Albert Rödfalk, Global Product Manager at Berthold Technologies, a German family-held business, is one of the participants set to start the Leading Impact leadership and management program on 7 October. In an interview, he shares his expectations and what he hopes to develop during the 15 months of the program.
Hello Albert. You’re starting Leading Impact in October. What made you choose Leading Impact?
I have been thinking about taking an equivalent executive MBA program for a while and engaged in dialogue with my employer and a couple schools. Now all the pieces fell into place, both personally and professionally, and it will be interesting to you have the opportunity to improve in several interesting fields.
Why did you choose Leading Impact over other options?
I like the structure and variety of the program, and given that I already travel quite a lot for my job, i see being able to study close to where I live as an advantage.
What do you hope to develop during the program?
Most of all, myself as a strategic leader, but also my organization. It’s stimulating to have the opportunity to reflect on my organization, my own contribution and its significance to the whole. I also really look forward to meeting new people with interesting experiences from several different industries, and I hope to be able to play a positive role with my own insights.
You work as a global product manager?
For the last five years, I have served as global product manager primarily for steel manufacturers across the world at a German family-held company called Berthold Technologies. Berthold Technologies has a total of around 350 employees globally and about EUR 78 million in annual sales.
What qualities are important to succeed in your role?
As product manager, I need to have a solid understanding of the needs and challenges of our customers and apply this knowledge to goals, requirements, strategies and similar parameters for our organization. The role of global product manager puts me in contact with many different people, both functionally and geographically, and the ability to collaborate with many different personalities and cultures is essential. I also need to be able to alternate between the hands-on and strategic levels without too much effort.
Please tell us about your background
Before Berthold Technologies, i held several leading positions in various startups in the Lund region, and I also had a number of international assignments. My educational background is a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from Lund, a reserve officer and business administration studies at Handels in Stockholm.
How would you describe your leadership style?
A leadership style that is suited to the circumstances at hand and the group’s maturity while putting great trust in individuals, their abilities and their judgment.
