At Atlas Copco Group, we strive to be the most attractive industrial company in our segments and target markets. Our strong culture of innovation is a result of having great people on board, committed and encouraged to grow and reach their full potential. With the belief that passionate people make the difference, the People Podcast is one channel where we get to explore and deep dive into topics within people and culture. For those of you who listened to our previous episode, Welcome Back!
We release new episodes on a quarterly basis, and the program today is our nineteenth release. I'm Cecilia Sandberg, head of HR for the Atlas Copco Group. And today I have the privilege of having our CEO for the group, Vagner Rego joining me. Soon, a year has passed since Vagner took on the role as CEO and I thought it would be a great opportunity to hear him reflect on his first year. Our topic today will be under the hood of our CEO, Vagner.
We will have the opportunity to hear Vagner share his learnings and reflections during his first year in the role, what opportunities he sees going forward for the Atlas Copco Group, and what does he do outside of work to nurture his own well-being? Please join us. Vagner. Most welcome to the People podcast. Thank you. Cecilia, it's a pleasure to be here for the first time. Yeah we're excited. So time flies. And you are soon celebrating one year in the role as the CEO for the Atlas Copco Group.
Could you share a bit what has been your personal highlights so far? Yeah, Cecilia indeed. Very soon is going to be one year. And what I have been doing in the last year is really to spend time, visiting the companies that I didn't, know, the technologies that I was, less familiar with. 37 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:12,960 And it was a great experience. It was really fantastic to learn about the technologies that we have and how we can help our customers really to, to achieve their goals.
That was really great. That was also great to meet quite a lot of people and to see the knowledge that we have inside of our company. That was great. A lot of fantastic people working here, for sure. And it's so it sounds like you have had a good start so far in, in your new job. So but let's take a step back. So before we move forward and, and let's maybe start from the beginning. Could you share the journey, that led you to become the CEO for the group? Yeah, it's a pleasure to do that.
As you all know, I started my career in Brazil as a student trainee. That was, quite interesting because I ended up in the service department because I had a little bit of history, with service, even before I went to university. I had been involved in service somehow. And when I went to Atlas Copco to make an interview, to be a trainee. So they saw that, and they immediately, asked, asked if I would like to be part of the service department. And that was my start.
My early days, I spend a lot of time, a lot of time with, the service people trying to organize the service department. It was not as professional as we have it today. And that was a great start. And after one year, as a student trainee, I was hired as an engineer. Also in the service department. Then I started to do the early projects on how to organize the service business, in Brazil.
After a few years, I moved to technical support, and that was a great experience as well, because I start to have contact with the group, with the headquarters and, quite a lot of trainings as well. International meetings. Over time, I saw that I would like to be a bit more closer to the core business of the company. And after some trainings, I went to the marketing department.
Still in service. So, it was the really early days of this service as a business in Brazil, even before we started to create service divisions. So, and over time I also became the service business manager in Brazil, which is a service manager. But we, we normally in the group we call business manager because we also believe the service is a, a business line, for the entities we have. And that was also great.
And while I was, a business manager, we had the first, or, the first service division within the Atlas Copco Group was created. That was the compressor technique service division, and I was in the middle of that transformation. So a few years later, I became VP marketing for service, which was a great experience. Going to Belgium, having the international exposure. And I ended up leading the service division, as service president. A lot of knowledge, around an experience around service.
And then I had the opportunity as well to become the the president of the compressor business. It was not my background. I didn't have experience with equipment and, with product development, but I think that I took that as a big challenge. And it was quite interesting because, you know, Cecilia learning gives you a lot of energy. Learning challenges gives you energy and that's what I like about Atlas Copco you always have a new challenge that forces you to learn.
And we also have a week that we call the Never Stop Learning Festival. Absolutely. We do. So and I think that that was that, in the last two years, I was quite busy and it has been a fantastic journey. I must say, well, thanks for sharing your story there. Vagner, especially in relation to self reflection and self awareness, I think we can all actually reflect a little bit more than we do.
But let's take a look at the group and what lies ahead of us then, what are some of the opportunities you see going forward for us? Yeah. Yes. Cecilia for sure. As industrial technology group, I think there are quite a lot of, opportunities going forward. If you see our products lines and how we are positioned in some critical markets and very important markets for the society, I think I feel very excited about it. I think we are in the middle of some big transformation.
