Where experience and innovation meet

They have never met before, and on the surface, Signe Rosenblad, 26, and Lars "Joel" Joelsson, 70, do not appear to have much in common. But as soon as they start talking, it’s obvious that there are several things connecting them: their genuine interest in the area of energy and their drive to make things happen. Both have also followed in their family’s footsteps as third generation “Vattenfallites”.

“My grandmother passed away when I was quite young, but she worked here. She had an education in economics and worked with procuring fuel. My father also works here and he has always spoken so passionately about the energy industry and about Vattenfall as an employer. Naturally, it made an impression,” says Signe Rosenblad.

She has a degree in engineering in the field of energy and the environment and as of September 2023 she is attending the two-year trainee programme at Vattenfall. As a trainee, she is centrally located in the company but rotates between different departments with the purpose of learning as much as she can about the organisation. The plan is for her to start as an environmental analyst in the field of hydropower.

Lars Joelsson, better known as Joel, held the position of executive senior advisor until May 2024. To some extent, he too has his family to thank for ending up at Vattenfall, where his grandfather, father and uncle worked.

“My father worked here for 51 years and his brother for 50 years, so I grew up always hearing good things about Vattenfall.”

He started studying engineering physics, but then switched to electrical engineering at Chalmers in Gothenburg. After graduating, he got a job at Statens Vattenfallsverk in Stockholm. However, he wasn’t sure it was the right fit, quit after seven months, and went to ABB instead. After a few months there, he regretted his decision and came back. And then he stayed on. During his close to 46 years at Vattenfall in a number of different positions, he has experienced a great deal of change – both major shifts in energy production and minor changes to work methods.

“Things were very different when I started. We had time clocks and didn’t have flex time. Things were stricter, the manager always wore a tie, and you weren't allowed to wear shorts in the control room,” he remembers.

The Vattenfall spirit

Signe says that her start at the company has been marked by her colleagues’ openness and generosity.

“I felt quite at home right from the start because I had worked here in the summer and done my degree project here before. But I vividly remember my first day. After all, I was on a new floor with new people. My boss gave me a hug, and suddenly I knew everything would be alright.

Joel points out that how your manager treats you is key to achieving staff loyalty, something that Vattenfall has managed to do.

“I've had extremely good bosses, great bosses even. And I haven't just had one or two – I've had 16 over the years,” he says.

The warm feeling in the workplace is something that they both mention. When Vattenfall was founded in 1909, it was a state-owned enterprise with the task of producing hydropower. Today the company is an incorporated international energy conglomerate with 21,000 employees and the possibilities to move within the company are great. Despite this, Vattenfall has managed to maintain a certain culture, a "Vattenfall spirit", which is embedded in the walls and which makes it easy to collaborate. Both Joel and Signe believe that it may have to do with the fact that operations are critical to society. Those who work at the company feel that they are doing something meaningful, something that is of great importance to many, but is often taken for granted. Electricity and heat are givens.

“I think it is very motivating and inspiring to feel that you are contributing to something that is not only good, but needed. It’s so much fun to go on site visits because then you really understand what it is we do and what it means for society,” says Signe.

“You have to cooperate for the lights to turn on. You can’t go around bickering and working against each other. We have production, we have grid, we have markets. But that's nothing more than a division we made after 1996. It's really just one system, and all parts have to work together to make it work. And that is extremely valuable,” says Joel.

He also mentions the pride that long-time employees have in all that Vattenfall has achieved over the years. Not least in how they were early adopters in many areas. 
“We have played an important role in several innovative solutions, such as the three-point belt, air heat pumps, wind power and most recently Hybrit, which will produce fossil-free steel.”

Advice for new employees

Vattenfall is once again facing major change, this time in regard to an expansion phase with the purpose of enabling the transition to becoming fossil-free and reaching net zero emissions by 2040. For Joel, this is somewhat bittersweet as he is now retiring at the age of 70.

“I’m sad that I won’t be able to see this shift through. I have been involved in working toward this, but now new forces will need to take over.”

He has some simple advice for Signe and the others who will see this through and continue to manage Vattenfall's legacy:

“Don’t get stuck. Continue to ask questions and move around in the company. And don't start worrying if your career doesn't take the form you originally intended, just keep working at it. If you do a good job, it will be noticed.”

Signe is thinking along the same lines when it comes to advice for other young people who might be interested in a future at Vattenfall:

“You can start by looking for a summer job, but don't be passive. Call and show that you are really interested. Ask questions!”

As Joel now tries to summarise his years at the company, he says that though it hasn’t always been easy, he has always enjoyed going to work. And the most important lesson he learned is as obvious as it is ingenious.

“If you consistently strive to do good for your customers and for society, it will also benefit Vattenfall in the end.”

Photos: John Guthed