From Dithmarschen to Down Under – to sustainability at Aspen Group

Hi, who are you and what are you most proud of in your life?  

Arne here, I have a brilliant 9-year-old son Julian, a 7-year-old ballerina Sofia, and an awesome partner with Emi! I love nature and spending time with my family. I grew up 1h North of Hamburg in the countryside of Dithmarschen. People say that we are “direct with a strange kind of humor” – sometimes people are right… 

I did some judo and swimming as a young lad but later fall in love with football. The latter taught me a lot about myself and the strength of teamwork which I have used ever since. I had a difficult time in my late 20s and early 30s, partly because I felt that I had not done the one thing I always wanted to do: to live abroad. So, I moved to London and met Emi just a year after that. We then moved to Perth, Australia for one year, but moved back to the UK as we were expecting our second child. Our last years have simply been a roller coaster of laughter, screaming, tears, and a lot of silliness. But I am very proud of how we are working together as a family and making the dream work! 

Describe your current role – what do you do on a daily basis? 

I learned in my previous roles to have a lot of resilience, to apply a long-term view, and to be patient. There is never a dull day as we are working with a lot of different great teams within the Aspen Group whilst seeking help from awesome colleagues within the Energy sector and Group Function of course. So, no day is like the other, but I would normally start the day with a quick reflection of the previous day. I then re-align my tasks if needed before catching up with the team. I then continue the various sustainability projects we have. 

What is your relationship with Lantmännen’s values - openness, holistic view, and drive? Any practical example you want to share?  

I was very lucky last year and attended the GROW program (one of Lantmännens training programs) which, besides introducing me to a lot of wonderful people from all parts of Lantmännen, significantly helped me to become better. But it made me realize that our values of openness, holistic view, and drive are being lived. One very big learning point for me is the combination of the three, being 100% open without following an agenda whilst applying a holistic view is essential for long-term planning. So, I am more aware of this now within business planning meetings for example.    

What drives you to develop? 

I always wanted to be the best version of myself and to pass this on to my kids drives me even more to keep re-inventing myself. Currently, I am focusing on implementing Aspen Group’s Sustainability Strategy and we have a lot of work to do thereafter. But it is equally important that we deliver return to our owners, and I like to contribute to this as much as I can. 

What's your best advice for someone who is newly hired at Lantmännen? 

I have been very lucky throughout my career and remain very grateful for that. Giving advice might be for others, but I want to share that it helped me to be true to my inner compass, to be curious, to work hard, and to accept other opinions! 

Three words that describe Lantmännen? Or the best thing about Lantmännen according to you?  

Lantmännen is GREAT, FUN, and full of POSSIBILITIES. Seriously, it is a great place to work where I have improved my professional skills, some of which I am applying in my private life! Don’t tell Emi, but I learned recently (better late than never) to actual listen and (truly) accept a variety of opinions. This has allowed me to improve myself, my family & social life, my team, my colleagues and my environment all whilst having fun and enjoying every moment of it – no matter how difficult the situation.  

Some final questions. What’s the most unexpected skill you’ve picked up at Lantmännen?  

I learned a lot in my few but eventful years at Lantmännen. The ability to work one moment on a strategic long-term project using a holistic approach and the next moment taking care of urgent problems which require immediate problem solving - is a skill Lantmännen gave me early on. Additionally, I had a real eureka moment once I understood the real meaning of Business in mind and People at heart. 

If you could swap jobs with anyone at Lantmännen for a day, who would it be and why? 

If I could, I would work at a Future Farm developing new sustainable practices for one day.