Meet our pioneers

Sonia Jain started her journey at Husqvarna Group four years ago when she moved from India to Jönköping, Sweden. Adjusting to the customs of a new country was somewhat challenging, but adapting to the caring culture of Husqvarna Group was not. According to Sonia, business is a team sport, and feeling dedicated to your work is easy when you feel cared for as an individual, not just as an employee.

As an embedded developer for robotic lawnmowers, Sonia is determined to revolutionize how we live and work, making the customers’ lives more efficient and convenient, all while creating value for the customers, colleagues, and society.
- Seeing our products being utilized in various locations by different people is rewarding and gives me a sense of pride. I feel dedicated to my customers and the products they use, and I take my work seriously. But creating good and sustainable products is a team effort. Therefore, I make it my mission to inspire and empower my colleagues to share the same level of commitment and passion that I feel.

"Care is the heart of the company and the pillar of successful teamwork"

According to Sonia, walking the extra mile means standing up for one another and creating an environment of mutual trust. You do not blame other people, you help them. Instead of competing with others, you collaborate with them. Those are the key elements in creating a sustainable workplace that recognizes the uniqueness of everyone.
- I think everyone walks an extra mile at Husqvarna Group, enabling each other to do better. We have a caring culture where we create opportunities for everyone to come together and really get to know each other. For example, we go for runs together. Exercising is multicultural and something you do all over the world. It is therefore a way to connect and find comfort. That kind of culture, determination, and care is how we work together as colleagues and forward as a company.

Short facts about Sonia:

Nationality: Indian
Where do you live now: Huskvarna, Sweden
Division and position: Team Leader, Embedded Software Robotics – Husqvarna Forest & Garden division
What year did you join Husqvarna Group: In 2019

When reflecting on his five years at Husqvarna Group, Michel Chedid underlines that one of the great things about the company is that everyone pushes themselves to constantly incorporate new techniques in product development. And for him, that is the only way to ensure that Husqvarna Group’s robotic lineup makes the customers' lives more efficient and convenient.
- We need to be open to using new technical solutions that we haven’t used before. It is the only way forward and I think Husqvarna Group is great at doing so. For me – that’s being bold, Michel says.

Five years ago, Michel started to work with robotics at Husqvarna Group, where he now holds the position as a Senior Systems Engineer within Husqvarna Forest & Garden Division. He wanted to come closer to the end consumer but still work with complex innovations that demand cutting-edge techniques. And Husqvarna Group turned out to be the perfect match.

For Michel, it's crucial to have colleagues who dare to challenge each other. To create great solutions for the customers, an atmosphere where people feel safe and where new ideas are welcome is needed. And this is where culture comes in.
– My feeling is that we have an environment where it's okay for everyone to pitch in new ideas. It makes work much more fun, and even if far from all the ideas are realized, I know that each idea is taken care of. And that's great because we are market leaders and need to stay on our toes. If we stop taking in new ideas and using new techniques, we will not be able to establish the best innovations for our customers, says Michel.

"Our culture is key to customer success."

For Michel, it´s also important to work at a company that focuses both on their customers and their employee’s well-being. That brings out the best in people and is also the prerequisite for boosting commitment from customers and employees.
– Care makes one walk the extra mile. As an employee, it makes me more dedicated, and as a consumer, it makes me more loyal. A true win-win situation, Michel says.

Short facts about Michel:

Nationality: Swedish
Where do you live now: Jönköping, Sweden
Division and position: Systems Design Residential Robotics – Systems Engineer
What year did you join Husqvarna Group: In 2018

It has been nine years since Robert’s first day at Husqvarna Group. Since then, much has happened. Today, customers expect much more of the experience when buying a product. This change is reflected in the company’s way of working. From being a traditional industrial business, the company is now a blend of traditional and digital, with an inclusive culture that reflects the diversity of the contemporary world. Robert is excited to be in the forefront of the change.

As Head of Digital Commerce, Robert leads a team that supports the organization with the transition – adding digital solutions to traditional products. Robert is also in charge of finding synergies throughout the entire company, and most importantly – to challenge old ways of working.

