Everything your team needs once I’m on the program.

Short bio, for the program

Ole Gjerde has spent 27 years in business and more than 20 of them as the number two, until his wife and his COO decided he was going to be CEO anyway. He has gone from software and web design to IT, MSPs, consulting and Microsoft Dynamics, and now runs TruNova, a Microsoft enablement partner. He talks to business leaders about AI and leadership, and to MSP owners as a recovering one himself (since 2022), always starting with his own mistakes so others can skip them.

Full bio, third person

In 1999 Ole Gjerde and his co-founder Wes Henry decided running a business couldn't be that hard, and he has spent 27 years collecting evidence to the contrary. Along the way he went from software development and web design to IT, managed services, consulting and Microsoft Dynamics, through mergers, an acquisition that nearly took down two companies, and a split that finally made sense. He was the number two for more than 20 of those years, until his wife Katie and his COO pushed him into the CEO chair.

Today he runs TruNova, a Microsoft enablement partner for Dynamics 365, Power Platform and Copilot. It has worked its way from small business to midmarket and now enterprise. He talks to business owners and leaders about AI, leadership and running a company on purpose, and he has a soft spot for MSP owners, because he knows the hard parts of that business from the inside. He's been a recovering MSP owner since 2022. He co-hosts The Nova Effect podcast and builds his own tools with AI, mostly because he can't help himself.

Full bio, first person (for LinkedIn events and your site)

In 1999 Wes Henry and I were two techy nerds who figured starting a business couldn't be that hard. Twenty-seven years later I've been through software development, web design, IT, managed services, consulting and Microsoft Dynamics, with mergers, an acquisition that nearly took down two companies, and a split that finally made sense. I was the number two for more than 20 of those years, and I'd probably still be there if Katie (my wife, now our CFO) and Scott hadn't pushed me into the CEO chair.

Now I run TruNova, a Microsoft enablement partner for Dynamics 365, Power Platform and Copilot, and I'm learning in public how to lead, how to change a company's culture, and how to become a new kind of company without leaving long-time people behind. I talk to business owners and leaders about AI, leadership and running a company on purpose. I also have a soft spot for MSP owners, because I know the hard parts of that business from the inside, and I've been a recovering MSP owner since 2022. I've sat on both sides of that table now, and I have opinions. I also co-host The Nova Effect podcast, and I build my own tools with Claude, Codex and Cursor at hours I won't admit to.

Intro your MC can read

Our next speaker spent more than 20 years as the number two, which he'll tell you was the job he actually wanted, even though details and focus were never exactly his jam. His wife and his COO made him CEO anyway, and leaning into his squirrel brain turned out to be the best move he made. Ole Gjerde runs TruNova, a Microsoft enablement partner, and he's here to walk you through the mistakes he made so you don't have to. Fair warning, the dad jokes come at no extra charge, so please welcome Ole Gjerde.