Ultra endurance athlete · Tech leader
JAN
LARSEN
Race Across America finisher
Two lives.
One mindset.
By day, I lead engineering, right now heading Core Engineering at If Insurance, the largest insurance company in the Nordics, setting the direction for the platforms the business depends on. Before that, sixteen years at Topdanmark took me through a series of leadership roles, up to VP, before steering development through a merger and the insurance sector's first generative-AI launch.
For many years I raced across countries and continents on a bike, chasing the edge of what a body and a mind can hold together: Race Across America, Race Around Ireland, two Danish records that still stand, and later crewing others to their own finish lines. Along the way I picked up a coaching certification, and started helping others find their own edge too, in boardrooms and at start lines.
These days I ride mostly for the joy of it, and I've traded some of that saddle time for sailing the oceans. The finish lines that matter most now are quieter ones: being a good husband and a great dad.
Different arenas. Same discipline: pace yourself, trust the plan, and show up for the people who matter.
The journey
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2019
Crewed Jakob Olsen to Rookie of the Year
Helped Jakob Olsen prepare for and race RAAM, a campaign that earned him the title of first-ever Danish Rookie of the Year.
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2014 & 2016
Crewed for Aske Søby, twice
Supported Aske Søby through two Race Across America campaigns, bringing the lessons of my own 2013 finish to someone else's start line.
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2013
Race Across America finisher
Widely defined as the toughest bicycle challenge in the world: non-stop from the west coast to the east coast, no stage, no finish line until Annapolis.
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2012
3rd place, Race Around Ireland
Europe's toughest, and the world's second toughest, non-stop bicycle race — completed in the 6th fastest time in race history, on roughly six hours of sleep for the entire race.
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2011
Danish Record — East to West to East
The out-and-back version of the same route, doubling the distance and holding the record for the round trip.
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2011
Danish Record — East to West
An endurance bike record set point-to-point across Denmark, recognized by the Ultra Marathon Cycling Association.
Leadership
Head of Core Engineering
If Insurance
Heading Core Engineering at the largest insurance company in the Nordics — setting the direction for the core platforms the business depends on.
Head of Core Transformation Engineering, Denmark
If Insurance
Part of If Insurance's Nordic engineering management through the Topdanmark merger.
VP, IT Development Director
Topdanmark
Led departments spanning managers, developers, testers and business analysts, including delivery of the insurance sector's first customer-facing generative AI chatbot, TopGPT.
Various leadership roles
Topdanmark
Sixteen and a half years at Topdanmark in total, working up through a series of leadership roles before becoming VP.
Coaching & speaking
Certified coach. Motivational speaker. Mentor.
Ultra-distance racing teaches pacing, discipline, and how to keep a clear head when everything says stop. I bring that into coaching sessions, mentoring, and talks for teams and organizations that want more than a highlight reel — whether the goal is a start line or a deadline.
Book a talk or session