Stephen Branston

Tell us about your career at Carlsberg? How did you get your current position?
I have been working within procurement and manufacturing previous in my career and always in Global companies, nearest in UK, USA and Norway. I applied for the position within procurement in Carlsberg in October 2017, this was because we were heading home from Norway. It was a very effective recruitment process and in the middle of October I got the position as Buyer CAPEX, MRO & Indirect Materials.

I came to the company with a lot of energy, innovation and more or less the thought that I could change the world (as you mostly feel when you are new within a company) I started with local procurement and as soon as I started to get a grip of the position, my boss decided to leave the company. So, from that it was lot to do, to learn and in quite high speed. Looking at how Carlsberg operated with my previous experience I saw that there where caps and things that we could develop and, wow- what I learned! As you always do when you sort of throughs into responsibility. I was in this position for about 14 months before I moved on to the current role that I have as a Global Category Manager MRO.

When I started the Category Manager position, I was so happy to get this global role working towards western and eastern Europe but without having to move from Sweden. Me and my colleague are now working with the bigger improvements that is needed, like AI potentiality, automatization within procurement and the indirect procurement- I’m hoping in the future to bring AI to indirect procurement in Carlsberg.

What made you choose Carlsberg from the beginning?
The biggest reason was that it was a global company. I remember that I answered this question in my interview and except that I’m and Englishman and like beer it was the global reach that was the answer But to be serious I have always been working in global companies, in Norway, USA and UK, and I know how they are operating and that suits my way of work very well. I like the ambition of global companies!

The challenges of implementing processes, developing way of working, be creative and innovative that is something that I like. The thought of me, putting my name on a global, important development in a company- that is something that drives me!

And to be honest, Carlsberg was the first company that I applied for when moving back to Sweden. And I’m so proud of that. I would not have moved back so fast to Sweden if Carlsberg hadn’t offered me the position.

What makes you still choose Carlsberg every day?
Well, when I’m always giving 300% to the company I’m working for. When I was working within oil and gas, I did my best with high ambitions, but I did not talk about gas and oil during dinners with friends and the company was not my whole world back then. Carlsberg is the first company ever that I bring with me all day, every day, as a part of my life- and this in a good way because it is the passion for our products and brands that I take with me when I go home from the workday.

Carlsberg is like a family. In my everyday life I have Carlsberg in the back of my mind. That’s the fist company that makes me feel like that. And that is so inspiring that a company can passionate you in this way, even during your spare time.

But then it is the colleagues. Without the colleges you are nothing and today when we are working from home, I miss them a lot, miss to talk about the weather with them at the coffee machine.

I would absolute recommend everyone that reads this to work for Carlsberg- it is crazy what you can do here! The career opportunities if you want and are ambitious and humble, the colleagues and the global reach at the same time as you get the feeling of being with a family.

What has been your driving forces during your career?
That I’m always curious and extremely interested in technology. For me the future and everything new is exiting! I would like Carlsberg to be the first company to look at future processes, way of working and technologies. I always read and find ways to learn about this so that I can improve and make value. I always strive to bring something to the table that matter and comes with great improvements.

What are your upcoming goals?

• Short term: trying to unify the breweries to have one supplier and create 5-6 supplier for western Europe.
• Middle: standardize the processes and all the global has standard and automated processes.
• Long term: MRO and minimize the amount of manual work. That would be my goal to achieve before I retire

What is the best thing with Carlsberg? What would you highlight to those who are interested about the company?
Ouh, apart from the beer? It might sound like a cliché, but it is the people! I have to give cred to you and HR within the recruitment. You are recruiting great people. 2020 has been a crazy year but the trust, the attitude and the engagement from the company and the colleagues with happenings like “lunchpasset”, feedback-sessions, digital breakfast meeting with the hole company- that is the key.

Then I will sum it up with going back to what I started talking about my personal opinion to work for a global company where you have the possibility to develop in many different directions if you want. Positions that you never knew existed. That is also a cool thing with Carlsberg!