Defining moments

SLIDING DOORS

I remember the moment G?ran called me at my student apartment, having read my application and asking me to join the Volvo family. Seven years earlier I had set myself upon the path to become an engineer. I remember of course the days when my boys were born. One of my first Christmases, with my plushy… I believe we all carry these defining moments in life with us, hopefully for a very long time. As a company I also believe we go through defining moments. The day we decided to become electric. The hours of discussion that led to our company purpose – Freedom to move, personal, sustainable and safe. A pull-event in Jokkmokk, freezing cold and a black sky, where we agreed to make a U-turn, drop Linux and go all in on Android, already for our first BEV. 

YSTAD

The home of Wallander, now internationally famous from Netflix. A perfect place for the fastest growing trend in Sweden, winter bathing. The place where we, the second Thursday in February, again went through a life-defining moment. Guided by Xiping, Peter, Henrik and others, we talked and moved pieces over the floor, representing our architectures, our different core systems and other computers. Tons of post-it’s playing the role of ECU’s* and Software Applications. And some physical hardware. But the point was the discussion. With our CEO. With the entire executive management team. We talked for hours and hours on the things that really matter if we are to become a software company and a leader in future electric mobility.

PULL-EVENT

We have pull-events with EMT at least two times every year. One in the spring and one in the autumn and I remember all of them for various interesting reasons. We go somewhere. We gather around our products. Inspiration. Dialogue. Collaboration. We create. Co-create if you will. Always looking into the future and always with open-ended discussions. In retrospect, I can only count the moments we have created and conclude the power of these simple yet rare ingredients in corporate society today.

Take care! 

//Henrik

*ECU = Electronic Control Unit

People mentioned: G?ran Hellberg, Xiping Huang, Peter Remneberg and Henrik Svensson