Meet our colleague – Valdemar Forsblom

Meet Valdemar Forsblom, who currently works as a Business Development Manager in Project Management and started his career here at Billerud as a summer intern. During his engineering studies at Linköping University, he worked in production for 3 summers before writing his thesis and attending our Graduate Trainee Programme in 2014.

“After the trainee programme and a further period in production, I started working as Technical Service Manager, which was a very enjoyable job. Very freeform and flexible, giving me the opportunity to travel around the world and meet customers and partners.”

During the years that Valdemar has worked here, new roles have opened up for various reasons, partly based on his interests but also due to reorganisation. In his current role, he is working on a major business development project in which we at Billerud are aiming to grow alongside the expanding e-commerce. This is an exciting project with clear goals in which it is important to keep up with the times in a rapidly evolving industry.

In what way has there been room for you to influence your career within the company?

In his various roles, he has had the opportunity to work cross-functionally with several departments and projects, which has been a factor for success in his career development. Valdemar also points out that he has had managers who have believed in him and encouraged him to try different things. There are many different roles within Billerud and a lot of rotation, which gives you the chance to try different things. The trainee programme also provides an overall understanding of the company and network of contacts within it.

What tips would you give to others who want to try out different roles within Billerud?

The main reason Valdemar has made this exciting journey is that he has taken the initiative and had the courage to be clear about what he wants. Ultimately, it’s up to the individual to find what they enjoy at their workplace and exert an influence wherever they can in order to develop. He also highlights the importance of seeing opportunities as the company changes.

“Reorganisation and the changes surrounding them may not always feel positive, but I think that often they bring about opportunities that you wouldn’t have been able to foresee. In my case, it’s been a question of trying out different roles that are still very useful to me today. So my tip is to try to see the opportunities.” 

What do you enjoy most about working at Billerud?

To begin with, the products are very good and highly appreciated. But of course, there are also so many different roles and exciting things to try. Valdemar says that he has been given a lot of responsibility and the opportunity to contribute from the start.

“Whatever my role, I’ve been given a lot of responsibility from the start. When I worked in production, it was clear that what you did affected the business, and the same is true now I’m more market-focused and making a difference in customers’ lives.”

Are you also interested in a career at Billerud? You can find all our open vacancies here.