The team at VillaVilla

Laura Nautrup, Holiday Advisor

Phone, online chat, Facebook and email are all ways you can get in touch with Laura. Laura finished her education in social studies at Skive Secondary School in 2019 and has been a part of the VillaVilla team ever since the autumn of that same year. Her duties are wide ranging and span bookings, bookkeeping, customer service and clerical tasks. Although she did not have any previous experience within the industry, she enjoys her work a lot, and over the course of her time with us, she has received what she herself calls a huge confidence boost in the world of work. 

When Laura is not at work she enjoys spending time with her friends, family and partner. Growing up, her family had their own holiday home in Blokhus, and when she really needs to unwind, that is where she goes. There are no big tasks to be done and zero phone reception in the house, and that gives her the breathing space she needs from time to time. Her advice for a great break is: “Enjoy the facilities you have in the house. Rather than bringing along your phone, computer or your own entertainment, simply spend time together and enjoy each other’s company.” 

Norma Hülsenbusch, Holiday Advisor

The office has been a rather international environment ever since the autumn of 2020, which is when Norma joined the team. Norma comes from Germany, and she currently lives in Viborg (Jutland) together with her two children and her Danish partner. She is a qualified hairdresser and office assistant, and she has also worked within the automotive industry and with gastronomy. Today she is part of the VillaVilla team and works primarily with bookings and tasks relating to our German rentals and customers. So if you get Norma on the line, you will be speaking to an experienced and adaptable woman with an international background.

When we asked Norma what sets VillaVilla apart from her previous employers, she said that she has: “Never before been part of such a close-knit team, both at the workplace and outside of it.” This means her days are full of smiles and pleasant moments, and this is something which Norma really values. The Danish concept of hygge is also something she has really embraced, so when she takes her family off for holidays on the west cost of Jutland, their time together revolves around those cosy moments. The roar of the North Sea, long walks outside and cosy evenings by the fire are what define hygge at its very best, according to Norma. 

Sissel Kornerup Hansen, Holiday Advisor

Sissel graduated from Viborg Katedralskole in the summer of 2020, and she has been a part of the VillaVilla team ever since. Sissel is ready and waiting by her keyboard whenever you have any questions about your booking, your rental or your stay in general. She is an experienced young woman who has previously worked as an assistant at a veterinary clinic and a child-minder at a family centre. This makes her the perfect match for the work environment here at VillaVilla, which she describes as a place where there is room for both seriousness and fun.

When Sissel is not at work, she spends her spare time exercising and burning off energy. As a high-level handball player for many years, it is important for Sissel to be active whenever she can. However, that doesn’t mean she has no time for her friends, and hygge is also high on her list of priorities. That is also what she appreciates most about staying in a summer house: “It’s definitely that cosy feeling that we call hygge here in Denmark. I love how you can disconnect completely in a holiday home and simply enjoy that wonderful hygge vibe either with your family or friends,” she says with a smile.

Tobias Karlsen, Holiday Advisor

Tobias is 19 years old and finished his studies at Mercantec in Viborg in 2021. Tobias was taken on as a holiday advisor in our bookings department in July 2021, where he works together with the rest of the department to assist our summer house guests before, during and after their stay. When Tobias isn’t at work, he dedicates his time to handball, his friends and his family. If he doesn’t have a handball match or a training bootcamp to attend during the weekend, Tobias can often be found in Viborg centre with his friends.

Tobias loves spending time in holiday homes whenever he has the opportunity. For Tobias, summer houses are synonymous with family time, hygge and being present with one another.

Lone Christensen, Head of Booking

Lone is the head of our bookings department, which provides assistance to guests over the phone, via email and through our online chat function. After spending 25 years abroad, Lone returned to her beloved hometown of Viborg, and she has been a part of our holiday house team ever since May. Lone first went abroad after finishing her schooling at Viborg Katedralskole back in 1995. She cut her teeth in the world of Swiss hotels and then spent many years working within HR and recruitment. The holiday home team has made it easy for Lone to find a foothold in the Danish work culture. The atmosphere in the office is superb – there is always time for a little fun even on days when the phone is ringing off the hook. The fact she is selling holidays to eager and excited guests is also something which makes the work at VillaVilla just perfect for Lone.

In her spare time, Lone often goes out for a cycle or a run around the beautiful lakes in Viborg. She also loves mountain biking, and soon she will be making her return to the handball court. After a long hiatus, she is now ready to put her green Viborg HK team jersey back on and retake her position as goalie.

As a Dane living abroad, Lone has been visiting the country as a tourist since 1995 – Fanø and Lønstrup in particular have been favourite destinations for many years. Lone loves the North Sea when it is at its fiercest. A long walk in blustery weather with saltwater splashing against her cheeks is one of the best sensations she knows in life. And of course you just have to get the fire roaring afterwards. When it comes to unwinding at home and enjoying some hygge, backgammon is Lone’s favourite activity – next to an engaging crime drama, some good food and a glass of wine as the autumn weather rages outside.

Heidi Wirenfeldt, Head of Rentals

There is no one who knows the daily rhythms at VillaVilla better than Heidi. After several years in the furniture industry, she joined the team back in January of 2008. Her main tasks consist of being in dialogue with the owners of our holiday homes and our other partners. A real passion for her work is evident in Heidi. She says that the sense of fellowship she has with her colleagues is totally unique and that they all really enjoy each other’s company: “I don’t always love every task I have to do, but I always love coming to work, and I feel that is a huge privilege.”

