Solgun is Møre Trafo’s first Head of HR

Incredibly happy

— This is going to be incredibly exciting, and I’m really happy I got the job. For most of my professional life I’ve worked with human capital and development in different arenas. Being allowed to help build a constructive work culture in such a solid and forward-leaning company is a dream job for me. Møre Trafo has an exciting history, strong core values, and we’re sailing with the wind at our back. A very good starting point for good processes, says Solgun.

Home from Stavanger

After 23 years in Stavanger, she and her husband Ole-Johnny Myrseth moved back home to Sykkylven. According to Solgun, it was Ole-Johnny who pushed hardest to move back. She herself had many great working years in Stavanger and was probably not as ready for Sykkylven as her husband. Now, three years after returning home and starting at Møre Trafo, she is very happy to be back where she grew up.

Enjoying the Outdoors

— It feels really, really great to be here, and at Møre Trafo I’ve met everyone from old friends from my youth to the parents of my friends. I’ve been warmly welcomed by all the employees and met an incredibly inclusive group of colleagues. As HSE Coordinator, the working environment here will be a big part of what I’ll spend a lot of time working on going forward, says Solgun, who is the mother of six-year-old twins Lars and Lilja, and the oldest, Håkon, who soon turns 20. The family enjoys nature as often as they can, with trips in the woods and fields and to their cabin in Megardsdalen. Solgun has also had an active sports career as a top-level volleyball player.

Started Out as a Teacher

She trained as a teacher at Høgskulen i Volda (1990 to 1994), but after a while she felt the work became a bit heavy and routine. From 2008 to 2016 she completed various certification programs at, among others, The Coaching Institute in Stavanger and NTNU in Trondheim, to build her advisory skills.

Broad Experience

She has done a lot of different things and has broad and varied work experience. She has run her own company, worked in Sales, worked as a consultant in corporate advisory, leadership and management development, recruitment, organizational development, work-oriented rehabilitation, and she has worked in child welfare. After she returned to the furniture town in 2020, she has been department manager for Sykkylven Opplæringssenter and, for the past year, HSE advisor for Bedriftshelsetjenesten in Sykkylven.

Focus on Quality

— I’d describe Møre Trafo as a forward-leaning company with a strong focus on quality. That’s probably also why it became important to have someone in my role. When the company grows fast, you need an overarching system for the many processes that follow, says Solgun.

HRM System

Your first task is to implement a new HRM system (human resource management) that will safeguard and structure all personnel data. This is important when Møre Trafo develops solid strategies for everything from recruitment and skills development to day-to-day people management.

Sustainability

Customers set strict requirements for Møre Trafo on environment, quality, and customer satisfaction. Møre Trafo can now show that they are certified to meet and fulfill these requirements. Møre Trafo is officially certified according to ISO 9001 (quality management) and ISO 14001 (environmental management). With Solgun in the lead, the work on occupational health and safety certification starts. With these three certifications, the cornerstones of sustainability are in place.

Ensure a Safe and Sound Working Environment

— ISO 45001 certification is the international management system for working environment, and gives companies a framework for control and continuous improvement when it comes to health and safety in the workplace. As mentioned earlier, Møre Trafo puts quality first, and this is a standard that is important for our operations and for our customers. We follow standards that ensure everyone who works at Møre Trafo has a safe and sound working environment, explains Solgun.

To get certified, you need a documented system for continuous improvement. A key part of the HR Manager’s job here is to collect documentation and establish the system.