FlexQube Employee Portrait: Joar

Meet Joar, a member of the FlexQube family, since the summer of 2019.

Joar graduated from Linköping’s University with an MSc in mechanical engineering and a master’s in mechatronics. He is based in Gothenburg at our HQ, speaks Swedish and English fluently, and is working as AGV System Product Manager.

Can you tell us how your FlexQube journey started?

I met one of the board members at a networking dinner and he encouraged me to contact Per (CTO) to discuss an opportunity to write my master thesis at FlexQube. When I finished my thesis (Investigating Simultaneous Localization and Mapping for an Automated Guided Vehicle) six months later, I was offered employment.

What are you doing each day?

As AGV System Product Manager, I’m responsible for leading and coordinating the R&D process of existing and future AGV concepts. I also support the implementation of our existing AGVs which means I get to work closely with our Sales Engineers and customers.

Is there something you wished you knew before you started?

I had an advantage by writing my thesis before I started my employment, it gave me the chance to get to know FlexQube and our products. When I and Per discussed different ideas about my thesis he gave me a lot of different topics and ideas and later I had the opportunity to choose what to write about, so the expectations were clear.

Have you surprised yourself during your journey at FlexQube?

I feel that Per (CTO) had trust in me from the beginning, which in turn gave me the confidence to solve the assignment I had accepted. So yes, I am surprised by how much I have learned over my short time here and how much I have accomplished in such a short time span.

We often promote learning as one of our biggest benefits. Have you learned something new?

Yes, learning new things is basically all I do at Flexqube. Especially in the first 6 months. I have also learned that I need to work offensively, take chances, and trust my intuition, the development process progresses quickly in small flexible companies like Flexqube and thus you are forced to think differently and learn every day.

As you mentioned, we have grown a lot in the last couple of years. Did you think something was going to happen since you started – but it didn’t?

Personally, I underestimated how difficult the AGV market is to penetrate. The industry has proven to be messy with integration periods that can go on for years and general distrust towards automation in some sectors since they have tried it before with limited or no success, it will be crucial for Flexqube to really understand our customers in order to create market shares. The AGV system is a unique system compared to the AGV systems of old, now is the time to convince the market as well.

How would you describe our culture at FlexQube?

I think it is really exciting to be a part of a company that wants to develop fast, almost like a start-up feeling once again on the journey of becoming a tech company. It was easy to become a part of the FlexQube community, everyone is very open and nice. I think we have a low middle age in the company comparing to the products we are working with.

If you would compare our culture to a celebrity, who would you pick and why?

I would pick Anders Tegnell. He has a calm aura and is very casual with great trust to the people (from my perspective the Swedish people) he is leading in the Covid-19 pandemic. We show big trust in our employees, suppliers, and customers. I would like to pick a song to. Avicii – Levels. That song expresses our experimental culture and the tempo we are developing in.

We are a small but global company. Have you learned something new about another country’s culture that you did not know before?

During my first year at FlexQube, I have learned much about the US market, in my opinion, it is still the motor in our world economy. I think they are more willing to take risks in business. Comparing to Europe, they could make a decision within 2 weeks and be more offensive which gives them a quicker ROI. The biggest difference is however the culture between the western world and India. They are extremely service minded, which could be both an advantage and disadvantage in my opinion.

Joar won our nomination in January as our Value Performer, here is why:

With dedicated support and a tireless manner to both FlexQube sales organization and specific customers after office hours, he shows outstanding customer focus & trustworthiness to make sure our demos, installations, and projects become a success. From day one, he has represented courage in his role with confidence and honesty with the explicit goal that FlexQube is going to be the number one Industry Leader. A true Value Performer each day to colleagues and customers.