The collegiality she experiences at work is not something she leaves at the office when she takes off for the day either. Together with a group of fellow exercise enthusiasts from the office, she spends several mornings each week training and boosting her fitness. Another big part of Heidi’s day-to-day is going on a long walk with her dog and enjoying some together time with her family and friends. Often they get together in a holiday home where the whole family can enjoy time together with that sense of levity and ease that is so typical on a summer house holiday before then setting out together to explore all the hidden corners of beautiful Denmark.

Sanne Gundersen, Home Owner Advisor

You will meet Sanne in our rentals team. She is qualified in office administration, specialising in retail management, and she has many years of experience as a clerical worker. Sanne has worked for VillaVilla since 2014, and she is responsible for communications with our many holiday home owners. She can also help you with house bookings both via email and over the phone. For Sanne, no two days are ever the same, and in combination with her great colleagues, this is one reason why she always looks forward to going into work each day.

When Sanne isn’t at the office, she can be found at home in the south part of Viborg where she lives with her three children and her partner. She spends her time exercising, going for long walks and relaxing with family and friends. Holiday houses also feature as part of Sanne’s life outside of work as well. Each year around November, the family goes on a weekend break to relax and unwind across four different generations. This is a family tradition dating back 20 years, and Sanne’s top tip to make the most of your time in a summer house is to remember that the break should be a holiday for everyone in the group.

Steen Sinding, Service Manager

Hallo – hier ist Steen! This is a sentence we often here around the office. And it’s no wonder we do, as Steen works predominantly with our German homes in order to make sure they are running and serviced properly and to put our service consultants in touch with the home owners. Steen has been a part of the VillaVilla team since 2016. With a modern-languages degree in German and English plus 11 years experience as a translator, Steen is very comfortable in his position with us and enjoys all the laughter, collegiality and freedom that come with his job.

Another place where Steen feels right at home is on the handball court. He has been playing at a semi-professional level for several years, and he currently coaches the U13 boys’ team as well as the third-division team which he plays on himself. Such an active lifestyle can sometimes make it difficult to unwind when off on vacation. That is why Steen’s advice for a great holiday, whether it be spent in a holiday home or not, is to remember some indoor entertainment, as it always helps create a fun and cosy mood.

Jacob Toft Falden, Service Manager

For many years now, the office has been blessed with the pleasure of Jacob’s experience within sales and holiday homes as well as his sense of humour, which guarantees smiles all round on a daily basis. If we rewind back to 2011–2012, Jacob had his finger on the pulse of almost every aspect of the company: invoicing, bookkeeping, customer service – the whole gamut. Today, Jacob is primarily focused on service, and together with Steen, he is one of the company’s two service managers. Jacob is responsible for collaborating with just over 90 service consultants, who look after the more than 350 homes we rent out, and he also works with commercial rentals for businesses which use our houses on weekdays.

Collegiality is what most drives Jacob, both in his professional and private life. As he says so himself, it is not the challenges of the job but his colleagues which make him want to come to work each and every day. In his free time, Jacob plays football with an old boys team every Wednesday. Even if he has always been into sports and fond of a good competition, it is the socialising after practice that he really thrives on. So it won’t come as a surprise to hear that Jacob also enjoys spending time with family and friends in a holiday home where he can swap his busy working life for some good company, good food and good wine.

Kathrine Højbjerg, Marketing Manager

Kathrine’s average day on the job involves juggling media, IT, languages and our partners, as she works to optimise and develop VillaVilla’s digital platforms. She has worked in the holiday home sector ever since she graduated from the Aarhus University School of Business and Social Sciences with a master’s degree in German and International Marketing Communications. She has spent the bulk of her career here at VillaVilla, where her freedom with responsibility and steady stream of new tasks provide her with plenty of inspiration and challenges on both the professional and practical levels.

It is not just in the workplace that Kathrine is something of a busy bee. She is also kept busy at home by her husband, two girls and all the sports that they do together as a family. Swimming, running and horseback riding are all on the agenda, and these activities help her to unwind after a busy day. When a real break is needed, the family often likes to rent a summer house. Each year in early August, she gathers her 14 nearest and dearest for a well-deserved break where they can enjoy each other’s company, the Danish countryside and the many fun attractions that Denmark has to offer.

Kamilla Wetke, Marketing Manager

Kamilla is our marketing manager and she has overall responsibility for the planning and evaluation of VillaVilla’s PR and marketing efforts across local markets. Together with the rest of the marketing team, Kamilla also takes care of other things such as our participation at trade fairs and market analyses. Kamilla has been with VillaVilla since January 2023, but she has more than twenty years of experience within procurement, sales and marketing. Brand strategy and concept development have been central elements within many of her previous tasks and projects.

When Kamilla isn’t at our office in Viborg, she likes to spend time with her friends, family and her partner and their four girls. Kamilla uses exercise as a way to keep herself grounded and fresh of mind, and in particular she likes cycling, boxing and functional training. When it comes time to unwind, Kamilla and her family like to hop in the car and head to their gorgeous holiday home in Løkken. Here they spend their time taking long walks along the water’s edge and enjoying each other’s company. For Kamilla, holiday homes have this magical ability to create a relaxing atmosphere that feels far removed from the stresses of daily life.