Hi, its my pleasure. I’m doing fine thanks, how about you?

Great, thank you. Can you please tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Gard Nornes Pedersen. I’m 23 years old and from Norway. I’m currently working at avilo AS as an apprentice in ICT. My main tasks are support and customer service, but I also handle network tasks and hardware setup/fixes.

I live in Stavern and am originally from Langhus. I moved to Stavern because of my family in 2022.

Where did you hear about avilo for the first time, and why did you want to join our team?

I heard about avilo from a job consultant at Ifokus. At that time, avilo was called Vantevo AS. I had a job interview with our CEO, Steinar. I really liked the vision he had and the projects he was working on. The atmosphere in the meeting was really my vibe, and he was looking for someone to fill a support role and learn and test the projects. This suited me perfectly as I was applying for education as an ICT worker, and I enjoy learning new things.

You’ve been part of avilo for a long time. What has been your favorite project to work on so far?

Yes, I’ve been here for almost two years, starting in September 2022. My favorite project has to be Washd because of all the time spent testing, providing support, mounting, and helping to improve the system. I really like the ICT aspect of Washd as it covers all the roles of an ICT employee.

It’s also great to mount the Washd system at our customers' locations. It’s a lot of work, but the major benefit is meeting the laundry users and getting to know them. This helps me during support, onboarding, and getting them started with the system as well.

And can you tell me how your role at avilo has helped you grow professionally?

My role as an ICT employee at avilo has helped me grow a lot professionally. I’ve received great mentorship from Steinar and Daniel to improve my skills and learn new ones. I started with a blank slate—I didn’t even own a PC when I started here, nor did I use a PC at all. I’ve had to learn a lot quickly, but everyone on the team has been super helpful, and I’ve also done a lot of studying and learning on my own.

In terms of writing, speaking, and representing our company, I’ve learned a lot and am now more professional than I’ve ever been.

It’s been a great apprenticeship where I’ve gained a lot both professionally and personally.

It sounds like you’re very passionate about what you do. What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Of course, why wouldn’t I be? I love my job and my co-workers, so the passion is there!

In my free time, I like to go fishing, visit family, play PlayStation, and travel.

What’s one of your most memorable travel experiences and a place you’d love to visit in the future?

I would love to visit Thailand again. I was there when I was 5 years old. I really like their culture and their climate—it’s such a nice tropical country.

For a memorable travel experience, it would have to be Bergen when Steinar and I mounted Washd at Nordnes Vaskeri. This was my first Washd installation, and the journey was really great. We drove over the mountain chain called Hardangervidda, and that landscape is truly majestic. During that trip, we drove along the coastline to Bergen, which was also very nice. But what I remember most is all the construction work on the road that day. An 8-hour car ride took us well over 12 hours.

We started mounting once we arrived, late in the evening. Then we went to this Asian restaurant. Food has never tasted so great after a successful installation and a long day.

And lastly, if you could give one piece of life advice to your younger self, what would you say?

If I were to give my younger self life advice, it would be this: Don’t worry about things you cannot control. Focus on doing your best with what you can control. The world will keep moving regardless, so make your stay noticeable and keep striving to be the best version of yourself.