The scholars' perspective

Experiences

Since 1982, 48 PAUSE scholars have pursued international studies at leading institutions including Wharton, Harvard, INSEAD and London Business School. Here, some of them share their experiences.

Kristian Andersson

Founder and adviser, Human Conditions Advisory AB · PAUSE scholar 2008

What the PAUSE Scholarship has meant to me

The PAUSE Scholarship enabled me to spend the first half of 2009 as a Visiting Scholar at the Center for Human Resources at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia. At the time, I was working in strategy and human resources (HR) within the Volvo Group, and I had the opportunity to study effective HR practices in mergers and acquisitions in depth.

My time at Wharton gave me the opportunity to step back from day-to-day work and deepen my understanding of how business strategy, organisation and people are connected. One important lesson was that HR needs to be involved from the outset of an acquisition process. I also took away the importance of building a long-term capability for acquisitions by systematically learning from previous deals.

That broader perspective has stayed with me through subsequent consulting and in-house roles at companies including PwC, Volvo, Getinge and Capgemini. Today, I run Human Conditions Advisory AB, helping leaders and management teams put strategy into practice. The interplay between strategy, structure and behaviour remains a central part of my work.

My stay also led to lasting personal contacts. I have returned to Wharton several times, and we still exchange Christmas greetings. Before my own departure, I received support from former PAUSE scholars. Being able to contribute to new scholars in turn has been a valuable way of carrying the tradition forward.

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Emma Meurling

VP Human Resources · PAUSE scholar 2004

What the PAUSE Scholarship has meant to me

I was living temporarily in London with my family when I applied for and received the PAUSE Scholarship. I took the opportunity to study for a master’s degree in HR Strategy & Change at Kingston University. I also established a good relationship with Professor Chris Brewster at Henley Business School, who gave me valuable support.

The theme of the 2004 scholarship was “Diversity as a Business Opportunity”. It reflected my view of HR: that what we do should create business value. Alongside my master’s studies, I interviewed British organisations and companies to learn how they use diversity to increase business value. I spoke with BP, Shell, B&Q and the Metropolitan Police and was able to show the benefits of making the most of diversity in different ways and situations.

My PAUSE report became the basis for my master’s dissertation. When I presented my work to PAUSE, I came into contact with Sveriges HR Förening, the Swedish HR association. I developed my findings for the Swedish context and conducted further interviews with Swedish companies. This led to the association’s publication “Mångfald för ökad lönsamhet”, which was published in 2007.

Studying for a master’s degree after several years of working life following my bachelor’s degree gave me a great deal. In England, I came into contact with professors and lecturers specialising in HR. I had not encountered that during my undergraduate studies in Sweden. They had researched the very areas we worked with and discussed in our professional lives. This inspired me to turn to research more often when looking for knowledge.

The scholarship gave me knowledge, contacts, experience and, not least, a master’s degree that I would not otherwise have gained. I value the connection between our profession, academia and research, as well as the affirmation that we should always consider the business value of what we do. It has made me more capable and confident in my HR profession and laid the foundation for my career.

I am very grateful for the opportunity I was given.

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Fredrik Stranne

Founder and strategic adviser, Coreworkers · PAUSE scholar 2001

What the PAUSE Scholarship has meant to me

As a PAUSE scholar, I studied at the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia in 2002. That period had a profound impact on both my career and my personal development. The scholarship gave me the opportunity to explore Employee Relationship Marketing (ERM) in depth. It was a relatively new field at the time but has since become central to the way organisations attract, engage and retain employees.

At Wharton, I had access to a world-class academic environment in which I could deepen my understanding of marketing strategies with clear relevance to talent management and employer branding.

The PAUSE Scholarship gave me not only specialist knowledge but also a broader perspective on the relationship between business strategy and HR. The network of professors, colleagues and fellow students has also remained a lasting source of inspiration and learning.

I am convinced that the scholarship was an important milestone in my career. The insights I gained have played a significant part in my work as a strategic adviser in employer branding.

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Amanda Undin

PAUSE scholar 1996 · The Wharton School

What the PAUSE Scholarship has meant to me

After graduating from the Stockholm School of Economics, I started my first job as a management trainee at OK Petroleum. I thought a great deal about the design of the trainee programme, particularly as the company struggled to retain its trainees once the programme ended. When PAUSE was looking for a scholar in this field, I applied straight away. The scholarship enabled me to spend the spring of 1996 at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, exploring the subject with researchers and professors in its human resources (HR) department. My scholarship report was entitled Management Trainee Programs.

