Employee Stories
Meet Kazuki Fukushima
This summer, Kazuki “Kazu” Fukushima became the latest engineer to join Ovako in the collaboration with our owners Sanyo Special Steel. Kazuki will be a part of the technical side of PU Black Bar and help us with various challenges around technical issues, productivity and more. He is the first engineer from Sanyo to join Business Unit Hofors-Hellefors and will be staying in Sweden for a couple of years. We asked Kazu five questions to get to know him better.
Employee Stories
From the city to Hofors, Tim and Sigrid’s new life at Ovako
Tim and Sigrid swapped the hustle of city life for the calm of Hofors, where they found rewarding careers at Ovako and a quality of life they never expected. Discover how this dynamic duo embraced the change, balancing work, nature, and a close-knit community.
Employee Stories
From molten steel to big dreams, Jane Jönsson-Valencik’s journey at Ovako
Jane Jönsson Valencik’s journey at Ovako is anything but ordinary! From glowing molten steel at 1,650°C to tackling production puzzles, she thrives in the heart of the action. Discover how this process engineer turns challenges into triumphs while loving life in Hofors!
Employee Stories
Women redefining the steel industry
At Ovako, we are dedicated to diversifying our workforce, particularly by boosting the presence of women
Employee Stories
Anders Lugnet reflects on Ovako’s New Hydrogen Facility in Hofors
Discover how Ovako’s innovative hydrogen plant in Hofors, led by Anders Lugnet, is transforming steel production with world-first electrolyzer technology, reducing CO2 emissions by 20,000 tons annually."
Employee Stories
Young Professional Network
The Young Professional Network at Ovako is helping its young talents grow and work together.
Employee Stories
Meet Ammar Arrafeh
Meet Ammar Arafeh, Head of Customer Support at Ovako. From his early studies to his current role, Ammar values Ovako's innovative technology, sustainable practices, and supportive team culture. Learn how he thrives in a collaborative environment and balances work with quality family time.
Employee Stories
Meet Leon Baker
Meet Leon Baker, an apprentice electrician at Ovako. After a rewarding internship during school, Leon joined Ovako full-time to kickstart his career. He enjoys the variety of tasks, learning from experienced colleagues, and the dynamic workdays. Outside of work, Leon stays active, spends time with friends, and unwinds.
Employee Stories
Meet Alexander Wallin
Alexander Wallin, Strategic Account Manager at Ovako, is driven by the company’s strong values, world-leading products, and focus on sustainability. He enjoys building relationships with customers and collaborating across teams to win new business. When not negotiating or meeting with clients, Alexander stays active through strength training and cross-country skiing, and spends time with his four children.
Employee Stories
Meet Nicklas Magnusson
Nicklas Magnusson, Ovako's Decarbonization Manager, is focused on advancing sustainability in steel. With a background in construction, he was attracted to Ovako's commitment to cutting emissions, particularly through projects like the hydrogen initiative in Hofors. His role involves managing the climate agenda, collaborating with customers, and staying on top of regulations. Outside of work, Nicklas enjoys family time in the countryside, woodworking, and socializing with friends.
Employee Stories
Meet Carl-Filip Olsson
Inspired by a supportive internship experience, Carl-Filip now thrives in a dynamic role where every day brings new challenges and opportunities to learn. Outside work, he enjoys bandy, golf, and pursuing a hunting license.
Employee Stories
Meet Arun Takur
Meet Arun Thakur, Process Engineer at Ovako, who turned his thesis project on machine learning in steelmaking into a dynamic career. Arun thrives on solving challenges in billet manufacturing, collaborating with teams, and enjoying sports and outdoor activities in his free time.
Employee Stories
Meet Amanda Wikstrom
Meet Amanda Wikström, HR Business Partner at Ovako, who turned her dream internship into a fulfilling career. Passionate about people and problem-solving, Amanda thrives on Ovako’s innovative, collaborative, and empowering work culture
Employee Stories
Meet Sara Saketi
Sara Saketi, Senior R&D Engineer at Ovako, explores wear mechanisms to enhance steel components and collaborates with universities on innovative projects. Outside of work, she enjoys family activities like football, swimming, and cycling.
Employee Stories
Meet Joona Niskala
Joona Niskala, an Electrician at Ovako, joined in 2019 for the opportunity to work in industrial electrical maintenance. He enjoys problem-solving and learning new skills in a constantly evolving field. Outside of work, Joona stays active with friends, the gym, cycling, and gaming.
Employee Stories
Sharing competences with our Japanese colleagues
Ovako employees in the Nordic region can get the opportunity to travel to Japan for up to three weeks, or possibly longer for R&D projects.
Employee Stories
Metal processing professionals - with safety first attitude
Last December, for the first time, Ovako Imatra mill started up training for the vocational qualification in process industries focusing on metallurgical industry. In addition to practical experience at the workplace, the apprenticeship trainees will complete four study modules. As in all Ovako operations, the starting point for the apprenticeship training is our key priority – safety.
Employee Stories
Sebastian Smed
Sebastian Smed started his personal journey at Ovako as a summer temp in 2010 - but Sebastian is actually the fourth generation in an unbroken line of the Smed family to work at Ovako in Hällefors. Ever since that summer, he has continued progressing within the company and in addition to his role as a process operator at the rolling mill, Sebastian is also a safety and union representative for IF Metall
Employee Stories
Julia Hermansson
Julia Hermansson has been a controller at Ovako Hällefors since 2017. Her role as a controller includes preparing and following up business plans, budgets and financial statements to analyze and evaluate operational performance. When the opportunity arose for a job that turned out to be a good fit with where she was in her life and education, she jumped at the chance to apply - a decision she has never regretted!
Employee Stories
Keeping customers on course with new sales unit for Nordics and Baltics
We have merged our sales units covering Scandinavia, Finland and the Baltics to create a new unit serving customers in our home market of the Nordic and Baltic countries. The new team includes around 15 people in direct sales, as well as a further 40 at Ovako Metals in Tampere, Finland, which provides stock services for our own steel products, as well as stainless steel, copper and brass.
Employee Stories
Safety as the number one priority
Ovako’s Safety week forms part of our systematic safety work, and this year it concludes on the World Day for Safety and Health at Work
Employee Stories
Focusing on gender equality
Our co-workers are Ovako’s most important asset. For us, it is primarily about finding the right skills for the right role at the right time.
Employee Stories
Meet Anneli Anhelm
Anneli Anhelm, head of technical customer service and product development, tried out a number of opportunities before she knew what she wanted to work with.