If you consider the the EV transition that still continues, I think the energy transition, we are very well-positioned semiconductor segment. But not only I think we are presenting several industrial segments that are going to transformation. Some are going through an automation process that is becoming more and more, important. If you look to demographics, into demographics, it's clear that, that there will be a need for more automation. And we are quite well positioned in that as well.
And I think we, we of course, when we look to all these opportunities, we feel excited about it. But for sure, growth normally doesn't come in a straight line. I think you have curves. You need to be able to, to adapt during, difficult moments and moments of uncertainties. And that's why it's important as well as a group, to stay resilient. But the, the long term strategy, I think I'm quite confident. I see quite a lot of opportunities.
And that's why I decided as well, to take these challenges as the CEO of the group, thank you so much. I think you mentioned the importance of R&D and innovation, and innovation is actually one of our core values. So what strategies do you see then to foster innovation within your team, but also for the broader group? I think it's very important to have an environment where people don't feel, threatened.
They feel that they can give their opinion, they can contribute, they can come with, new ideas, out of the box, out of the box ideas that they will not feel, they will be punished if something does not go as planned. And that happens. I would love to have everything going as planned, but unfortunately is not the case. And then you need to create that environment that people try new things. They are not punished. But of course they also have a commitment to achieve something.
I think that's also important. And I think we in the group, we have been quite successful on that. Of course, you can improve. We also say in the group that there is always a better way, for sure. And I think in every process we definitely can improve. But we have been doing quite well. And if you look to the technologies that we have developed and how we are able to support our customers, I'm definitely quite happy with what we have achieved.
I like the way you express, psychological safety in relation to really dare to try new things. And, and I guess, see if there are new opportunities for us. I think that is, so important for the innovation piece to really create that environment. And I have seen Cecilia over time, when you have that, the environment that where people can suggest new things and, and sometimes we, do have the knowledge of the within the group that things did not went well in the past.
But that doesn't mean we should not try again. No. Exactly. Because new people, different approach. We are all different and there are different ways to tackle the same problem. And I think when you allow that, I think I have seen in practice some businesses being created because of that environment. Well we did talk briefly about that.
We are facing a time of uncertainty in the world, and the need for resilience and agility of course from our side, when you face a challenge and you are uncertain about something what values and personal experiences is actually guiding you as a leader Vagner. Yeah. For me, I think it's important to, really keep the focus on our strategy. I think we have a fantastic strategy and a good way that we have within the group to talk about, our strategy and culture as well, the way we do things.
Is what we called the Atlas Copco book, which contains, pictures and fewer guidelines. That allows us to spread our culture. And I used to say that I still I've heard that the very early in my career, that one general manager told me, I still use this book to take decisions. Yeah. Fantastic. And I still do it today. I think I based some of the decisions in the pages we have in our book, because then it's clear where we are heading to because the decisions should not be a secret.
I think the organization should know where we are going to. And I think when we take the decisions, based on, some principles that everybody's aware, I think it makes the implementation better and faster. So and coming back to your point of times of uncertainty, we also have a couple of pages in the book illustrating that. And that's why we as a company we try to be asset light.
That's why we, we try to build resilience, to really, to make sure that in times of uncertainty we can really navigate to, let's say tough weather conditions in a reasonable way. No, no, I fully agree with you. And I think that ability to adapt to change and stay resilient, as you say, especially in times of uncertainty is so important. I think it's also important to ensure you have, some sort of a supporting toolbox to navigate through the turmoil, so to speak.
So how do you handle failure or setbacks, both from a personal point of view, but also professionally, anything you can share? I think that first of all, my first reflection when you ask that is, I think we all have failures and setbacks, for sure. And I think that's part of the only ones that does not fail are the ones that does not try anything new, does not change anything. Then you of course you don't fail.
But I think what I try to do always is to have a good lessons learned about what I was trying to achieve. Did I have clear goals? Yes or no? Did I communicate well? because I do believe a lot of, things does not get accomplished as well, because we don't communicate properly and people do not understand what we want to achieve. And that results in something that what is not according to plan. And I think communication is always, in leadership, very important.
But I like really to reflect into a good lessons learned not only about my mistakes, but also about what has happened before the environment. Other companies, sometimes some mistakes are done. I think it's good to read to learn, and to look ahead because if we keep only looking to the past, I think that's also not, a good state of mind. I think we need to keep on looking ahead and, just use the lessons learned and move on. Now, I really like your comment on looking ahead.
