Zeljko Ladestam talks schools, opportunities, and giving back to society at Knightec

Hi Zeljko, tell us a bit about your background?

– Well, if we go back to my childhood, I came to Sweden when I was seven years old. Firstly, living in Rosengård, Malmö before moving to Angered in Gothenburg, where I lived for 23 years – areas classed as disadvantaged today. After leaving school at 16 I had a number of different jobs, working in a store, assisting electricians and mechanics. It never crossed my mind that I could go to university, I didn’t know anybody who had.

When did that change?

– I was lucky. I met a Swedish girl whose parents opened their doors and their hearts to me. They didn’t pigeonhole me, which gave me belief in myself to take a different path. I enrolled in college, I started reading classic Swedish literature to better understand the culture and the language, and eventually, I enrolled in Chalmers University in Gothenburg. Looking back at this I believe we all need role models that can help us look beyond our own situation and see new opportunities. That’s why the schools program is so important.

How long have you been involved in the schools program?

– I’ve known about the program for some years now – in fact, it was an important factor in my decision to join Knightec – but I’ve been actively involved with it for two years. It’s a real pleasure to show school students – who are in a similar situation to the one I was – what’s possible. Many of them don’t have access to role models who have broken into Swedish society. We offer proof that it’s possible to achieve much more and break out of the stereotype roles.

How important is the schools program?

– I think of it as tool for integration and inspiration. We work with some schools where 90 percent of the students come from immigrant backgrounds. We meet them at their schools and invite them to our offices for a day. They meet people from different background who work together in a dynamic and fun workplace. It can be a real eye-opener for the kids – they get to see that qualified engineers are normal, down-to-earth people. And they get inspired, you can see it in the way they approach the tasks we set them.

“..it gives me great pride to be involved; being able to give belief to young people in the same way that I was given belief, is extremely rewarding.”

Can you give us an example?

– Absolutely, last year we asked the students to come up with innovations to help people in their day-to-day lives during the pandemic. They put their hearts and souls into the project. At 15 years old it can be nerve-racking to stand in front of your class and a group of adults and share your ideas. But not here, they had real pride in what they had done – and rightly so – which showed in their confidence.

The two students who do the best performance in innovative solution, report, and presentation get to spend a week in the office in the summer.

– That’s right. I’m part of the group that selects the winning presentation and report. It’s fun to see the smart ideas that are developed. There are some real entrepreneurs among the students, which can make it difficult to choose the best two. But even if they don’t win, we’ve shown them what’s possible if they are prepared to work hard. Personally, it gives me great pride to be involved; being able to give belief to young people in the same way that I was given belief, is extremely rewarding.

What would it have meant to you if the program had existed when you were at school?

– I think I would have seen what possibilities were open to me at a younger age. I was 23when I went to college. If I’d have met and spoken to other immigrants who had gone to university and had successful careers in engineering I would have acted earlier. And that’s what the schools program does. It shows these kids that it’s not as hard as they might think. They can become an engineer or a lawyer, or anything they want to be, if they have the desire and dedication to succeed.

“As a client you know that you will get a committed team that will develop the best solutions for your needs, but also that you will be giving something back to society.”

You mentioned that the schools program is one reason why you joined Knightec, what are the others?

– I believe there are three or four top-class consulting companies in Sweden when it comes to software / product engineering. But Knightec is different. For me, as an employee, I knew that I would become part of an organization that contributes to a better society through the company’s solutions and actions, and that I would contribute personally to helping others. There is also a great culture of collaboration, innovation and development at Knightec, which means as an employee you will never stop learning and growing.

As a client you know that you will get a committed team that will develop the best solutions for your needs, but also that you will be giving something back to society. Part of the investments you make will go towards the education, integration and inspiration of school children that need it most. You too will make a difference.