Welcome to January’s NAVBLUE Employee Spotlight Feature!
We’ve created these stories with the goal of shining a spotlight on the pivotal role our employees play in the tech and aviation field, their journeys so far, and how NAVBLUE aims to create an innovative and inclusive workforce with their help.
Today we are sharing the story of Cecilia Skroder, Head of Business Improvement in Toulouse, France.
Interesting Facts
- Has lived in 7 different countries, but has adopted France as her new home🥐💕
- Trekked over a 4650m high mountain pass in the Himalayas in pouring rain for her honeymoon🏔👰
- Her favourite sweets are Swedish green jelly frogs🐸🍬
Q&A
–Thank you for joining us, Cecilia! Can you share a bit about your background?
Thanks for having me! Sure, I’ll start from the beginning…
I grew up in Sweden, where Nature and Swedish meatballs formed the base of my early life. Curious about new things, I quickly found opportunities to discover other places and cultures (including other meatballs. As it turns out, they are not at all specific to Swedish cuisine). I joined different exchange programmes through university and then started my career in Australia after graduating from law school. Following another five years in Singapore, where I worked both with a consultancy startup and a large French company, I got a transfer to France and brought the family with me.
-How did you come to join NAVBLUE?
After I did my MBA, I got in touch with NAVBLUE for a role in partnership development. The work here has been more dynamic and versatile than I could ever have dreamt of coming from “big corporate”. Although NAVBLUE is an affiliate of Airbus, it has maintained its specific culture and operations. For someone who likes challenges, working with people, and having a real impact on the business, NAVBLUE is a great place to be. Since then, I have had the opportunity to work on a multitude of topics in addition to partnerships: integrating new affiliates into the company, large transformations around digital, software development, HR related subjects, and more. Now, as Head Of Business Improvement, the focus is both on overreaching and continuous improvement across the company.
-Could you tell us, in brief, what a Head of Business Improvement is and what that role entails within NAVBLUE?
Of course. My team and I have a pretty wide role: we work as experts, coaches, and project leaders with all parts of the business. The aim is to improve business performance both in terms of efficiency and quality of deliverables. In some cases this means reviewing an entire “eco-system” of activities, so you really get an understanding of the whole company, which is very interesting. Needless to say, this isn’t done by one person alone in a closed office, there’s a lot of interactions, discussions, and workshopping going on.
As the “Head Of” I also carry specific responsibilities. First, to ensure that the improvement work across the business is successful and achieves the intended results, which in some cases involves quite a lot of stakeholder management and perseverance. Second, and just as important, I support my team with direction, feedback, and development. If I can leverage all team members’ “superpowers”, and they grow, learn new things, and are recognised by the business for what they do, then I have succeeded in my role.
-Define NAVBLUE’s future in a word
Given NAVBLUE’s capabilities as a company and the developing uncertainty in the world around us, “growth and adaptability” are words that come to mind.
