In June, four trainees from the Global Trainee Program attended Husqvarna Group’s Top Management Meeting, together with 120 of the Group’s managers.

The meeting provided deeper understanding of Group and division strategy, company culture and sustainability ambitions.

Alexander Fornell, Ulrike Nagel, Johan Sandström and Katja Ivanova

“It was interesting to hear how top management take part in the strategic discussion and help shape the outcome through workshops and discussions, rather than using external management consultants,” says Alexander Fornell, who has just finished his first year.

“Working in Construction, I am always very interested to get to know more about the Forest and Garden side of our business. This was also an excellent networking opportunity and I took several self-improvement lessons from the presentations,” says Katja Ivanova, who soon has finished her 2nd year in the Global Trainee Program.

“What a great experience,” says Ulrike Nagel, who is closing her 2nd year of the program. “All four divisions presented structured and straight forward business plans that gave insights and revealing information. With the culture and sustainability part that was undertaken, I certainly believe that the Group goes into the absolute right direction. If we all ask the right questions like “What can I do to improve behaviors and results”, we can metaphorically spoke move mountains.”

“During the culture workshop, it was clear that many culture issues are similar no matter if one is top management or a trainee. However, reflections regarding culture was shaped by the fact that they manage teams,” says Alexander.

“Under the headline ‘Respecting nature, caring for people’, nine specific sustainability areas have been identified that need additional focus. Knowing the facts, combined with a yes-we-can-attitude, will lead to being the responsible, sustainable company we desire to be. I’m sure – and it starts with me!” says Ulrike.

“Apart from getting a deeper understanding of the interesting and relevant focus areas, I really enjoyed the opportunity to meet and mingle with both new and familiar faces of our top management. I think everyone left the meeting feeling energized and motivated to start executing our ambitious plans,” comments Johan Sandström, who soon has finished his 2nd year of the trainee program.

World of Concrete construction fair in Las Vegas, February 2015

It is June 2015 now and it has been almost two years since I started working at Husqvarna Construction Products. Some people don’t know that Husqvarna Group also produces equipment for construction and demolition – but among the professionals in this area we are very often their first choice.

I’m from Belarus and moved to Sweden a couple of years ago. My first rotation was in Jonsered, Sweden, in product management and the second one in Olathe, USA, in sales. I then came back to Sweden and spent six months working with the Research and Development (R&D) team and now I am working in project management, which is also run from Jonsered. It’s only 15 minutes’ drive or train ride to Jonsered from Gothenburg, the second biggest city in Sweden, where I live.

In these two years I ’ve travelled the world (the program has brought me to Germany, France and many cities in USA and China) and worked with almost all of our construction products – floor saws, drill motors and stands, floor grinders, wall saws, power packs for high frequency machines etc.

The program has given me the opportunity to develop far beyond my original area of expertise. I didn’t go to business school – I have a BSc in Mechanical Engineering and MSc in Product Development. But during the program I have learned a lot about how global business operations are run, profitability, how and to whom we sell, and especially about the work of our customers – professional construction workers. They build and repair buildings, roads and bridges. Our products are also sold to rescue organizations as, for example, fire departments. The products make their hard job easier. I sincerely admire our customers and I am proud that I can contribute to making their – and ours, since all people use the same roads and bridges, and live in houses they build – lives better. This video pretty much sums this up.

Right now I work as a project manager on a development project of a new construction machine. I get to work with the project members from all the different functions – engineering, quality, purchasing, suppliers, production, testing, certification and product management. I get to see this complicated and very interesting process up close, participate in it and steer it. I am responsible for a lot of tasks, being a ‘spider in the web’ for all the different project members who are often situated on different sites in different cities or even countries.

After every big task I ask myself: what could I have done better and how can I improve? No day is like the other – one day I may be at a meeting discussing the pricing and the next in the testing facility running the machine on a concrete floor or wall. I’ve learned how to assemble and disassemble the machine, how the customer will use it, what the typical jobs are and how to do them efficiently; as well as what every function in the project does. I am responsible for the time plan and of how to move the project forward, while keeping track on quality and budget. This is very exciting and challenging.

I wouldn’t change this opportunity for anything else.

