My name is Jiss De León, and I work as a Director of Global Senior Leadership Search in Novo Nordisk. We are an in-house executive search/recruitment function. I have a bachelor in Business Administration, an MBA in Human Resources and other certifications like: Work Climate and Employee Engagement from Universidad Latina de Panama, Leadership from Stanford University and a certification in Ontological Coaching.

I am from Panama (born and raised) with deep Latino roots. I love travelling, collecting books, I am a dog lover who values sharing time and moments with my partner and kids. Family is very important for me and having family close is something I missed here in Denmark. But I have found a strong sisterhood and friends to maintain the engagement in the lack of family. We, as a family, also travel to Panama at least once a year – it is something we need to do to recharge.

We have been in Denmark for almost 3 years now. I can hardly believe it and it is incredible how time flies! I came to Denmark to work for Novo Nordisk. I had been employed at Novo Nordisk in Panama and 3 years ago my partner and I accepted this challenge as an opportunity to explore new challenges, stay more connected as a family and to give our kids a different cultural perspective.

At first, after our research about the country, we were impressed by the buzz that Denmark had been recognized as one of the best places to live and with the happiest people, best education and best healthcare system. It did not take to long for us to find the reality. I guess once you get to live in a country you start finding out what is real and start comparing to how things were where we came from.

After several years, we have built a better understanding of how things work – the reality of the healthcare system and why is perceived a one of the best places to live. We appreciate the safety of the country – you can get around almost anywhere without fear. We also appreciate the reliable transportation system. Our kids go to an international school which is a very good school with educators committed to the kids and their development. And while there are many things we miss from Panama, we also appreciate the safety and independence our kids can have here.

We moved to Denmark with 3 kids and 3 dogs; so you can imagine how busy our days are between work, school, extracurricular activities, dog walks, etc. It is so much fun!

One of the most critical choices I have made was moving to Denmark. It has come with ups and downs in our family dynamic. While we feel privileged to have an opportunity to explore and live in this beautiful country, we also understand better the impact of moving kids at different stages of their lives. We have 2 teenagers and at first it was not easy. However, the move has brought me and my partner closer together.

Moving has also catalysed my development both personally and professionally. I have experienced growing as an individual with more nuanced perspectives: for example, I have developed a better understanding of the company culture, learnt how to leverage the myriad opportunities to network and to become more involved in the company strategy.