On October 7, Peter Eriksson, CEO at Alcad AB, will start EFL’s management program Leading IMPACT. A program he chose for its forward-looking approach, focus on impact and experience sharing among the participants. We asked him a couple quick questions on his thoughts heading into the start of the program.
Hello Peter. You’re starting Leading IMPACT on October 7! What made you choose Leading Impact?
The reason is relatively classic in nature. I come from a highly technical background, and 15 years into my career I now face challenges involving leading people and businesses. And so I felt that a program like Leading IMPACT would be just the right way to obtain new knowledge in areas such as finance and leadership.
Why did you choose Leading IMPACT over other management programs?
As a matter of fact, I initially applied for, and was accepted to, equivalent programs at other institutions, but I chose EFL. There are three main reasons:
– The program feels pioneering and forward-looking rather than being based on memorizing classic theories. Many of the most successful companies in the world are where they are today because they have embraced completely new ways of thinking.
– I was looking for the residential session format EFL offers. I think that the course participants will share an enormous amount of experience, and spending much time with the group during the days as well as the evenings is a big plus.
– Programs like Leading IMPACT are a major investment from the participant’s employer, which is entitled to expect ROI. Leading IMPACT has a strong focus on real-life cases from the participants’ current situation at their companies, thus driving change in these companies during the course of the program. I could only find this type of essentially guaranteed impact at Leading IMPACT.
What do you hope to develop during the program?
I hope to obtain the knowledge and tools to effectively monitor a large business and ensure it is moving in the right direction. I would like to learn to focus on that which is most important as well. Of course, I also hope for much experience sharing with the other participants and to build a valuable network that will continue to be useful to me after the end of the program.
Please tell us about your position
I am the CEO of Alcad AB, a company that provides the world with extremely reliable batteries for an uninterruptible power supply. Our largest markets are the Middle East and Southeast Asia, and our customers are primarily in the energy and transport sectors.
What does it take to succeed in your role?
Success in my current role, which is primarily oriented toward sales, requires responsiveness in order to develop and adapt the business model to the given circumstances. Our sales cycles are long, and we attempt to specify our technology early on and reap the rewards of our efforts only several years later. A large dose of persistence and understanding for cultural differences are also important qualities.
Please tell us about your background
I have a Master of Science in Engineering Physics and Electrical Engineering from the Linköping Institute of Technology. Both my educational and my professional backgrounds are highly international. I spent the first five years of my career in product development and project management, mainly in the global automotive industry. After that, I fell into sales almost as if by coincidence, but this has been my main task for the past ten years. I really enjoy spending a major part of my working time interfacing with customers and creating business. The competitive nature of this work gives it another dimension as well.
How would you describe your leadership style?
I provide a large degree of freedom for my employees to shape their own roles based on their strengths and interests and avoid traditional job descriptions. I also try to employ coaching and situation-specific leadership as much as I can, although this can be difficult. I believe in serving as a good role model – both as a manager and in life generally.