Katja Ivanova
Global Trainee Construction Equipment

Tyler Fuller

My time in the Global Trainee program with the Husqvarna Group has flown by so quickly; sometimes it does not feel like it has been almost two years. I have gotten to see and learn so much during my time with the company. I have had the chance to visit over ten unique facilities in five different countries. It has been amazing to have seven other trainees from all over the world going through the same program that I can share experiences and challenges with.

I’m from the U.S. and my first six month rotation was in Orangeburg, South Carolina, where I worked in the quality department. I spent the first few months working in the plant with various quality issues ranging from metal stamping and robotic welding of mower decks to weekly manager audits in final assembly. I spent the last half of my quality rotation in supplier quality. The experience I gained at suppliers auditing processes, finding root causes, and corrective actions will serve as beneficial assets that I can draw on throughout my career.

Chainsaw Training in Charlotte, USA

I was able to utilize my experience in supplier quality at the plastic suppliers in my second rotation in Nashville, Arkansas, at Husqvarna Plastics Nashville (HPN). My main project was to completely redesign the original assembly area by helping to install six new assembly lines, supermarkets, overhead power and overhead air. The productivity for assembly improved over 30%. It was rewarding to create such an impact and help facilitate a safer and more efficient work environment for the operators.

I spent my third rotation in Shanghai, China. While working in China, I also got to help setup Sales and Operation Planning (S&OP) at our facility in Kawagoe, Japan. I participated and prepared information/slides for the Shanghai S&OP monthly supply planning meeting as well. I was even able to work with people in Nashville to ensure on time delivery of production parts to Arkansas back in the States. Living and working in China was quite the experience and one I’ll never forget.

Factory in Kawagoe, Japan

My final rotation is back in Orangeburg. I’m currently working to understand Work-In-Process (WIP) inventory and its impact on daily productivity, absorption, and employee morale. I’m putting together a team to create a value stream map of one production line from distribution to planning, which will then be completed for other lines in the factory to reduce customer response time.

The Global Trainee Program has equipped me with a broad perspective and exposure to many sides of manufacturing. It has provided me with the opportunity to learn and travel in a supportive environment while advancing my career. I’m really looking forward to starting my leadership position at the end of the program in September and meeting with the other trainees for the conclusion of the program back in Stockholm, Sweden, where our two year journey began.

Tyler Fuller
Global Trainee Manufacturing & Logistics

Lisa Barrehag

So, I’m in the middle of my mile-long to-do list of preparations for the Husqvarna  EXCITE Day (an event for our 150 biggest suppliers which will be held on 2^nd of June in Munich, Germany) when I stop to check my calendar. There it is: the reminder “Blogpost finished”, clearly marked in orange, is shining at me in between the meetings. Ok, suddenly it seems like switching deadline with another trainee which I was offered in January wouldn’t have been such a bad idea. On the other hand, writing my post now means that I have more experiences to write about. Because if there is one thing I can definitely say about the Husqvarna Group’s Global Trainee Program, it is that it is never (well, very seldom) boring and that every week provides you with new challenges.

During my 9 months as a trainee within sourcing, I have participated in heated negotiations, organized a workshop for almost 40 people, learned how to use a chainsaw, arranged a lot of supplier meetings and traveled to countries such as Italy, Finland, England and Germany. But let’s go back to the beginning.

My trainee experience started in August 2014, in Sweden, where I am from, with a training module taking place in Stockholm and Husqvarna. During one and a half week, we were introduced to Husqvarna Group, and management representatives taught us about the different divisions and functions. We also got to do some product testing, such as operating a remote controlled demolition robot – something I can recommend everyone to try!

The 2014 Global Trainees

After the training module, it was time for my first assignment. I worked as a commodity manager for rubber parts and gaskets and I was responsible for the day-to-day contact with about 20 suppliers. This was a real challenge to me since the job often involved negotiations, which is a quite new thing to me. However, I like to think that I improved during the autumn and it felt really good to “win”, even if the negotiation was only about a smaller sum. Nevertheless, I still have a lot to learn and I realize that becoming a good negotiator is something that will take years.