I think to take time and do a debriefing exercises and use the learning for the future, I think is very important. And I think I think you're right. I think we often see setbacks as failures only and don't really take it into consideration. That's sort of part of the learning path going forward. Well, it's a fair point Cecilia, because sometimes if we only look as a failure, that the state that people go into kind of defensive mode. Yeah, exactly.
If we go into the lessons learned, I think you get more, not only about myself, but, let's say the leadership position when you, you try to learn and ask them to what was the learning? I think it's, it's a positive way to get something out of that, that, experience. Yeah. I fully agree. We briefly talked about the importance of taking time for self-awareness and self-reflection. To make that happen. I believe in the in the in really in the importance of finding, your happy place.
So where is your happy place Vagner, and what are your hobbies or interests outside of work? And how do they actually contribute to your overall well-being? Yeah. So for me, if I start from the last point, about wellbeing, I think there are a lot of discussions about well-being. But the my opinion, I think, is very important to do what you like. You need to like your job. You need to have some passion about your job.
I used to say that in some meetings that, okay, if you wake up every morning and is a burden, to go to work is a problem. And I had that experience once I said that. And when some the other day, person resigned. But I think it was good because the job was not good doing well for that person. So I think it's important wellbeing starts when you, are doing something that you really enjoy. And I think it start there. But now to answer the first part of your question. I do I do have some happy place.
I play musical instruments. I, I like, and because when I do, I can switch off its just myself and reading the music. I think that is, is a good place for me. I get a good state of mind when I do that. And I like to read, and I love to travel as well, to know, to go to new places. I always enjoy it, and I feel quite a lot of pleasure on doing that, I think. Thanks for sharing that. I think you said music, a good book in a nice location. And I say, what's not to like about that?
I think we will have several listeners who agree with you. I think that sounds like a perfect, happy place for sure. So to run this off, maybe, why don't we look ahead in relation to our customers then? And, importance for us to bring value to them actually every day. What should we focus in, on, in relation to our customers and other key stakeholders? Would you say? Yeah, I think we need to.
We have discussed, a little bit about the innovation and that's key that we, we keep on focusing on delivering solutions that really help our customers to increase their productivity or profitability. Really. We really need to be part of the businesses with the solutions, we provide. And I think that's crucial to listen to the voice of our customers and try to come up with different ways to, to bring, to add value to our customers. I think that is crucial. But it is not only about customer.
We have several stakeholders, our employees. It's very important. I think we we are really doing a great job. On that. There are quite a lot of initiatives, at least from, from my side, when I look into what we do now in terms of, people management and or talent management, I think there was quite, a positive, change and quite a lot of things ongoing. But it's not enough.
Only I think we have to also think about our shareholders and, and making sure that we deliver the targets, we have committed to. So all that I think it's part of our mission. Yeah. For sure. Vagner time flies when you're having fun because believe it or not, we're getting closer to the end of this podcast. Any final reflections from your side, that you would like to share with our listeners? I have three points that I would like to highlight.
I think first about career, because I get quite a lot, this question, and I think what was important for me is really to understand what was my mission and really try to have a good dialog with your superiors to understand how do I, not how, but what is the mission that I could build the real plan aligned with what was expected from me? And keep the focus on that as well. Don't get distracted with things that are not part of your mission. That that helped me to, to deliver, good results.
And, and that's also part of your wellbeing job satisfaction. Absolutely. I think focus on your mission first comment also when you embrace new challenge for me has been, energy source. Whenever you have a challenge, it's like an energy boost for me that has been, quite important, to, to take on new challenges.
And also another reflection I have and, a comment I would like to leave here is, of course, we, want to have the stability, but the long term stability in business only comes when you have a mindset of constant change. And that means you are always improving. You are always looking for a better way, and that creates long term stability.
So I think and with the world full of uncertainties, new technologies coming up, I think we need to be open and to constant change, need to be open to challenge new challenges and to the constant change that is about to come. And I think if we can embrace that, I think we can be quite successful. Fabulous. Thank you so much for Vagner for joining me today, sharing your story from your soon to be first year in the role as CEO for the Atlas Copco Group.
And, I think for our conversation today, Vagner, bring a few things with me. The importance of getting to know yourself, deliver on your mission, and take on new challenges when they come by you. Setbacks as, good opportunities for learning for the future and ensure you create customer value every day. And maybe a final touch on that one. There is always a better way. That's how we say it in the group, right? Yes, indeed. Absolutely.
So to our listeners then, thank you so much for joining, today's episode of Our People podcast. Stay tuned. We are soon back again. And in the meantime, take care and all the best.