Some of the Women In Tech – at Tampnet
Women in Tech: Meet Ulf Bonnevier
Tampnet is dedicated to building a strong, diverse and inclusive organisation, this is evident in the varied mix of cultures present in the team, with employees from 20 different countries.
Underpinning our goal for inclusivity is an understanding of the benefits to organisations and individuals alike, when all employees receive equal opportunities to grow, learn and develop within their roles and to fulfil their career ambitions.
We started our ‘Women-in-Tech’ project to support this mission and the evolution of a work environment that encourages the full and effective participation of all employees in ensuring parity for career development and leadership roles.
We had a chat with our CFO, Ulf Bonnevier who joined Tampnet in September 2020 from his previous CFO role at the Allbright Award-winning Swedish care company, Humana. Moving from Stockholm, to Stavanger, Ulf explains that although the Swedish and Norwegian cultures do not differ too much, which made the move much easier, many people feel that cultural and language differences bring challenges to collaboration.
Tampnet´s CFO, Ulf Bonnevier
From Ulf’s perspective, embracing diversity and providing support for equality is of great importance in creating a society where people and culture can flourish.
A father to three independent and strong daughters, Ulf states, “I raised them to know their minds, be courageous and encouraged them to reach for their dreams. In a society where equal opportunities exist; they can see results from their efforts. Diversity is important, regardless of gender, sexuality, age, race, religion, nationality or disability, and our lives are richer for it”.
Ulf continues, “Since they were young, my daughters have taught me that they want to be acknowledged for their own skills. At the age of 12, I allowed one of my daughters to beat me at sports. She knew immediately and was very disappointed. She insisted that she would win on her own merit. Providing equal opportunities is not about excluding one gender in favour of another or providing unfair advantages. It is about removing barriers by affording the same opportunities to all.”
It is also evident to me that bringing more women to the table will enrich our teamwork, bringing additional creativity to our methods for problem solving and viewing situations from new perspectives. Research shows that workplaces with a balanced mix of men and women perform better.”
We asked Ulf to outline some of the success factors he feels are key to creating a thriving and inclusive corporate culture, and how Tampnet is expanding on these ideas.
- We must mirror society.
Considering women make up almost 50% of the population in Norway, it makes sense to have the same ratios in businesses. In the Scandinavian countries, equality plays out in day-to-day life, holding a substantial place in our society’s core values. It is only natural that top performing organisations mirror society, creating a welcoming and nurturing environment for all employees to showcase their individuality, skills, share knowledge and perspectives, and find solutions together.
- Create better balance.
The tech industry has a clear male dominance in most roles. Tampnet is no exception to this trend. We believe in the importance of creating more balance internally and we have to try harder to achieve that. We want to inspire more women to apply for interesting positions in the tech industry, and especially attract them to Tampnet.
As a growing organisation, we have been fortunate in recruiting some very talented women over the last year. Ulf is firm that gender quotas are not the answer, but rather ensuring that the right person is selected for the right role. New recruits are selected based on their merit, experience, attitude, and personality, regardless of gender or cultural background. We try to improve the balance by encouraging enough qualified women to apply for each relevant role. Throughout the recruitment process, we aim to have at least one woman amongst the final three candidates.
- Walk the Talk
Tampnet is an organisation that lives its core values. One of these is Caring. We care about our colleagues and have a strong focus on diversity and inclusion. The culture of the organisation relies on each Tampnet leader and team member living these values – we walk the talk.
As a modern workplace, hybrid work and flexibility are built in, ensuring that all employees can give their best, at home and at work, knowing they can coordinate their worlds.
Furthermore, we are spreading awareness among female students, offering internships and career opportunities in a dynamic environment, supporting green initiatives and a global transformation to renewable energies, providing the networks to enhance development and accessibility of IIoT solutions, edge computing and innovative applications for optic fibre technology.
As we conclude our discussion with Ulf, he highlights that “We bring together talented people with a broad and deep set of skills and backgrounds, ensuring their individual differences translate into sustained innovation and growth for the person and the company. More diversity in our teams is the key to Tampnet’s future success.”
