A journey with several stops

I’ve said the same thing to every boss I´ve had at Combitech – As long as I have fun at work, and the environment encourages curiosity and learning new things, then I’ll stay. If I’m bored and under stimulated, then there might be time to look for new opportunities. But, so far, that has not happened at Combitech. I’m allowed to follow what interests me and build my career that way.

When Petter stepped through the Combitech doors almost seven years ago, the situation was different from what it is now. Both considering the security state of the world, Petter´s work assignments, and his living arrangements. He was new on the job market after 5 years of Business Law studies and started his journey at Combitech in a temporary role as Commercial Advisor focusing on procurements. He quickly found his footing. Today, he lives 1 100 km away from his hometown, and he’s an Executive Advisor in the Cyber Security division after some explorative years in different roles.

To get a grasp of the journey, let’s bullet-point it out:

• After the temporary role as Commercial Advisor, Petter was offered to stay at Combitech in a role as Legal Advisor. This was a goal of his after finishing his law studies, and a role he gladly accepted.
  
  
• During his time as Legal Advisor, GDPR became a hot and highly relevant topic in the legal sphere. Petter became the one to deep dive into the matter and structure a plan for how Combitech would adapt to the new regulations. With this, his role changed to Data Protection Manager.
  
  
• Through collecting bits of knowledge and experience along the way, he was then asked to step into the role as Chief Information Security Officer. Initially daunting, but too exciting not to try! He then embraced this role for three fulfilling years.

An easy decision, both ways

Working with the latter, Petter evolved his interest for cyber security related issues. His new goal was a consultant role as Executive Advisor, where he would be able to strategically help clients get started or improve their information security efforts.

What is their vision forward and how do we help them get there? With a broad knowledge from the deep information security at Combitech and Combitech’s owner Saab, he felt like he had a lot of experience to share with potential clients who might not yet have a strong cyber defence. But he was clear on one thing – he wanted to stay within Combitech.

It was an easy decision, of course I wanted to stay at Combitech! I was very happy and content in my position as Chief Information Security Officer, where I was in close contact with the Cyber division. It sparked an interest in me, so I asked the Divisional Manager if there could possibly be a spot for me, and there was a clear ‘yes’ without hesitation from their side.

But what happens when life happens? At home, Petter describes himself as a laid back guy who gladly hangs out with friends and family during his downtime. There are also frequent TV-game nights with his partner of five years. This partner in question is from Överkalix, and after several years together in Linköping, the couple decided to give her northern neighborhoods a try.

From the day my partner and I decided to move from Linköping to Luleå, it only took three weeks until we had moved into our new apartment! Considering my work, I didn’t want to quit. In a dialogue with my manager, I could basically take my role as it was and just move to the Luleå office - ‘Of course you can move to Luleå!’. That is such a positive advantage with the work-life balance at Combitech. If I want to move across the country, it’s possible. That’s not something to take for granted.

Embodying the vision 

Combitech’s purpose of shaping a smart and resilient society is something Petter embodies through his work, by assisting his clients through strategic consulting.

At Combitech, we focus on total defence, and that´s what I contribute to every day. The Cyber Security realm is vast and complex, I help our clients navigate and work intelligently when it comes to building resilience. It’s not about throwing an excessive amount of money on security measures – It’s about doing it smartly.

When asked about what’s ahead, Petter emphasizes the substantial need for additional workforce in the northern region. With significant initiatives underway in the green energy transition, this also impacts the realm of cyber security substantially. Therefore, he encourages more individuals to explore the prospect of advancing their professional careers up north, and try out the same journey he did, while contributing to Norrbotten’s resilience in these exciting times of change.

And what about his professional goals? The answer is simple. It’s the same principle that has kept him at Combitech for the past almost seven years – as long as work is fun, engaging and explorative, Petter is content. Something Combitech hasn’t failed yet!