THE PORTRAIT - HANNA JOSEFSSON
AT STENA EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE IF YOU HAVE THE INTEREST AND COMMITMENT
Hanna Josefsson has always liked problem solving and technical challenges. For nearly a year now, she has headed Core Business Solutions at Stena Group IT, which is responsible for the operation and administration of around 100 strategically important business systems within Stena.
At Core Business Solutions, a number of very large maintenance and upgrade projects are currently underway – and it’s like that all the time. By the end of the year, hundreds of older servers will have been replaced with new ones. Alongside this, Stena Line’s financial system JDE will be upgraded, as will Amos, which is Stena Line’s warehouse, purchasing and maintenance system for the ferries. Stena Fastigheter’s major property management system Xpand is an example of a system that is constantly updated at very tight intervals.
“That’s what is so great about working here, that we resolve so many different things all the time,” says Hanna Josefsson. “We have the right skills and knowledge in our group. Some people have worked with JDE at Stena for 15 years, which means experience and domain knowledge that no external consultant could have. A consultant might be skilled in JDE, but not know how everything ties together here at Stena.”
One of the things she appreciates most about the job is the close contact with all the companies at Stena.
“My customers are my colleagues in the organization, and being able to help them is a major motivational factor,” she says. “A close relationship with them is also the key to a good delivery. By coming in at an early stage, we can test and set up new environments and integrations, make changes and serve as advisors so that we get solutions that are cost-effective, stable and accessible.”
Since joining Stena ten years ago, she has held several different positions in IT, including as an IT support specialist, application specialist and group manager for purchased systems. In early 2019, she became the head of Core Business Solutions.
“At Stena everything is possible if you have the interest and commitment,” says Hanna Josefsson. “I’ve never been to a workplace where people care so much as here. No one here would leave work if something wasn’t working right and think I’ll deal with it tomorrow’.”
The strong motivation of all staff members is something she wants to utilize as a leader, and mainly sees herself as a facilitator for the group.
“I want my group to have the space and freedom to take the initiatives that lead to finding the best solutions,” she says. “But it’s also important that everyone feels secure and supported if help is needed with something.”
In her spare time, she likes to be out in nature, preferably in the mountains with a fly-fishing rod in hand. Maybe it’s because she grew up in Switzerland, with a view of Mont Blanc from her bedroom window.
| NAME | Hanna Josefsson |
| TITLE | Manager Core Business Solutions, Stena Group IT |
| YEARS AT STENA | 10 |
| AGE | 41 |
| LIVES | Outside Gothenburg |
| FAMILY | Husband and three teenage children |
| INTERESTS | Yoga and meditation at least twice weekly, fly fishing and painting, including zentangle and dry pastels |
“When I started school in Switzerland, we had just moved there, I was only five years old and could not speak a word of French. But my parents tell me that I kept a stiff upper lip and never complained. And I soon had lots of friends and was the one who got to interpret for my parents,” says Hanna Josefsson with a smile.
It was there she also began painting, a hobby that has endured through the years and which she once considered as a career path.
“It’s important for me to feel good, both through yoga and being creative,” says Hanna Josefsson. “So, when I’m off work, I try not to spend too much time at the computer. I can then work even better when I’m back on the job.”
