Our Way 1
A CULTURE TO L VE A veteran, a newcomer, and a re
turnee. With different jobs and experiences, Helena Axelsson, David Karlsson and Christine Lagergren have all found a culture and place to flourish. Here they share their reflections on working within Soya Group. ow come you were interested in working for Soya Group? Christine Lagergren (C) “I worked here before at Wallenius Marine 15 years ago but moved abroad with my family. On my return from New York, I felt that it would be nice to have something to do, since I had been a full-time mum in New York. So, I contacted HR and said, ‘I’m back’ and if they had any openings I’d like to return. And they said yes, so I started working again at the head office six months ago.” Helena Axelsson (H) “I started many years ago, working at our stud farm. I worked there from 1989 until 2006, with a few small breaks. Between 2006 and 2010, I took a human resources degree, but I kept in contact with former co-workers and missed Soya Group. When I had finished my studies, there was an open position here at HR and I slid back.” David Karlsson (D) “I hadn’t planned on switching jobs but was contacted by a recruiter who sent me the job posting. It contained a big chunk about the group and how they worked. I thought it was super interesting with all the different areas we work in. I grew up with horses and have worked as a fisherman in Ireland, so horses and boats are close to my heart.” Is there a Soya Group spirit? H “Absolutely. Regardless of whether I’m working with horses or shipping, I have always felt the same spirit. You can really tell that the jobs we do are matters of the heart to our owners.” C “I agree. What distinguishes Soya Group is that there are so many friendly people here to work with. I’d really like to pay tribute to the ones recruiting the co-workers. People wanting to help and being happy and proud of what we do pervades the company.” D “It is friendly here! At my previous jobs, we would talk a lot about wanting to build a caring and supporting culture. Here, at Soya Group, we already have it.” What was your first day like? D “We had decided that I should notify the reception when I arrived. I was running a little late, so I hurried in and saw in the corner of my eye a large group of people outside, but when I opened the front door, the reception was empty. And when I turned around, I saw a fire truck. They had just had a fire drill evacuation and at last OUR WAY 1/2024 5