Meeting Sofia was purely a virtual experience (due to distance), but the two-dimensional projection of a screen didn’t eclipse her energy and passion. She shines through and pulls you in with solid 3D confidence and understanding, which could be part of the reason why she is such an appreciated and distinguished leader at Sandvik Coromant.
This encounter may be brief, but it doesn’t fail to be memorable. Expect to get curious, expect to want more. Read on for some wise words on work, leadership, perfectionism and more.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your professional journey.
I started within Sandvik Coromant in 2011 as a first line manager and I’ve had three different manager roles here in Gimo before my current role. I have a Master of Science in Agriculture, so my journey leading up to Sandvik was not straight. Looking back, I realized quite early (when I was 16-17 years old) that leadership was something interesting – I’m passionate about people – and that’s where I am now. I live in Haberga (10 minutes from Gimo) together with my husband Stefan and our two kids Vidar and Alvin (11 and 8 years old). I also have a stepson, Tomas (20 years old). We live in the countryside with some sheep, a dog and two cats. I like to spend time with family and friends, like to be outdoors and I also like to grow things in my garden. I am also a training instructor at the local gym.
How did you end up becoming the Production Unit Director at Gimo Inserts Production?
My passion for people motivates me. What we can achieve as a team, winning together. After my degree in Agricultural Science, I started my career in Scan AB within different management roles. But when we were going to have our first kid (Vidar) I didn’t want to commute to Gotland on a weekly basis anymore (where I was stationed at the time). So therefore, I quit Scan AB and after parental leave, I applied for a role as first line manager at Gimo Inserts. Got the role. After about 2 years I got a new role as department manager, that was also just before I went home for parental leave with Alvin. I was only home for four months with him. It suited me and my husband better. I’m a bit restless and didn’t really enjoy being on parental leave. So, my husband stayed at home a little bit more than one year. And in 2017 I got the role as acting Production manager, and in 2018 I got the role permanently. When the PU Director role was available, I applied and got it. So, here I am since June 2020.
Sofia together with her colleagues, Jörgen Lindström, Thomas Hahlin, Martin Nyberg and Malin Åhrlin.
Digital products and solutions are on the rise – how would that impact insert production in, say, 10 years? And how will Gimo evolve in terms of sustainability?
I think th
at all machines will be connected (to a greater extent than today) and the data will be used in an even smarter way to reduce waste and improve efficiency. It will have a great impact on sustainability and add value for our customers. It will also have an impact on what competences that will be needed in production going forward.
There are of course a lot of things going on within sustainability and innovation – both big and small plans/activities. Anyone who is curious is of course welcome to visit us to learn more.
Gimo production unit from above.
And visit you can! Gimo is open for visitors again – just don’t forget to book beforehand.
How does a normal workday usually go for you?
I prefer being at work, not working from home. The pandemic was really challenging. It is almost impossible to get a feeling of how your organization is and how things are going when you are not on location. So, most of the time I am in Gimo in the factory. I have quite a lot of meetings during a normal day (management team meeting, site management meeting, steering group, follow up, pulse meetings, union meetings and so on). Trying to grasp the whole picture, making decisions that will lead us in the right direction. There is a lot of different tasks going on at the same time – a lot of multitasking. I get a lot of energy from interacting with people, i.e., spending time in production, talking with people working there and I also get a lot of energy from my management team.
Your interest in people started when you were very young, but did the social aspect of your work come naturally to you or was it an acquired skill?
It came naturally for me. Social driving force has always been very strong for me, both job wise and private. Not social in having people around me all the time, but social in wanting to make a difference.
So, what would you say are very valuable, but perhaps slightly overlooked skills that do make a difference?
Building trust – that is one of the most important things to me. Trust both upwards and downwards. Without trust there is nothing.
- Take the time to listen to people working in your workplace. Get a feeling of how things go, how the overall mood is.
- It doesn’t have to be perfect from the beginning. 60% is almost always good enough to go – believe in yourself. Try, evaluate, and improve during the journey.
That 60% goes completely against all the hardened perfectionists out there. How did you overcome the paralysis of perfectionism and unrealistically high expectations?
I am not that interested in details and that helps me with being fine with 60%. It’s good enough. Being both impatient and quite fast also helps.
As a leader in a male-dominated industry: what advice would you give to the next generation of leaders at Sandvik Coromant?
- Believe in yourself (60% is enough!)
- Being a manager does not mean that you need to know the most or having all the answers. Leadership is all about winning together and using the strengths of others to create a winning team. Being humble to everyone’s knowledge and experience and make sure to unleash it.
- It is okay to make mistakes. Learn something from it and take it as an experience for the future.
- Things are not always what they seem to be.
Wonderful advice! Do you have a role model or someone who inspires you?
I don’t have one role model, there are a lot of great people to gather inspiration from around me. Something from that person and something else from another.
That’s true – people around us inspire us all the time. Your position carries a lot of responsibilities, so how do you prepare for the day? Or how do you relax at the end of the day?
- I relax by exercising, spending time with my family, being outdoors, grow something in my garden (and soon also in a new greenhouse).
- Everything does not have to be serious all the time – allow yourself to laugh together and have fun at work.
- I only have a 10-minute drive to work, sometimes I listen to music that represents the mood I am in and sing out loud in the car. That is a great preparation for the day.
Stay tuned for more cozy and personal interviews with Sandvik Coromant employees. Who are they, what do they do, what is their vision? These are the people who make us thrive.
