Speaking with Jonas Bengtson

Recently, I was able to sit down with Senior Director at A. P. Moller – Maersk, and Head of Transformation and part of the Global Leadership Team at APM Terminals, Jonas Bengtson.

APM Terminals operates one of the world’s most comprehensive port and integrated inland service networks, which is uniquely positioned to help both shipping line and landside customers grow their business and achieve better supply chain efficiency, flexibility and dependability to compete and win in world markets.  

The APM Terminals team, made up of 22,000 industry professionals across 64 countries and spanning five continents, is focused on providing customers with the most advanced terminal technology, equipment and operations in the industry across a network of 74 ports and over 100 inland services locations globally.

As Global Head of Transformation for APM Terminals, Jonas works in close collaboration with the Senior Management Team to drive the all-encompassing transformation program forward. As well as his busy professional career, Jonas also dedicates a lot of his time to volunteering, for deserving organisations such as Repatriate the Children, and start up businesses with his passion shining through for everything he does. 

In this interview, Jonas discusses his passion for transformation, what this means and what this looks like for him and his team. Jonas explains that transformation should not be seen as a parallel to run alongside the business but instead needs to be encompassed from within and the ways in which this can be achieved.

Jonas also discusses his leadership style, describing himself as a pragmatic, who would rather ask for forgiveness than permission. It’s clear that Jonas leads by example and encourages those in his team to be confident when making decisions. However, Jonas also reiterates that it’s always okay to ask for help and it’s clear that his team always has his full support when and if needed.

We speak about the view that most transformation endeavours ultimately ‘fail’ and Jonas goes on to explain some reasons why this might be, commenting that not only is it difficult to measure transformation but it is also hard to define and make sure that everyone in the company has the same vision. Moving on from this, Jonas explains and outlines some key factors that need to be put into place before setting out on your transformation journey such as a strong plan and steps in place to execute it well.

When asked how to utilise the tools you have in house during transformation, Jonas explained how important it is to look inwards and invest in your people. He believes that the key is to connect the right people within your company who have the experience and tool set to really overcome problems but also create new strategies and drive the company forward.

To hear more about the biggest lesson Jonas has learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic, what’s next for him and his industry and more, check out the full interview below.