New Prorector to strengthen Kolding School of Design

On 1st December, Kolding School of Design will welcome an experienced and attentive leader when Trine Lumbye assumes her position as the new Prorector. With a strong background in management, HR, and educational environments, she is looking forward to contributing to the school’s development and enhancing its status as a leading design institution.

- For me, leadership is about building communities. It is by listening, understanding, and fostering dialogue—whether in the meeting room or over a cup of coffee—that the best results are achieved, says Trine Lumbye.

Broad experience in education, HR, and leadership
Trine Lumbye, who holds a Master’s degree in religious studies and media studies as well as a Master’s degree in Learning Processes, brings extensive leadership experience from the education sector to Kolding School of Design. At VIA University College, she was responsible for continuing and further education in management, co-creation, and sustainability, while at Aarhus University she worked on student administration and career guidance. As a team leader at the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, she was involved in a major project that matched research environments with businesses to boost innovation and explore how best to translate new knowledge into practice.

Trine Lumbye also brings considerable experience from other sectors. As HR Manager for the professional development of SKAT’s 12,000 employees, she helped establish frameworks for internal job rotation and emphasised diversity and the hiring of employees with special needs. During a period when there was a need for an increased workforce, she contributed to a temporary change in political frameworks for adult education, enabling greater professionalism through the hiring and further training of more staff.

Most recently, she has been Head of Competence Development in HR at the audit firm Beierholm, where she focused on the development and digitalisation of training programmes and administrative processes.

A strong profile for Kolding School of Design
With her extensive experience in research and educational environments, Trine Lumbye is eager to strengthen Kolding School of Design’s position both nationally and internationally.

- I am looking forward to returning to the education sector, which is close to my heart. Ensuring the right administrative and financial frameworks is absolutely crucial for a modern university today, and I look forward to contributing to that, she says.

Trine Lumbye is 54 years old, the mother of two grown-up sons, and lives in Aarhus. In her spare time, she writes poetry, is an avid museum-goer, and works out at the gym, where she recently set a personal best with an 80-kilo deadlift!