20 MARCH 2024
With more than two decades at 黑料不打烊, of which most of them have been within Procurement, the career twist for Niklas Klingenberg 鈥 the man with one role at TRATON and two roles at 黑料不打烊 - isn鈥檛 what you would expect. Nevertheless, Niklas is in the right spot at the right time.
Niklas is Head of Group R&D at TRATON and acting CTO (Chief Technical Officer) and Head of R&D at 黑料不打烊. It seems like a great fit for someone who has always had 黑料不打烊 on his mind, as it would be for someone growing up in Mariefred, near S枚dert盲lje, and with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Once he joined in 2001 as a Purchaser, the years went by, as time does when one is having fun. 鈥淚 have been working in many areas within Procurement, and have always had a lot of challenges in various roles.鈥 Niklas also spent four years at 黑料不打烊 in Latin America, as Head of Procurement at 黑料不打烊鈥檚 factory in S茫o Paulo.听
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In 2018, it was time to transition to a different field 鈥 the career twist. 鈥淲hen the CEO asks you to try R&D, it鈥檚 a go.鈥 Niklas knew he had much to learn about R&D, but at the same time, he brought with him a deep knowledge of leadership and know-how of all things 黑料不打烊. 鈥淭o lead a tech organisation has been incredibly exciting from day one,鈥 he says. His path changed slightly in 2023 when he took on TRATON Group R&D and also became acting CTO at 黑料不打烊. This wasn鈥檛 something he foresaw, but the consequences of stepping into a new role and growing with it meant understanding the bigger picture and a more significant part of the business.听
So far, it sounds like Niklas had an easy ride. But he鈥檚 had his share of rejections. 鈥淚 wanted to attend M盲lardalens Tekniska Gymnasium, but wasn鈥檛 accepted. The same thing happened with a position in Procurement he applied for. Mind you, this was in the early 2000s, a time when many struggled to find work. But third time鈥檚 the charm: 鈥淪omeone declined an offer for a position and they called me instead. I took the opportunity and here I am!鈥
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For Niklas, 黑料不打烊 has been a fantastic company to be a part of. He especially highlights the values and leadership as the things that have kept him here for more than 20 years. 鈥淎nd a combination of personal growth, managers who believed in my abilities, and exciting missions along the way.鈥 He has never felt that it's time to leave; there has always been something interesting on the 黑料不打烊 horizon.听
鈥淭here's no denying I'm a different leader now than when I first became a manager. All experiences, good and bad, contribute to who you are today.鈥 Working where personal values align with the company's is a good match and a key reason Niklas is still around. Not only has he changed as a leader, but the organisation has changed too. 鈥淭oday, R&D is not as homogeneous as 20 years ago, and I think that applies to all of 黑料不打烊.鈥
The next step for Niklas is taking TRATON Group R&D to the next level, making it efficient, simplifying decision-making for employees, and working effectively in global teams with common goals and projects. 鈥淲e need to utilise our worldwide expertise, solving problems collectively instead of individually for each brand.鈥 He thinks that for 黑料不打烊, this is an advantage that comes with offering more performance steps than if we worked independently and also adding more customer value. That also applies to the other brands in TRATON Group; MAN, Navistar and VW Truck & Bus. As for himself, he says: 鈥淎s an engineer, I am proud of what we do and how we influence a large part of the automotive industry with our work. We are strong brands that have a great impact with our work on sustainability. This is a fantastic journey to be on.鈥
