Annika Zettermarck wants to work for a company that influences people’s daily lives and acts in accordance with its values. As head of Axfood’s IT development, she is involved in most of what happens within the Group and feels she has found a perfect fit career-wise.
Annika Zettermarck wants to work for a company that influences people’s daily lives and acts in accordance with its values. As head of Axfood’s IT development, she is involved in most of what happens within the Group and feels she has found a perfect fit career-wise.
Hello Annika! What attracted you to the grocery retail industry?
– I had been looking for a job for a long time where the IT department has a significant impact on the organization, and where the company affects and makes a difference in people's everyday lives. Through the various food concepts within the Axfood group, we can make affordable, good, and sustainable food available to many. Over 4.5 million customers shop at one of our store chains – every week!
How do you view Axfood as an employer?
– A strength within Axfood is its values, which are truly genuine. A few years ago, I listened to the Värvet podcast and an interview with Antonia Ax:son Johnson, the founder of Axfood. She talked about “the good company” that is a positive force in society and at the same time is profitable. It's not in opposition to each other. Since I started working here, I constantly receive evidence that it's true. Contributing in a positive way to societal development through my job makes me proud.
What's it like working at Axfood IT?
– We are responsible for all development and application management within the group and act as both a support and an enabler. IT is involved in everything from supply chains and payments to store operations and marketing. Axfood's IT department is large enough to handle extensive projects and small enough for each employee to have an impact and provide ideas. We are around 300 people, and there is strength in our size. We can see the big picture, and decisions are close at hand. We dare to challenge and constantly explore different paths to move forward.
E-commerce is growing, digital workflows are evolving, and customers are demanding solutions that simplify and enhance their shopping experience. What's your plan for the future?
– We have competent employees, an efficient organization, and a good infrastructure in place. Now, we are focusing on how we meet our customers, both physically and digitally. We continue to develop e-commerce, our logistics structure, and data analytics. Among other things, we are building a new automated warehouse in Bålsta, which will be one of the most modern in Europe for both stores and e-commerce. We are digitizing the physical store for both our employees and customers, and we are sharpening our use of the vast amount of data we have to help ourselves and our customers make wise choices. The future is exciting!
What's the best part of your job?
– When I started at Axfood, I had one-on-one meetings with all my employees in IT development. To all of them, I asked the same question: "Why do you come to work in the morning?" When I summed up the answers, one word stood out: colleagues. There is a warm and inclusive atmosphere at Axfood. Our employees are our greatest asset, and their competence is fantastic. We place great importance on having tools that support optimal working methods. We work agile, and we help each other in our daily work. I would recommend everyone to work here.
Background: Annika joined Axfood in 2016. Before that, she worked in IT for 16 years at Swedbank, including as the head of the Payments & Deposit department.