More Female leadership in engineering
There is a significant gender gap in the industries in which Sandvik is active, as well as a shortage of female engineering talents. Since diverse teams are more effective and brings value to our business, Sandvik actively promotes diversity and inclusion.
We asked a few of Sandvik’s female co-workers, from different countries and parts of the company, to share their view on engineering and leadership.
Anna Malycheva, Project Manager, former Global Graduate
This is a picture of me from a rice field in China. My job brings me to the most exciting places and because we are a global company, the possibilities of discovering the Sandvik world never seem to run out. I think managing multicultural projects is incredibly exciting and I always get lost and get to know myself better on the way.
As a leader, global exposure helps me to work with my team and together we see things in new perspectives that many times contribute to better solutions. Today, I work on implementing a sales strategy with the whole world as my workplace. (Or, ok then 'only' 50 countries).
How has your experience at Sandvik contributed to developing your leadership skills within engineering?
All our technical challenges in the global environment depend on communication. During my time at Sandvik, my leadership has developed into being communication focused. Implementing strategy and our technical solutions, are never better than the sum of our overall achievements and driving forces. Communication generates energy, buy-in and learning. No textbook in the world can describe how challenging a process of change for an organization can be, it must be experienced.
Do you have a special memory at Sandvik that contributed or impacted you as a leader?
During my time at Sandvik, I have changed as a person and as a leader. Some special memories stand out - one of them is linked to an exercise we did during a leadership training. We were given the task of giving a person in the group a ten-point score linked to an accomplishment throughout the day. I see feedback as absolutely necessary for personal development and have therefore embraced the routine of giving at least one person in my environment a ten-point score every day as praise or encouragement. When we enjoy our everyday challenges, we are unstoppable!
Matilda Gynnerstedt, Manager Product Management Concept Turning
What opportunities do you see with your own leadership within engineering?
Four of a kind. I only have female managers above me, all the way up to Sandvik Coromant's CEO, who since May is also female. Me, my manager, my manager's manager and finally our CEO, all of us are women. Four of a kind in ladies! For me, it means that women and men have equal opportunities within our company in having leading roles.
Do you have a special memory at Sandvik that contributed or impacted you as a leader?
Sandvik has a very good and appreciated leadership training. I took the training as soon as I became a manager and it has benefited me a lot in my leadership development, as well as support to go back to in different situations in my leadership role. I find it amazing that the company gives the managers a good foundation in their leadership and then the opportunity to develop further on.