We are delighted to have Per with us at Solita, and we asked him what he thinks about…the culture at Solita?
I know it sounds like a cliché to say that we have a unique corporate culture because all consulting companies say the same thing. But at Solita, it’s for real – we have a special culture where everyone is willing to share, help each other, and learn new things. We’re one organisation, with everyone working together, and we’re not so divided across national borders. I feel that Solita has succeeded in getting all the teams to contribute to the whole.
…his current project?
I have an incredibly fun and challenging job right now. It’s a unique situation – one where a small company is a spin-off of a large group and then forms its own business. From being an internal supplier, it now becomes an independent supplier in the market. This means developing new business capabilities, support functions, and infrastructure. My team and I are responsible for all the architecture and keeping all the different parts of the organisation together. We map all available resources and connect them into a functioning system – all the knowledge possessed by individuals should become structural capital that can be shared with others. In many ways it’s like working in a start-up – great fun!
…technology as an enabler?
I’m passionate about using technology for business purposes and have over the years worked extensively on linking IT architecture with business architecture. I’ve been with many different companies before joining Solita, including FMV, E.ON, Software AG, Ikea, and most recently Cap Gemini, and I’ve worked as an enterprise architect for a long time. It’s about linking strategy, business processes, information with applications and infrastructure, and it’s a role I really enjoy – getting the finance people and the technology people to understand each other and pull in the same direction. At the end of the day, it’s all about developing the business, and technology is an invaluable tool for that.
…greatest challenge at work?
My biggest challenge is a dilemma typical for any consultant – balancing my role and finding the right balance between working with the client and developing our own business. In my projects, the challenge is to be the one setting their sights higher and looking ahead, as a counterbalance to all those working on putting out fires. My work is often intense, and it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day.
…the immediate future at Solita?
At the moment, there are nine people in my team and I’d like to increase the number to meet the demand! It’s important that we are diverse – that we have a balanced team in terms of age, gender, and experience, for example. I also hope that Solita will soon have its own office here in Malmö.