Moving forward, two roles at a time

Linda Sundqvist is actually a qualified controller. The 41-year-old joined Scania nine years ago as a Compensation & Benefits specialist, before being promoted to Head of Executive Development & Compensation in just a few years. Today, she has a dual role: as a Personal Executive Assistant, Sundqvist works closely together with the head of People & Culture and her management team. At the same time, she manages her own small team in her role as Head of People & Culture Communications: “My job is to lead and support the very capable communications professionals I have in my team.”

“I really enjoy working with people, so People & Culture is the perfect fit for me,” Sundqvist explains. She really values the international dialogue within the TRATON GROUP. Her projects up until now often involved working with colleagues from other countries: during succession planning, for example, or when introducing a Group-wide incentive program. The project that really stayed with her focused on introducing a shared grading system: “At the beginning, everyone had very different opinions about which system is the best,” Sundqvist recalls.

As a Scania representative, she also had her own ideas at the start of the project. “The important thing was that we all listened to each other and stayed flexible.” To this day, Sundqvist believes this to be the key to successful collaboration. “When I take part in these projects, I am not just the voice of Scania but also part of the TRATON GROUP, so I need to get the balance right between the two roles.” She is happy that being part of the TRATON GROUP means her company has such a big network. Sundqvist is certain: “Meeting a wide range of personalities and working in different constellations makes you grow, both professionally and personally.”

In her spare time, this mom-of-three is passionate about sport: “The best way to motivate my kids is with floorball,” she explains laughing. This indoor hockey variation is popular in Scandinavia and is played with special balls and sticks. Her spinning bike is a very different type of equipment: she has been a spinning instructor for 13 years and jumps on the bike as often as her schedule allows it. But for Sundqvist, the best sport in the world is drag racing. This type of racing involves two special, super-powerful vehicles racing down a straight course from a standing start. Sundqvist used to race herself when she was younger. Today, she supports her 14-year-old son. For him, this will be the fourth season racing in the youth championship. Her role here is also twofold: “On the one hand, I support him as his mother, for example I drive him to the race track on the weekend. But I am also his coach and help him to become the best driver he can be.”