It's time to transform for good!

After 20 years of service, I have now finally returned my Ericsson badge! It felt a bit strange... leaving what is still a great company and above all leaving many friends and colleagues behind. It wasn't easy. I really enjoyed working with so many of you, and for so long. I will truly miss you.

I will never forget all the opportunities I got to learn within Ericsson, but also to grow. The company has always been a great place to learn and to work. In the first ten years of my career, working at Ericsson was a real blast. I moved to different places, travelled, learned and worked with customers that truly appreciated what Ericsson was standing for: great products and outstanding quality. I was proud to be part of the Ericsson family.

But times have changed, and like many others, I feel the company has progressively lost part of its soul as the speed of change has increased in the digital era. Somehow I could see things changing faster and faster in the outside world, but not that much happening in the company. The problem has been visible to management for many years, but there was little appetite to do things differently. When you hear the company's management talking more and more about "Maximizing shareholder profit", "Margins", "Opex Management", "reducing costs", or even "services is the future" (when there is a growing trend toward automation) then you know something is wrong. Ericsson has great engineers but it needs a brand new vision. The "Networked Society" does not mean much outside of Ericsson and having CFO's in charge is fine when the company is experiencing a steady organic growth (because CFO's are good at optimizing profits), but doing the same in times of rapid change is asking for trouble... I hope the new management will soon realize that, and I hope that Ericsson will find its way back to its roots, and for me that is to become a strong technology leader, once again.

Myself, like so many others, had now to leave the company, but I consider myself fortunate, since I have been preparing this exit for the last 3-4 years. I didn't see much happening at the top of the company so I had to do something to avoid being caught in the middle. Many former colleagues are not as prepared for this transition. Looking at my own story might help you a little. As said the speed of change is constantly increasing and you cannot let your future be dependent on the fortunes of your existing employer.... You need to find your own way and prepare for change, that has been a strong belief of mine, and that is why I embarked on this journey a few years back already. In the majority of large companies, you are just another brick in the wall.  In the future, it will be even more important to have strong digital identity to stay relevant. It is hence important to question yourself today and see whether what you are doing today will have any value tomorrow... Are you in a similar situation? If you are looking for some inspiration or guidance, you can check one of my recent linkedin posts on how it is never too late to reinvent yourself. This is a bit of my own story.

For the last 3-4 years, I have focused on reinventing myself: working on my digital presence first, building-up a reputation in IoT, regularly publishing articles in innovation and tech magazine. I experimented a lot with innovation projects, spent most of my week-ends at events, working with startups. I tried to work with innovation internally at Ericsson, but there was no appetite for that. So I started to volunteer outside of Ericsson, to learn and I gained experiences. I have since then mentored a few dozen startups at local incubators and accelerators and I have reviewed several hundreds of startup projects in various competitions. I learned a lot during these four years by constantly trying out new things, getting out there in sometimes-uncomfortable situations.

I have managed to build-up a local reputation which allows me now to be better prepared to launch my own business: Innoopolis, a Digital Innovation Factory. As part of this business I will also provide coaching services to entrepreneurs that need help to shape their business and get it off the ground. I know it will be tough, but I know now that this is what I truly want to do and this is something I can build on for a number of years to come.

If you are in a similar situation, reach out, tell us your story! And let me know if there is any way I could help you. You can always reach me at [email protected]. I have began my transformation journey a few years back, it's time to start yours, it's time to transform for good!