Sara Elfsson, a graduate of the Executive MBA program at the Stockholm School of Economics, is making waves in the electric vehicle (EV) industry with her commitment to sustainability. In this article, she shares her journey to one of the most pioneering EV companies in the world and explains how the SSE MBA took her sustainability knowledge to new levels.
Sara Elfsson has found herself in a career focused on sustainability. Reflecting on her work experience to date, the conclusion is that her native country of Sweden has strongly influenced her path.
Sara’s background is in mechanical engineering, and gained most of her work experience at various original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and startups. She realized she needed a more solid academic grounding in accounting and finance to really shift her career up a gear. That realization led her to the Executive MBA program at the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE).
But beneath the surface, she has always held an interest in sustainability. According to Sara, it reflects her country’s long-standing commitment to sustainability.
“Sweden, I think Scandinavia in general, has been holding a flag up high when it comes to those topics,” she explains to MBAGRADSCHOOLS. “And I also see that big OEMs that I work with mostly have also early on adapted to these areas. Both when it comes to environmental and other ESG areas.” (02:07)
It’s true that Sweden is one step ahead when it comes to sustainability. In 1969, it was the first country in the world to pass an environmental protection act. The government has also set one of the most ambitious climate pledges aiming to be 100% fossil-free by 2045.
Sara says there has been a “huge drive” from the Swedish government in recent years to “get electrification into our every day.” One of the beneficiaries of that drive has been the electric vehicle manufacturer Northvolt, which has received grants from both the Swedish government and the European Investment Bank to expand its operations. (05:41)
So when the opportunity came for Sara to marry her interest in sustainability with her career, Northvolt ended up being the beneficiary.
Northvolt produces electric vehicle batteries from its base in the north of Sweden. Founded by former Tesla executive Peter Carlsson in 2015, the company rapidly grew to a 4,000-strong workforce in 2023. Among that new wave of employees was Sara, who joined Northvolt a year ago. She says she was taken in by the company’s “all angles” approach to sustainability.
“I think Northvolt is an amazing example of how you take sustainability to become part of your USP (unique selling point). That said, there are a lot of cell manufacturers out in the world that are really good. But when they (Northvolt) built and formed the company they thought about all angles of sustainability. Both producing cells with renewable energy but also with the recycling of raw materials, which is also so important.” (04:06)
Sara, the Senior Director of Sales & Business Development, doesn’t simply see the company’s sustainability as a sales pitch. It is a vital part of the company’s DNA and one which helps differentiate it from competitors in the same lane as them.
“When we go in to electrify a vehicle, which is the main market we’re acting in, it is not in a green-washing way. It is for real a better alternative than using gasoline. … It’s the DNA of the company, and it’s very unique. SSE really made me see this in another way,” she explains. (04:43)
As more professionals seek a career in sustainability, it has become a growing focus of business schools. But at SSE, it has always been front and center of their business programs.
That’s partly evidenced in the Financial Times EMBA Ranking 2022, where the school is ranked 18th in the world for environmental, social, and governance metrics. In addition, the sustainability modules in the SSE MBA are not electives, but part of the program’s core curriculum and are integrated into all courses. Which means every candidate must study them.
“I thought SSE took it to a new level of making it a good business. Not only for today but also a future-proof business. Making that part of the package was very attractive.” (03:19)
For Sara, sustainability had now gone from being a topic of interest to a fundamental part of her career. The SSE MBA gave her the knowledge she needed to thrive in her role.
“It was a topic I was very interested in, but also was very pressured by,” she admits. “I worked for a company with a lot of different production facilities around the world, and this (EMBA) really helped me take this sustainability topic to a new level and a better discussion.” (03:35)
An interest in a particular topic isn’t always enough to forge a career. Sometimes, getting the extra knowledge you need in an academic setting can be vital to developing your career. For Sara, an EMBA at SSE was the extra gear she needed to set her career on the road to a more sustainable future.
If you’d like to learn more about studying the executive MBA program at the Stockholm School of Economics, feel free to reach out to one of our SSE ambassadors.