My husband and our children, then aged four and six, joined me for the six-month adventure. I believe I was the first mother to receive the scholarship. More than once during our time in the United States, my husband was congratulated on receiving it. He would laugh and always reply: “No, I am the nanny!”

At Wharton, I was welcomed with open arms. Earlier PAUSE scholars had paved the way, and I was able to attend seminars and lectures free of charge. I took every opportunity to do so. My supervisor, Professor Peter Cappelli, also invited the whole family to his home. It was a great privilege to deepen my knowledge of leadership in general and trainee programmes in particular.

The scholarship gave me an academic foundation beyond my degree in business and economics and became an achievement I am very proud of. At job interviews, I have had the opportunity to talk about my time at Wharton. My interest in leadership has also been of great benefit in my work as a leader and manager. Other companies have used my report as a basis for developing trainee programmes, and I have been able to contribute as an expert.

The trip was important and enriching for our whole family — an experience we still talk about. If you are thinking of applying for the scholarship, do it!

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Fredrik Hillelson

CEO and founder, Novare · PAUSE scholar 1990

What the PAUSE Scholarship has meant to me

What has PAUSE meant to me? An enormous amount. I received the scholarship in 1990, just after graduating in behavioural science from Stockholm University. Before that, I had spent nine years in what is now the Swedish Amphibious Corps and qualified as an officer.

My scholarship programme was tailored to questions about international assignments. I spent a couple of months at AB Volvo in Gothenburg and just over a month at Alfa Laval’s international assignments office in London. The period ended at a management school in Slovenia, through an arrangement organised by Tetra Pak. I gained a unique insight into how personnel departments support employees leaving for and arriving on international assignments.

Thanks to the scholarship, I started working in Scania’s international personnel department in August 1990. Roles at Andersen Consulting and Investor followed. I later founded Novare, where I am now CEO. I am also a co-founder of Beredskapslyftet, a non-profit initiative involving the business community.

As a recruiter, I meet around 700–800 people a year in Sweden. Not a day goes by in my professional life without my referring to how my career began. The PAUSE Scholarship is an important part of that story.

Photograph: Sara Rossi

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Lars Franzén

PAUSE scholar 1988 · EIASM, Brussels

What the PAUSE Scholarship has meant to me

With the PAUSE Scholarship, I spent about six months at the European Institute of Advanced Studies in Management, EIASM, in Brussels. My theme was changes in the wider world that would affect companies during the 1990s.

Through Torsten’s and Arne’s networks, I had the opportunity to meet several leading Swedish business figures, including Hans Werthén and Ingvar Kamprad. I met Ingvar Kamprad at his home in Lausanne. These were wonderful opportunities that the scholarship opened up for me.

I considered staying in Brussels and was offered the opportunity to pursue a doctorate in organisation theory at EIASM. In the end, however, I chose to return home and continue working at Semper, which was then part of Arla.

My six months in Brussels and my experience of PAUSE have stayed with me in my work to connect personnel issues with the business and help young people enter working life. For the past eight years, I have worked at Lantmännen, where my work includes acquisitions and partnerships as well as running two smaller companies in pharmaceuticals and functional foods.

Image source: Lantmännen’s media library

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Magnus Johansson

Former Managing Director of SKF in Shanghai · the first PAUSE Scholarship was awarded in 1982

What the PAUSE Scholarship has meant to me

As a PAUSE scholar, I studied at the Wharton School in Philadelphia in 1985. Those six months had a profound impact on both my career and my personal development. My time at Wharton gave me knowledge, experience and lifelong friendships, as well as a deeper understanding of cultural differences and of how different perspectives can enrich collaboration and leadership in an international setting.

My studies provided more than academic insight. They also gave me a broader understanding of how people with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives can contribute to development and better decision-making.

I have often drawn on what I learned at Wharton. I am convinced that those experiences were instrumental in my development as a business leader.

To me, the PAUSE Scholarship represents an investment in people, knowledge and future leadership. It has had a lasting impact on both my professional and personal life.

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