Stringo’s R&D team is growing rapidly. On board to steer the ship (fulfilling a childhood dream, at least figuratively) is Jakob Öman, Head of Design and Aftermarket. A few weeks into his brand new role, what’s on the horizon for this father of three?
You just moved from Stockholm to the High Coast, tell us about that!
“My wife grew up in the area, and we’ve always thought that it would be nice to move up here one day. We met as students in Stockholm, and after 20 years in the city, the timing was right. Her younger sister was starting a family, and with three children of our own, aged six, eleven, and thirteen, we wanted to live closer to the cousins and grandparents up here.”
So, it was more of a lifestyle choice than a career move?
“Exactly. But I felt confident that I would find a job, having some local contacts from before. I wasn’t unhappy with my previous job, developing electric trucks at Scania. But it was time for something new.”
How did you end up at Stringo?
“A former manager of mine from Scania had previously worked with Magnus Grafström, now CTO of Stringo, and connected us through LinkedIn. It turned out that Magnus was considering adding a senior member to the R&D team. With the department growing and international client projects taking up more of his time, he needed to remove some areas of responsibility from his plate. My background and leadership experience seemed like a good fit to both Magnus and our CEO Nina Thelin, so a new role was created, and I came on board.”
Can you describe your new role?
“I’m in charge of the R&D team’s daily operations, ensuring the employees have a manager who’s present on-site and can support their development. I’ll also be focusing on aftermarket services and quality assurance. These areas are becoming more important as our product portfolio expands with more advanced machines, such as the Stringo S5 and the Four-Wheel Mover (4WM).”
What aspects of it are you particularly excited about?
“The opportunity to develop as a leader. In my previous role, I managed a team in a field I knew well—batteries—while the leadership part was new. Now, I’ve got five years of experience as a manager, but need to learn about the products. That will be an interesting change from a leadership perspective. I’m also excited to be working in a smaller company, where my role is broader, and not limited to a specific technical niche.”
What’s the most important thing for you when choosing an employer?
“That the company has genuine values, and sticks to them during difficult times. I appreciated that about my previous employer, having joined them during the financial crisis in 2009 and worked there throughout the COVID pandemic. That’s also what caught my attention about Stringo—the strong company culture, combining professionalism with an incredible team spirit. That’s a very special thing.”
You’re still new to the vehicle moving field, but are there any upcoming trends you’d like to share?
“I see a lot of potential in autonomous operations. With Stringo’s robust mechanical platform, flexible hardware, and great software partners, we’re very well positioned to meet whatever needs our customers might have within vehicle moving. And further on, we might see vehicle movers adapted for outdoor use. That could open up whole new areas of use, such as emergency services, tow trucks, or vehicle transport.”
What do you like doing outside of work?
“I love being out in nature—hiking, running, cross-country skiing in winter, and especially climbing mountains. This summer, I took our thirteen-year-old up Glittertind in Norway, which is 2,400 metres high. Our youngest is also a very keen climber. He memorises the names of local mountains, like Högklinten, and recognises them from the car window, even from different angles. I think that’s quite impressive for a six-year-old.”
When you were a child yourself, what was your dream job?
“Very early on, I wanted to be a sea captain. I thought big boats were really cool. But then I learned that if the ship sinks, the captain has to go down with it. That was pretty hard to digest as a child, so I abandoned that dream. Later on, I became fascinated by trucks. I got to drive them during my military service, and at university I studied vehicle engineering. So you could say that vehicles, in one way or another, have been the common thread right from the start.
—
If you want to meet more newcomers to the Stringo R&D team, don’t miss our interview with Dan Järrendal, Senior Mechanical Engineer!