Following my first assignment, my five trainee colleagues and I went to Ulm in Germany for another training module. We were introduced to the Gardena brand and we also got to participate in some intense but really valuable presentation training. After this great week in Ulm I immediately went to Aycliffe, England, to get some introduction to my second (and current) assignment, which is in project sourcing for our electric products. A very important product in the electric category is the  robotic mower, which is produced in Aycliffe, so it was very interesting to go there and have a look at the production and meet the team in the factory.

As a trainee in project sourcing I work with supporting the purchasing team and I’m also running some projects on my own. When I got back to Huskvarna after a week in Aycliffe, I started to work on one of these projects, a workshop focused on finding ideas for cost improvements for the robotic mowers. This was a really fun assignment, although there were a lot of details to keep track of. We wanted to do this exercise in cross-functional teams and just finding a date that suits everyone in sourcing, R&D, product management, etc. was a challenge. However, in the end we were 37 people working really hard in smaller cross-functional teams at six work stations. One thing that really struck me during this day was how passionate Husqvarna Group employees are about our products. Since this exercise would take 10 hours, I had scheduled shorter breaks in between each station. However, many teams just skipped these breaks and continued to work and discuss on their stations for as long as possible. To me, this truly shows commitment to the company and the products!

As I mentioned, at the moment I’m fully occupied with the preparations for the Husqvarna EXCITE Day 2015. If I thought there were a lot of details to think about for my workshop, this is on a completely new level. The day will include award ceremonies, round table exercises, speeches, a dinner and there will be a tour of the factory. With about 260 participants, it is quite a lot to prepare.  I am really looking forward to it and I am very glad that I will get the chance to be part of this event.

To conclude, you can probably guess by now that I don´t regret joining the trainee program. It has truly been a fantastic journey so far. Admittedly, quite stressful from time to time, but that’s fine when you are working with something you enjoy and get to see the results from all the efforts. It also helps that all the colleagues and management have been very supportive and I have always felt that I can get the help I need. Now I’m looking forward to the rest of my second assignment and then I’m off to Asia for my third assignment in the autumn.

Finally, to quote Pascal “I’m sorry that this was such a long post, but I didn’t have time to write you a shorter one.”

Now it’s time for me to go back to the to-do list. Brace yourselves, Husqvarna EXCITE Day is coming!

Lisa Barrehag
Global Trainee
Sourcing
Sweden

It has now been 22 months since me and my fellow trainee colleagues joined Husqvarna Group, which means there is only a couple of months left for us in this fantastic trainee program. When you stay busy doing challenging and fun things time truly flies!

Johan Sandström

My target position after the program is within Project Management so my two-year trainee plan has been tailored to introduce the tools and exposure that will make me a more capable Project Manager.

Even though each trainee has a tailored plan custom-made for his/her target position, the Husqvarna Group Global Trainee Program is designed to give the trainees a strong network within various departments and to get them exposed to the unique challenges and opportunities different parts of the company face. This, I believe, creates a more holistic view of the business and is essential for creating “Company A-Players” rather than “Department X-Employees”.

I have been changing departments, colleagues, assignments and locations every six months for two years. This means that I’ve constantly had to go outside my comfort zone and challenge myself by learning new tasks, adopting new perspectives and getting to know new people and, to be honest, it can be rather exhausting at times. What I have noticed however, is how extremely rewarding it is and that the learning curve you get is hard to beat.

To make a long story short; before my current assignment I was based in Sweden, where I come from, working with: Project Management, Product Management (Electric products), Global Branding & Marketing and R&D (Handheld products). At the moment I am based in Charlotte, North Carolina, to do my final assignment in our U.S. Project Management Office. I truly enjoy living in Charlotte and working with the team here. I am starting to get a sense of the similarities and differences between managing a team in Sweden and in the U.S and how you sometimes need to adjust your approach in order to get things done depending on what side of the Atlantic you are on.

Training week in Charlotte, USA, in September 2014

In a couple of months I will start a new journey at our Project Management Office in Sweden. There, I will join the Swedish team responsible for delivering large product development projects on time, on budget and according to specification. I am very much looking forward to this new challenge and I feel that my time as a trainee has given me a good balance of confidence and humbleness going into this demanding position.

