Leading Through Change: How Two Nordic Leaders are Turning Complexity into a Strategic Advantage

In today's landscape of geopolitical uncertainty and rapid technological change, business leaders face a dual challenge: driving efficiency while navigating a constant state of transformation. The pressure to get value from digital investments has never been higher, and new regulatory demands around everything from sustainability reporting to pay transparency are forcing organisations to rethink their core processes.

How can leaders not only cope with this complexity but turn it into a competitive advantage?

At a recent Workday event, we heard from two leaders who are on the front lines of this challenge: Annelie Hjertenstein, Director Group HR Operations & People Tech at Lantmännen, and Fredrik Mårtensson, Group CFO at Skandia. They shared their insights on transforming legacy systems, the power of a unified data core, and the practical lessons learned from their journeys.

The View from the Top: Acknowledging the Challenge

Both Lantmännen, a diverse agricultural cooperative, and Skandia, a 170-year-old financial services institution, faced a similar challenge: to modernise, standardise, and build a foundation for future growth. However, their starting points highlighted common obstacles many organisations face.

For Lantmännen, a cooperative owned by 17,000 Swedish farmers with 12,000 employees across 20 countries, the issue was a lack of consistency. “We moved from having a limited or non-existent system for people processes to a full Workday suite,” explained Annelie. This was a major shift not just for HR, but for the entire organisation.

Skandia’s challenge was rooted in its long history. “That legacy brings complexity and outdated systems,” said Fredrik. Tasked with running finance and business transformation in parallel, the company knew that changing its core platforms was not just an option, but a necessity for survival and growth.

From Disconnect to a Single Source of Truth

Faced with complexity, both organisations recognised the strategic value of consolidating their technology onto a single, unified platform.

Skandia was already a Workday HCM customer, so when the time came to replace its core finance system, expanding the Workday footprint was a logical next step. “Consolidating onto a few strategic platforms helped us reduce complexity and enabled us to move closer to ‘one version of the truth’,” Fredrik noted.

For Lantmännen, having a unified platform was key to managing its diverse portfolio of businesses, especially during mergers and acquisitions. “Workday has been instrumental,” Annelie stated. “Whether it's an acquisition or divestment… Workday enables us to onboard new entities quickly and align them with our people processes—even if their cultures differ.” This agility ensures consistency in everything from compliance training to global reporting.

Lessons from the Front Line: Keys to a Successful Transformation

While both companies were clear on the destination - becoming a more agile and data-driven organisation - the journey there required careful planning and courageous leadership. Both Annelie and Fredrik shared critical lessons for any leader embarking on a similar path.

• Know Your ‘As-Is’ Before Planning the ‘To-Be’. The most significant learning for Skandia was understanding the complexity of their existing landscape. “We underestimated the time needed before implementation,” Fredrik admitted. “It took over a year to fully understand our current systems, processes, and data flows… We had to pause and address that first, which saved us from costly rework later.”
• Invest Heavily in Change Management. For Lantmännen, the scale of the change was immense. “We knew change management was important, but still underestimated its scope,” Annelie shared. “When we rolled out to the whole organisation, we invested heavily in it—and it paid off.”
• Build for Self-Sufficiency. Both leaders emphasised the importance of building a strong internal team. Annelie noted their firm belief in being self-sufficient, with an internal team that “knows Lantmännen and works closely with our process owners.” This internal capability, combined with clear leadership and governance, is crucial for long-term success.

Looking Ahead: The Next Frontier

With their core platforms in place, both organisations are now focused on the future. 

Skandia, having been live with Workday Financial Management since January 2025, has already a full pipeline of improvements planned for the year ahead. “We’re especially excited about exploring AI and improved Analytics opportunities, both to drive process efficiency as well as improved analysis by blending Workday and non-Workday data sources,” Fredrik shared.

For Lantmännen, strengthening its approach to people analytics and building future-ready capabilities remains a priority. The company is looking to Workday to further support its evolving needs. “We’re exploring additional Workday solutions to support our skills and people analytics journey, with a strong focus on data quality. We’re also looking at how we can leverage AI opportunities to further enhance our people processes,” explained Annelie. 

Their journeys underscore a fundamental truth: in an era of constant change, the ability to build a unified, data-driven foundation is no longer just a technical upgrade. It is a strategic imperative for building a resilient, agile, and forward-looking organisation.

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