Ina Zappe – CEO/CFO Trainee

What made you apply for the trainee role at Telenor Sweden?
– The traineeship at Telenor sounded like a kickstart for my career. Following the CEO and CFO and working closely with them and the management team seemed like a learning opportunity that I would not want to miss. Getting first-hand insights of how executives work and what is on top of their mind, inspires me and makes me reflect what it means to lead a company. 

Give a brief summary of your role, what is it about?
– My tasks are diverse, but it all comes back to working with many colleagues from different parts of the company. One of the more standardised tasks is for example facilitating the bi-weekly management meetings. I set up the agenda together with the CEO and CFO, consolidate all pre-reads and take notes during the meetings. On other days, I prepare presentations e.g. for the Board of Directors or coordinate what is needed for other upcoming meetings. I also follow the CEO and CFO to many of their meetings, which gives me a broad perspective of what is happening at Telenor. No week is like the other, which makes working as the CEO trainee at Telenor very exciting.

What is the best thing about being a trainee at Telenor?
– The best thing about being a trainee at Telenor is the culture that is lived at Telenor. The trainee culture is very strong, but also Telenor’s overall culture is very welcoming. You can feel that we all strive to become better every day and that we want to challenge ourselves and the market. This gives the foundation to develop yourself, which is also strengthened by our leaders who believe in your strengths and support you while you learn on the job.  

What is your biggest challenge so far as a trainee?

When I am consolidating many different types of input and information, it can sometimes be challenging to manage the time and deadlines wisely in order to finish my own deadlines on time.

What career opportunities, short term and long term can you see that the trainee program can give you?
– I see that the trainee program gives me great career opportunities. As a CEO trainee, I get insights of the entire company and telco industry, which is a good foundation to really understand the business. After this year, I can freely choose in what area I would like to continue working at, which makes it very interesting as I now have the opportunity to gain more insights of each division and individual tasks. I also believe that the long-term career opportunities are very good as many former trainees are now in key positions with a lot of responsibility.

What makes Telenor a good employer? Give examples.
– There are many reasons why Telenor is a good employer. The lived culture is amazing and inspires me every day. Whenever you have an idea, you are encouraged test it. When different opportunities arise, Telenor believes in you and empowers you to seize those. All in all, Telenor challenges individuals to grow, while providing trust and security.

What would you say to someone considering applying for trainee next year?
– The opportunity is unique; the culture is amazing, and you will grow and learn a lot throughout this trainee year! So, apply for this position, you will not regret it!