Given that I am nearing the end of my time as a trainee I would like to take the opportunity to thank the people involved in my program (managers, mentor and colleagues). Your openness in sharing your experiences as well as your ability to encourage, coach and challenge me has been truly invaluable. Thank you.

Johan Sandström
Global Trainee
Product Management & Development
Sweden

Xingqi Zhang

My name is Xingqi Zhang and I joined the Husqvarna Group Global Trainee Program in September 2014. My home base is at the Group’s office in Shanghai, China, and I am currently working with Sales and Marketing for the Chinese market.

I think it was a good decision for me to join Husqvarna Group’s Global Trainee Program as it offers me opportunities to work in different roles to learn and improve. Husqvarna Group is a world leading producer of outdoor power products. To be honest, I almost didn’t know anything about the Group’s products before (lawn mowers, chain saws, gardening watering products, cutting equipment and diamond tools). However, in the few months I have worked here, I have already learned a lot about them and can even operate many of them.

Originally, I am from China where I got my degree in Electrical Engineering before I moved to UK to further study Microelectronics Engineering at Imperial College London. Engineering is my favorite area but I also wish to do more than pure engineering. Luckily, I found the Global Trainee Program. The concept is advanced and includes four six-month rotations in two years. By which, I can experience working in several different functions, meet various people and not only learn technology, but also attempt junior management. It is a very good career start for me as a fresh graduate. Additionally, at least one rotation will be overseas so that I can experience working in another culture.

My two-year journey started at the dealer sales department in China with Chinese sales representatives. During those six months, I frequently travelled to visit dealers and customers rather than just staying at the office. This was a really good opportunity to learn about our market, our competitors and their products. It also gave me a hands-on insight to how the Chinese market varies in different regions, which was quite interesting. By talking to people face-to-face, I learned more about what dealers in China actually need, and what customers in China expect from Husqvarna Group’s products and our service support. One day, I hope that I get to explore a potential new market and develop relationships with potential customers.

I am now in my second rotation, still at the Shanghai office but at the marketing department. Although it has not been a long time, I have already recognized the importance of marketing to sales performance – just like the brain to a human. A good marketing team should be well aware of the market trends and lead the sales strategy. I would like to learn and do more in this amazing area. These days, I am working on an exhibition where Husqvarna Group’s products will be displayed. The exhibition is a great way to meet potential customers that are interested in the Group’s products and show advanced technology and strong support. I am the overall responsible for this event; from the beginning to the very end. Honestly, I don’t have any experience of coordinating an event like this before, so I need to make huge efforts to learn quickly and effectively. I believe it will be an unforgettable time and hope that the event is a success.

Overall, the Husqvarna Group Global Trainee Program has already opened doors for me and I will keep learning and improving for a better me.

Xingqi Zhang
Global Trainee
Sales and Marketing, China

My name is Lois Lau and I am a Global Trainee in Manufacturing at Husqvarna Group in Shanghai, China, where we manufacture products such as chain saws, blowers, trimmers, hedge trimmer and water pumps.

I was born and raised in Hong Kong. I never felt the urge of leaving my hometown until the moment I realized I had a strong interest in manufacturing, which is not an area that I could find a suitable opportunity in the city. Therefore, I decided to look for opportunities in mainland China.

I joined Husqvarna Group’s Global Trainee Program in April 2014 and started with participating in a supply-chain project that enables a smooth communication between sales and manufacturing within Asia Pacific. It was a very meaningful project that gave me an overview of the operations and of the business challenges of which I could make an impact on my work.

I then started my first official assignment at the Quality department, with three months working with Factory Quality Assurance and three months within Supplier Quality Assurance. Within Factory Quality Assurance I put different quality management tools I learned at school into practice. Another important take-away was that I could practice my problem solving skills when doing different defect analysis or 8D reports. Sharp analytical skills are crucial for this role.

Within Supplier Quality Assurance, I worked with suppliers to brainstorm ways to cost-effectively improve quality in their production process. Once I conducted a problem-solving workshop with a supplier and received very positive feedback as the workshop gave them the confidence to do root-cause analysis and continuous improvement projects using the tools provided by Husqvarna Group.

The Quality Assurance team in Shanghai

Currently, I’ve started my second assignment at the Operations department in Shanghai. As my assignment manager is the Operation Manager I get to work in several different areas that fall under his umbrella. So, what is my daily work plan?

