Meet René
Finance
René Hougaard
René Hougaard has been part of the Aarsleff Group since 2012, growing both professionally and personally throughout his career. He began as a warehouse apprentice at Per Aarsleff A/S and, after completing his apprenticeship, joined the company’s finance department in 2015. To become a controller, he pursued a part-time HD degree in accounting and financial management, which he completed in 2019.
During his time in the finance department, René realized he wanted to take on greater responsibilities and have a more direct impact on projects. In 2017, he joined the railway electrification project, splitting his time between Per Aarsleff and Aarsleff Rail. By 2018, he had transitioned to Rail full-time, continuing his work on the project.
In January 2021, René was posted to Norway, where he took on the role of CFO for Rail’s Norwegian subsidiary in Fredrikstad, overseeing the company’s financial operations. After three years abroad, he returned to Denmark in spring 2024 to assume his current position as Senior Business Controller.
In his current role, René works across functions and countries, handling tasks related to finance, IT, implementation, and process optimization. His primary focus is simplifying and streamlining complex challenges to make daily work easier for everyone involved. Rather than a traditional controller role, he sees his position as an optimization function—helping colleagues find solutions, develop tools, and improve processes. He is driven by a desire to enhance efficiency and create better working conditions for his colleagues.
René highlights the company’s culture as one of its greatest strengths. There is ample room for both professional and personal growth, and employees are encouraged to explore different departments and subsidiaries. This fosters a strong internal network, ensuring that expertise remains within the company even as people take on new roles. René believes there are many opportunities, not just within Rail but across the entire Aarsleff Group:
“If you’re open to it, there are great opportunities at both Aarsleff Rail and across the Aarsleff Group.”
During his time in the finance department, René realized he wanted to take on greater responsibilities and have a more direct impact on projects. In 2017, he joined the railway electrification project, splitting his time between Per Aarsleff and Aarsleff Rail. By 2018, he had transitioned to Rail full-time, continuing his work on the project.
In January 2021, René was posted to Norway, where he took on the role of CFO for Rail’s Norwegian subsidiary in Fredrikstad, overseeing the company’s financial operations. After three years abroad, he returned to Denmark in spring 2024 to assume his current position as Senior Business Controller.
In his current role, René works across functions and countries, handling tasks related to finance, IT, implementation, and process optimization. His primary focus is simplifying and streamlining complex challenges to make daily work easier for everyone involved. Rather than a traditional controller role, he sees his position as an optimization function—helping colleagues find solutions, develop tools, and improve processes. He is driven by a desire to enhance efficiency and create better working conditions for his colleagues.
René highlights the company’s culture as one of its greatest strengths. There is ample room for both professional and personal growth, and employees are encouraged to explore different departments and subsidiaries. This fosters a strong internal network, ensuring that expertise remains within the company even as people take on new roles. René believes there are many opportunities, not just within Rail but across the entire Aarsleff Group:
“If you’re open to it, there are great opportunities at both Aarsleff Rail and across the Aarsleff Group.”
