”In a world of opportunities, the fact that I have been here at Telia for so long is a sign that I’m really having fun”, says Fredrik Lemming who succeeded Göran Olsson as Head of PU ACE on June 1st. In this article you will get to know Fredrik, who dreamt of becoming a professional skier, has an unmatched passion for the customer experience and repairs bandy clubs in his spare time.
Fredrik Lemming started his journey at Telia, fresh out of Uppsala University, and has worked in different roles over the years: as a developer, project manager, sales representative, and sales manager. The fact that he chose Telia as his first employer was a well-thought-out coincidence. He studied in Uppsala, enjoyed life there, and wanted to stay. Since he wanted to spend a lot of time training, he didn’t want to commute, so he looked for a job in IT in Uppsala. During a job fair at the university, he flipped through the catalogue with the different employers and tore out the pages of the companies who did not have an office in Uppsala. Telia Promotor was one of the company presentations that remained.
“I called Göran Olsson and was hired as a programmer. It didn’t take long before I realized that it wasn’t my cup of tea, so I moved toward roles closer to the customer. “
Member of a highly skilled team
On June 1st Fredrik took over after Göran Olsson as Head of PU ACE and feels that it is a great honor to lead the organization that has employed him during his entire working life.
“It’s both exciting and a little bit scary. Naturally I have asked myself the question if I have what it takes to meet the customers and the colleagues’ expectations. But as a person who recently turned 50 years old, I feel safe knowing that I don’t have to have all the answers, feel hugely supported by the organization, and am not afraid of asking for help.”
In his new role, Fredrik is responsible for everything from sales, delivery, product development, support, and customer satisfaction on the Nordic markets. Currently he focuses on getting a complete picture of the business, which means days filled with meetings and forward-looking strategy work. Meanwhile it’s business as usual.
“Of course, there are operative tasks to keep me more than busy, but I prioritize taking advantage of my fresh perspective to question and challenge how we do things.”
Adrenaline junkie who listens to the body
In his spare time Fredrik enjoys watching and playing sports, is engaged in different clubs and coaches his kids’ teams. He has a background as an elite cross-country skier and describes himself as an adrenaline junkie who loves a good challenge, such as mountain climbing. From the world of sports, he has also learned to listen to his body and the importance of brutal honesty. Insights that are also useful on a professional arena.
“The instant you stop listening to your customers you are in deep water. In the long run you can neither fool yourself nor the market.”
Fredrik also has a less common interest. He fixes bandy clubs for youth and some of the elite teams in Sweden. He does it as a way of making the sport more affordable for the kids and to make a contribution to the environment. In Fredrik’s workshop the clubs with a broken blade or stick become as good as new by polishing down the damaged area and adding a fresh coat of carbon fiber and epoxy.
“Some people knit and others collect stamps. I repair bandy clubs, says Fredrik.”
Happiest when meeting people
Anyone who has met Fredrik knows that he is a social and open person who loves people. He has always enjoyed social settings and is happy as a clam at events where he can mingle his way through the room. His love of people made him gravitate to roles where he got to work close to the customer. And the fact that he passionately enjoys competing has given him an edge as a salesperson.
“I enjoy working toward long-term goals, just like I did during my years as an athlete and am motivated by the instant feedback you get from the customers.”
Lastly Fredrik, imagine that you are seated next to a new acquaintance at a dinner party and that person asks you about the most exciting development in the Customer Experience field right now. What’s your answer?
“The proliferation of automation and self-service has caused a shift toward a larger proportion of the interactions becoming digital. But organizations who chose that strategy for their customer meetings need to be aware that the transition means that the unique human qualities disappear from the interactions– such as caring and understanding. That means that the digital services must work flawlessly in order to provide a top-notch experience. ”
“More automation and self-service also means that the contacts that actually reach the agents become increasingly complex. Therefore, we need to create conditions that allow the customer service staff to deliver a great experience. They need tools to quickly find the right information, but also to enable knowledge-sharing between different departments, as well as during remote work. With the right tools we transform traditional agents into Superagents.”