I start at 8:30am and check my email for around 30 minutes. Then I spend around 1.5 hour doing a Gemba Walk – which means going to the front lines to look for waste and opportunities to practice kaizen (continuous improvement) and practical shop floor improvement. During this walk we identify potential areas of improvement together with production supervisors and workers. Occasionally, I will participate in layered audits (a quality tool used in manufacturing management) as well to audit particular areas such as Quality Assurance or 5S of our production line with the engineers. After the Gemba Walk I spend the rest of my morning doing material planning to make sure components can be delivered on time with no over-stock. It is a challenging job since it requires lots of negotiation with suppliers and coordination with the production planning function.

In the afternoon I have meetings regarding subjects such as new product launches, lean manufacturing, operation reviews, sales and operations planning, productivity improvement workshops etc. As a trainee you need to be good at managing your time and have multi-tasking skills to not be over-whelmed by all these projects.

Besides the day-to-day business, I will participate in overseas training modules in Sweden, Germany and the U.S. and I will get one international assignment in Arkansas, the U.S. I have many friends participating in trainee programs at other companies and they are amazed by hearing of my diverse and international experiences in Husqvarna Group’s program. It really is a life-changing experience for me because I get to do what I like with a lot of support from the company and colleagues. All trainees’ assignments are unique as tasks are based on the company’s needs and our development plans and interests.

I am also glad to have several mentors at different departments in the company who guide me through the whole experience. My home manager Mike Richards introduced me to the concept of lean manufacturing and told me to keep up the spirits no matter what in the ups and downs. I believe good is not good enough and that best can be better. From my role as a Global Trainee I can really improve myself professionally and personally.

To conclude, the Global Trainee Program is a one-time-only experience. I truly love being a Global Trainee at Husqvarna Group!

Lois Lau
Global Trainee
Manufacturing

Natallia Semianiaka

My name is Natallia Semianiaka and I am a Global Trainee in Manufacturing at Husqvarna Group in Sweden. Originally, I am from Belarus where I got my degree in Industrial Engineering. Later I came to Sweden to study Industrial Management, and in September 2013 I joined Husqvarna Group’s Global Trainee Program. The company’s respected name and innovative outdoor power products were definitely deciding factors for me when I applied for the position.

By being a Global Trainee, I’ve had the opportunity to work in five different functions at Husqvarna Group, namely manufacturing, sourcing, sales and operations planning, sales, and finally Research and Development (R&D).

Within the manufacturing function I worked on a production line flexibility project in Huskvarna, Sweden, where I got a good understanding of production planning challenges inherent to a seasonal business such as ours.

For my second rotation in the sourcing function I went to Shanghai, China, as commodity responsible for electric components. That was a time of an intensive learning of a different function and adapting to a different business culture.

After six months in China I have worked at the sales and operations planning department in Sweden and at the sales organization in Russia. I was impressed by the numerous communication channels in the Group and realized how important it is to maintain the transparency of all demand and supply processes. In addition, I got better knowledge of customer needs, especially in emerging markets. I started my last rotation at the R&D department one month ago, and my assignment is to support an industrialization stage of a new product and serve as a bridge between R&D and manufacturing.

The red thread through all my rotations is that you can’t overestimate the importance of communication and collaboration between different departments. People see issues from their function’s perspective, and it is important to double check and align with all stakeholders involved before making a decision.

The Global Training Program has been a great eye-opening experience for me and it has helped me develop a cross-functional attitude and understanding of how I would like to develop my career within Husqvarna Group.

End of March this year, I was extremely happy to go back to China for a training module, where me and my trainee colleagues visited three factories in China – Shanghai, Changzhou and the construction facility in Xiamen – and enjoyed discussions and hospitality of our Chinese colleagues. It was also really nice to meet all trainees again. During the two year program, we have become more friends than colleagues. I assume this was one of the purposes of the Global Trainee Program – to build up a strong network of people who can rely on each other.

Training module in China

Now, time is approaching to start paying back for the efforts the company has invested in us trainees. It is time to think about my next challenge and how I can contribute with the knowledge generated during the training program to the Group’s best benefit.