– We are well-known for our quality products. But few people know that we are a very innovative company, with extremely skilled employees. Our AI specialists are among the best in the business. We have come a long way understanding that we won’t find the best solutions and grow as a company if we don’t work together.

Robert finds that there is a strong focus on becoming a learning organization. There is access to seminars held by colleagues, e-learnings, chat forums. With great encouragement from management.

“We are well-known for our quality products. But few people know that we are a very innovative company.”

– You need to own the initiative for your own growth, but once you have shown interest in learning something new, our organization is quite flat. People are open to share their knowledge. If you want to reach out to our CEO, the door is open. When asked where he finds his inspiration for new ideas, he says that they often pop up when he is out of the office, doing something completely different.

– You should never underestimate taking a break. Many people have my kind of job, coming up with solutions and concepts. You need inspiration and staring at that blank sheet of paper in front of you is not going to help. I encourage my team members to just let go for a while and focus on something else. That’s when the best ideas come to you.

Being a former elite orienteer, Kalvis has always been drawn to nature. If that was the reason why he decided to study environmental science, he can’t say. What he knows for sure though is that he has a strong passion for the planet.

His career at Husqvarna Group started with a summer job, four years ago. He was approached by a manager who had been searching for a talent with Kalvis’s background. In a completely new role, Kalvis started working strategically with sustainability. Today, he is Group Sustainability Director.

– Me and my colleagues are finding solutions that have a positive impact on the environment and society, without losing a strong business case. It is challenging but very satisfying when we succeed.

Thanks to Kalvis and his colleagues, the company has succeeded very well with creating a more sustainable supply chain and product portfolio. Husqvarna Group also empowers customers to choose the most  sustainable solutions. When asked if he is positive about the future, Kalvis says definitely yes. For several reasons.

– Today, many companies focus intensely on changing their way of working to becoming more sustainable. Talents also prefer employers that take their responsibility.

A couple of weeks ago, Kalvis held a presentation at a global AIESEC* conference in India. The young talents in the audience were particularly interested in how companies support sustainable development and tackle climate change. Kalvis says that thanks to the partnership with AIESEC, Husqvarna Group have been able to recruit many young skilled talents from all over the world. He is surrounded by people with the same passion as he has.

“My job has a positive impact on people and the planet.”

– I feel that I have landed my dream job. I get to work with the topics that I am passionate about. I get to collaborate with very skilled colleagues. There hasn’t been a single day since I started working here that I felt bored.

*AIESEC is the world's largest youth-run organization. The organization focuses onempowering young people to make a progressive social impact. The AIESEC network includes approximately 44,280 members in 127 countries. Read more about AIESEC here

The headquarters in Stockholm is the home base for Husqvarna Groups’ UX design team. A team of people with very different perspectives, backgrounds and skills – from industrial designers to UX experts. The team is an important bridge between the company’s Research & Development department and the end users. Together, the team make sure that great ideas come to life.

– Traditionally, when you work as a designer in a large organization, you stick to your designer skills. It is expected of you. By sharing experiences, we can come up with much better solutions, says Anna Selmarker, head of the UX team. 

Camilla Lamberg, UX Designer, agrees.

– Working like this, you always have your colleagues around to share your thoughts with. It is much more fun being part of a team.

Customers and users vary from arborists to construction builders, the range of different designs to be produced is therefore huge.

– We get to work with all brands. We get to be part of all types of projects– from garden tools to complex robotics, says Tor Sigurdson, Surface Designer.

The company is going through an important evolution – from a product provider to a solutions partner.

“Being open to each other’s perspectives is key to finding cutting-edge solutions”

– We are often out on the field to get a better picture of the end users’ needs. This way we can make sure that we keep creating high quality products that provide real value, Anna explains.

They all agree that coming together to solve complex problems, is the best way to grow and thrive.

- I get to work with truly skilled and really nice people, says Malin Andersson, Industrial Designer.

- Yes, and there is no prestige amongst us. We have only one focus – to create a great experience for the end user, says Camilla.

- And we get to contribute to the growth of our company, ends Anna.