“The fact that I ended up at Holmen was actually a bit of a coincidence. During my studies, a classmate and I discussed how it would be fun to have a summer job linked to our engineering degree, and she gave me a tip about Braviken Paper Mill outside Norrköping. I later got a summer job in their lab, where I worked with various pulp and paper analyses, among other things.”
Sanne Lindell studied at KTH Royal Institute of Technology to become an engineer and teacher. But her focus on technology was initially not a given; instead, it was something that emerged during her studies. As she was doing her degree project in 2014, which she did in collaboration with Holmen, a position for a development engineer became vacant.
“It was great that I got the job, and knowing that I would continue in the paper industry after graduation, I was also more motivated to do a good degree project. The engineering role is very broad and exciting, where logic, technology and analytical thinking are some of my biggest drivers. My career choice is certainly not something I regret today,” she says.
The forest industry has long been a male-dominated industry. Holmen is convinced that a mix of employees – based on gender, age and ethnicity, for example – contributes to increased profitability and a better working climate, along with greater safety and creativity. In recent years, the company’s work has led, among other things, to more women being employed in general and more women occupying leadership positions.
Sanne Lindell switched to production engineer in 2016 and now has experience of two engineering roles at Braviken Paper Mill – both fun, exciting and developmental, but in different ways.
“Together with the section management for the paper machine, the production engineer is responsible for the development of machine productivity and quality. We also act as contacts for the development department in various improvement projects,” she says.
“Development engineers are instead more project-based, from implementation to evaluation. The role can involve anything from performing data analyses and finding connections to reviewing a particular chemical, function or product.”
When it comes to Sanne Lindell’s view of the future, she thinks there are good development opportunities within the company, as long as you are curious and driven.
“I find Holmen a very responsive company – the management has always been there for me and supported me in my choices. You can also say what you really think, and everyone helps everyone else, working on the basis of the same values and towards the same goal,” she says.
Holmen sees increased diversity as a prerequisite for being able to develop in line with the outside world, secure future talent management and be an attractive employer. Through competent leaders and employees and a healthy workplace, the aim is to contribute to a sustainable future for people and the environment.
“Braviken Paper Mill has run several sustainability projects over the years. Sustainability is something we value highly and constantly strive for. Reducing water consumption and energy use is a high priority for all of us today – this not only provides cost savings, but also minimises our carbon footprint,” concludes Sanne Lindell.