SNAPSHOT: Stewen Nilsson
From 1 May, Stewen Nilsson will take over as Mill Manager of our Mörrum pulp mill. With a career spanning 25 years across all aspects of the company’s value chain, from overseeing IT and digitalisation at Group level, to Production Director at Södra Wood, not to mention several years with IKEA, Nilsson has a detailed overview of operations from both an internal and external perspective.
Name: Stewen Nilsson
Position: Currently COO, Södra Group
From 1 May: Mill Manager Mörrum
Born: Soelvesborg, Sweden
Education: MBA from Stockholm School of Economics
Career path: Some 25 years in the industry, including senior positions with Stora Enso and medical company Baxter, as well as several stints at IKEA, including Engineering & Quality Manager. Numerous positions within Södra across various divisions, including Production Director, Maintenance Manager, as COO responsible for the areas of Purchase, Sales & Operation planning, World Class efficiency and IT and Digitalisation.
Returned to Södra: 2019 as Production Director for Sodra Wood
Lives: Southern Sweden
With: Married, two sons who live in Stockholm
Likes: Almost anything connected to the sea, such as fishing, sailing, kayaking, SUP
Reflections
“I’m really excited to be returning to the roots of the operation. Mörrum is a highly competitive mill with a reputation for premium, pioneering products that works closely with our Innovation department. But in this very challenging climate, we can’t sit back. Keeping the status quo is not enough to secure our position in the long term. We need to look continually for a competitive edge, not just for ourselves but for both ends of our value chain. We should always ask ‘Is this a benefit we can pass on, either to our customer or our members, or preferably both? If we can’t pass it on, why do it?’
“I hope that my time spent at IKEA, largely trouble-shooting operations in different parts of the world, will provide a useful external perspective. I was heavily involved in the start of our efficiency programme at Södra a few years ago, as I am with digitalisation and IT today, so an understanding of both the bigger picture and the detail will hopefully prove a good combination.
“Not everything is within our control, unfortunately. We cannot influence the possible imposition of trade tariffs or currency fluctuations, so we need to focus on where we can make a difference and try to excel in every aspect of what we do, from quality and consistency to innovation and sustainability.
“I’m very aware that our success depends on our employees, who run the mill 24/7. Giving them the confidence, enthusiasm and tools to do their best every day is crucial. If they know they can make a difference, they will be motivated to do so, and that’s an aspect of the job I’m very much looking forward to.”
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