transition from the private sector to a humanitarian organization was significant.

Increased humanitarian impact

Technology opens up so many possibilities. Our job is to harness it to create the greatest possible humanitarian impact. At the Red Cross, we are quite advanced in terms of technology. For instance, we’ve developed several applications in the App Engine in ServiceNow, which are unique to the Norwegian Red Cross.

– It can be a technically demanding job, which is why everyone is given the opportunity to specialize.

Silje Larsen, IT Business Partner NORWEGIAN RED CROSS

As an architect at the Red Cross, you get your own area of responsibility to dive into. You receive significant responsibility and, most importantly, trust and the freedom to shape things for maximum impact, all tailored to the Red Cross' unique architecture.

Challenging and stimulating work

As a technology expert, you become the go-to person in the field. You’re the one who makes assessments and contributes to decision-making." Ensuring that digitalization processes run smoothly from start to finish requires thorough processes and collaboration.

In this large, collaborative organization, professional development is high on the agenda for Silje and the rest of her team.

Work that matters

Silje has never regretted her decision to move from the private sector to a humanitarian organization.

– Some people have their passions, while others might not have thought much about what’s important to them. But when I see that my work helps the Red Cross operate faster and save more lives, it means a lot to me. I can see that what I’m working on truly matters.