Being a Global Trainee at Husqvarna Group


Comments Off on Being a Global Trainee at Husqvarna Group

Hi readers!

It is time to give you an update of my trainee journey so far. Let me tell you what has happened since my last post in February.

Doing E-Commerce in the UK

Straight after my time in the E-Commerce team at GARDENA in Germany, I went to the UK for my second assignment, working for the Flymo sales team. Besides our core brands Husqvarna & GARDENA, our Group also has strong additional brands as Flymo in its portfolio. Flymo, which is mainly active in the UK, has not only invented the first ever hover mower, it is also arguably UK’s best-known lawn care brand!

During my stay there, I mainly worked on the set-up & launch of a direct-to-consumer business for the UK market. I was involved in all relevant functions from Supply Chain & Logistics to Sales, Marketing and even Customer Service, which was overall a great opportunity. Besides working on the project, I supported the marketing team in some promo and trade show events and even helped out as a photo model! If you live in the UK & want to buy fantastic Flymo products just go to www.flymo.com .

In a nutshell, I had a great time in the UK. I was part of a fantastic team and together we successfully launched a new Consumer Website.

Top Management Meeting in Stockholm

This year in May I had, as one of us Global Trainees, the privilege to participate in this year’s Top Management Meeting in Stockholm, where the whole Group Management was gathering for some days.

Yes, you’ve read it right. Being as a Global Trainee on a Top Management Meeting. You can imagine, how inspiring that event was for me. I met all the Executives from the divisions, got to know our strategy for the upcoming years and even had fruitful conversations with our CEO. I am very grateful to have had that opportunity.

Testing Zero-Turns in the US

After my assignment abroad in the UK, all trainees gathered for a training week at our US offices in Charlotte, North Carolina. There we met the whole management team, got introduced to our US operations and visited also our factory in Orangeburg. We even made time for testing thoroughly the Zero-Turn lawnmowers, which is one of the most popular lawncare products in the US. All in all it was very interesting to see how different the US market is in some respects to the European.

Posing with a zero-turn lawnmower

After the training I went back to Germany, starting my third assignment in the Digital Marketing team of the GARDENA division. The team is leading globally our digital marketing initiatives and engages with our customers in the online environment. I’ll keep you updated on that!

If you are interested in the Global Trainee Program and consider joining Husqvarna Group, check out http://trainee.husqvarnagroup.socialmediabranding.se/. We are already looking for a new generation of pioneers, starting in September 2020!

All the best

Stefan

Comments Off on Being a Global Trainee at Husqvarna Group





Bookmark and Share

Please leave a comment - click here!

Passionate Gardeners everywhere!


Comments Off on Passionate Gardeners everywhere!

Hi, readers!

Now it’s my turn to write about the Husqvarna Group’s Global Trainee Program. My name is Stefan Kessler and I am the Global Trainee in sales. I joined Husqvarna Group after finishing my masters in Industrial Engineering and Management at the Friedrich-Alexander University in Nuremberg-Erlangen, Germany.

My first assignment in GARDENA’s online business team

The Global Trainee Program consists of four 6-month assignments in different teams, divisions and even countries, giving each of us the opportunity to experience the diversity of the Group. During my first assignment I have been a member of the online business & new channel sales team of the GARDENA division in Ulm, Germany. As one of three divisions within the Husqvarna Group, GARDENA is focusing on the needs of passionate gardeners by offering a wide range of gardening products like watering systems, garden tools, robotics or pumps.

The team is maintaining & developing our relationships with our e-commerce customers in Germany. Furthermore it is constantly identifying new sales opportunities beyond the traditional sales channels, like food retailing or loyalty programs. Therefore, I was able to gain valuable insights into the daily work of an account manager and got a good understanding of our brand and its awareness in the markets. My personal highlights during my first assignment were following:

  •  Customer visit at one of our large e-commerce accounts in Germany   
  • A successful new customer acquisition 
  • Being involved in the development of a new sales strategy for the German market

Moreover I had the opportunity to participate in a sales conference for all sales & district managers of the German, Austrian and Swiss market. During that week new products for the garden season were presented and product testing & workshops took place. Besides the attractive agenda, the event was for me a chance to become familiar with the sales organization of GARDENA and the people behind it.

Training Modules between assignments

What’s really remarkable for the Global Trainee Program are the training modules between our assignments. During the two years we are going to visit all major sites of the Group in Sweden, Germany, the US and China. Besides the fact that you meet your trainee colleagues, the training modules give you the chance to broaden and deepen your perspectives and understanding of the Group.

Testing the chainsaws during our first training module in Huskvarna

We started with the first module in Sweden visiting the head office in Stockholm, the home base in Huskvarna and the Construction division in Jonsered. What I really enjoyed was the warm welcome and openness of the colleagues (from factory workers to vice presidents), sharing their experience with us.

Therefore I am really looking forward to my trainee journey and my development within the group. My next assignment will lead me to a country, where hover mowers are really popular. To give a hint: It’s the motherland of football & gardening. 😉

Stay tuned

Until next time!

Stefan

Comments Off on Passionate Gardeners everywhere!





Bookmark and Share

Please leave a comment - click here!