I hope all trainees have an interesting and productive final rotation and find their place in the Group at the end of the program!

Natallia Semianiaka
Global Trainee
Manufacturing

Hello, my name is Chao Zhu (Terry), I’m from China and I joined Husqvarna Group in September, 2013. For those of you who don’t know, Husqvarna Group is a producer of outdoor power products, garden watering products and cutting equipment and diamond tools for the construction industry. After almost two years at the Group, I can say that I definitely don’t regret my decision to take the job when I got offered a position as a global trainee within purchasing.

Testing products during the first training module in Sweden

The trainee program includes four, six month rotations and I’m currently at my fourth and last one. This time I got to work in Huskvarna, Sweden, at the global commodity department and support them on some very important projects. I have been in Sweden for three months now and it has been one of the most impressive experiences in my life. The working culture and environment in Sweden is very different from what I’m used to and I’m grateful that all my colleagues are willing to share their knowledge. Even more important is that I get to work with challenging tasks and projects and gain valuable knowledge.

Working with R&D electric in Huskvarna, Sweden

Also, I have to say that I am really lucky to have met my assignment manager – Jonas Andersson and my colleague – Jonas Mattsson. They are both amazingly nice guys that have worked at the Group for many years and have a rich working knowledge. They have taught me a lot and always guided me on the right way.

After having worked with four different teams, I have truly gained a lot of precious experience and useful working skills. I have also realized that alignment and communicating with each other is the real key of success, especially in such a large multi-cultured group as this.

When my six months in Sweden are done, I will join another amazing team – the supply chain and demand team in China. I am really looking forward to it and hope I will get to work on even more challenging and interesting projects!

I’m lucky to have had the opportunity to work as a global trainee and I’m glad I chose this program as the start of my career! What interests me most is that as a global trainee you can try different things and work at several departments. That way you can approach problems in a different way and eventually, you contribute with valuable insight and knowledge!

Chao Zhu (Terry)
Global Trainee
Purchasing

Alexander Fornell

The best part of being a trainee at Husqvarna Group is the large variety of tasks that you get to work with in the program. When I was finishing my degree at Industrial Engineering and Management at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden, I had no specific job in mind and I wanted to get the opportunity to work in a variety of different roles to get a better understanding of what they entail. This made the Husqvarna Group Global Trainee Program attractive to me; I will get to work within different departments during my two years as a trainee.

I’m from Kungsbacka, a city located on the west coast of Sweden and my first assignment as a trainee was at the Husqvarna Group site in Huskvarna, Sweden. There I worked at the Product Management and Development department together with Product Managers and Product Specialist for the Petrol Handheld category, which includes for example chainsaws, brush cutters and hedge trimmers. It was a great experience to get to know what it means to be a Product Manager or Specialist and I got to learn more about the Group’s products. I have also cooperated with colleagues at other departments, such as sales at our dealer conference on Rhodes, Greece, where I met dealers and took part in our product presentations.

Product presentation on Rhodes for Husqvarna dealers

Another perk of working at Husqvarna Group is that we are encouraged to learn about how to use the products. One example is when I spent three days in the forest to get a “driver’s license” for working with brush cutters. Before joining the Group I had more or less zero experience of using chainsaws and brush cutters, but in my opinion it is more important that you are willing to learn about the products than having previous experience of using them. Additionally, it is not only about using the product, we get to take them apart and put them back together (the first part is the easy one) to learn more about the pure mechanical aspects of the products. I had no previous experience of this, but as long as you are eager to learn it is no problem learning about the basics of carburetors and two-stroke engines.

Petronas Twin Towers are located close to the Husqvarna Group KL office

I am currently working at our regional office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where I have been focused on getting to know what our customers in Asia expect from our products. I will stay in Kuala Lumpur until the end of the summer after which I will move to Charlotte, USA. There I will get the opportunity to work within sales, which is a new experience to me. This is what makes working at Husqvarna Group as a global trainee so great, you get to experience a lot in a short period of time while seeing interesting parts of the world. So if you want to try different roles to see where you can excel, apply for the Husqvarna Group Global Trainee Program!

Alexander Fornell
Global Trainee
Product Management & Development