Essity

One year ago, Katarina Mannerfelt participated in the internal WIT (Women in IT) program, something that has helped her develop as a leader and also made her interested in coaching. Katarina joined Essity in 2008 and is based in Gothenburg, Sweden. In her role, she explores innovative technologies for an optimal learning experience, works to improve the demand process for new tools and on digitalizing shopfloor colleagues.

When Katarina joined the WIT program, she had just taken on a new position with a bigger team and more responsibility. “By listening to and being inspired by other leaders I feel more confident in my leadership. Also, by being coached and developing my skills I became interested in coaching. I now know that I don’t need to have all the answers. By coaching my team, we will together get to the best solution, and this has helped me relax. I am very grateful for the opportunity to participate in the program, it has helped me a lot.” 

In the WIT session “courageous conversations” the participants are trained to express their views openly. “My biggest take away from this session was the importance of having the courage to question the reality of others and looking at things from a different angle. It can really bring up a new solution as well as enriching the relationships with colleagues. I am proud of now being more comfortable having difficult conversations.”

Katarina continues “Essity is a great place to work and offers many opportunities to get experience from different areas. I’m a living proof of that having worked in Marketing, then Business development, after that Indirect Procurement and now in IT.  But what I really like with Essity is that we truly live by our Believes and Behaviors and ‘Care’ is a strong one here.”