The Skulderklap prize means a lot to me

“Suddenly my name was mentioned in the speech. I had to check afterwards that I had understood it correctly – I’m very happy to receive the big recognition of the Skulderklap prize.”

Guru Suresh Pardeshi had read and heard about the Skulderklap prize that Finansforbundet in Nordea (FiN) annually awards to members who have done something special for their colleagues. But he had no idea that he was among the nominees or that the awarding of the Skulderklap prize was on the agenda when a work meeting was announced a day in November at 14.00.

“We had cake and the agenda wasn’t revealed until a speech was held. When it dawned on me that I was being awarded a prize, I was not only surprised but also very honoured that my colleagues had nominated me and given the reasons that they had. It’s also positive for me that others who don’t know me personally can read all these good things about me.”

Guru Suresh Pardeshi was both surprised and honoured to receive the Skulderklap prize for his ability to spread positivity and good energy, among other things.

Some of the reasons in the nomination were:

‘Guru has done a huge job in systematising and making visible the handling of incidents related to Nordea’s new Netbank. Contributes every single day with good mood and positive energy to the team. He is always there and ready to help both with professional issues and social interaction.
Guru comes from India but lives in Denmark and is doing everything in his power to integrate himself and his family into the Danish society. He is inquisitive and engaged and takes every opportunity to learn more about Danish culture – and has already learnt the language.’

Large contact network

Guru Suresh Pardeshi moved to Denmark in 2016 with his wife and now 11-year-old daughter. Initially he worked as a consultant, but in 2017 he was employed at Nordea as an IT Test Manager and last year he was promoted to Senior IT Test Manager. His key role is now handling and analysing incidents related to Nordea’s new Netbank.

“That’s why I need to communicate with a lot of different people every day. It’s a big part of my job and something I really appreciate. Some people probably think that I bother them with annoying things every now and then, so it’s nice to know that my colleagues experience that I do it in a good way.”

On his part, Guru Suresh Pardeshi has experienced that his colleagues at Nordea have always been very nice to help him, for example learning to speak Danish.

“To learn the language quickly I’ve always tried to expand my vocabulary by talking with my Danish colleagues during lunch or coffee breaks. That way I got ongoing language training during everyday work,” says Guru Suresh Pardeshi.

Residence permit in place

Last year he managed to get a permanent residence permit in record time, as he meets all the requirements, including finances and language.

“It was a big day when I got my residence permit last year. Right from the beginning my wife and I knew that we wanted to stay in Denmark with our daughter. She was five and a half years old when we arrived. She started pre-school right away and has settled in really well. My wife has also found a job, so we’re doing really well here.”

The family wanted to make it a tradition to visit their parents and other family members in India every year, but the corona pandemic put a stop to that.

“It’s a long time to be separated. It’s good that we can talk very often via WhatsApp, so we can see each other and our parents can follow our daughter’s development. Luckily, it now looks like we can start planning a trip,” says the prize winner who in addition to the recognition received DKK 5,000.