Meet Andreas Pettersson

Andreas Pettersson has been part of Swedish Hydro Solutions from its early days — from business idea and startup, to a small company, and now to a leading player running some of the largest water treatment projects in Sweden with its own unique solutions.

– We’re the sharpest in the industry, he says proudly.

Andreas holds a degree in chemistry from the University of Gothenburg and has also studied biology — an education that has proven highly valuable. He began as a field technician, and a year later he became a project manager, with overall responsibility for driving projects forward and bringing them to completion. When he joined the company, it was still small enough that the job wasn’t purely office-based. On average, he spent two out of five days in the field, though this varied throughout the year. Today, Andreas works more administratively as a project manager but is still frequently on site in his projects.

Variety that keeps the job stimulating

When a new water treatment project is being established, fieldwork enters an intensive phase — the same goes for the dismantling stage. In between, the project manager can focus more on administration and new customer inquiries. Often, the needs of an ongoing project evolve, requiring new assessments regarding equipment and flow parameters.

Andreas typically has three to five projects running in parallel. At the moment, he is working on two projects connected to Västlänken in Gothenburg and is also responsible for the water treatment facility for a major industrial client in Halmstad. In addition, he oversees several other infrastructure projects.

– My projects are running smoothly. I visited the Västlänken sites recently, and I stay in regular contact with the team in Halmstad as well as my other customers.

In the field, the project manager and the field technician often work side by side, as Andreas describes it, even though the project manager has a bit more customer contact and may delegate more to the technician. Roles and responsibilities are not set in stone, and there is no visible hierarchy. The close-knit atmosphere within the company is clear — as are the short decision paths.

– There’s a short distance between an idea and reality. We’re all curious and want to test new solutions. If I want to try something, it doesn’t have to pass over five desks first.

And you need to work well in a team. Both outward, with customers — you need to enjoy taking on their challenges — and internally within the company. We collaborate a lot.

— Andreas Pettersson, Project Manager, Swedish Hydro Solutions

A varied and challenging job

The most enjoyable projects are the most challenging ones. When dirty and demanding water comes out the other end as clean, drinkable water. What Andreas is most proud of is having been part of the development of Swedish Hydro Solutions’ water treatment systems — from early prototypes to the finished products used today.

Many at the company highlight the environmental aspect as a driving force. For Andreas, it’s more of a bonus. Working at a company that pushes the development of more sustainable water treatment isn’t something he reflects on daily — it has simply become a given, he says. What he thinks about more often, and enjoys, are the technical details: how to solve the tasks connected to the Västlänken projects and how to keep things running smoothly.

According to Andreas, you need to be a bit inventive to thrive as a project manager at Swedish Hydro Solutions. You have to enjoy coming up with new solutions to problems, be flexible, and adapt to different circumstances. And you need to make quick decisions.

– And you need to work well in a team. Both outward, with customers — you have to enjoy taking on their challenges — and internally within the company. We collaborate a lot.

Qualities a project manager needs, according to Andreas:

  • Customer‑focused, and enjoy taking on customer challenges.
  • Flexible, able to make quick decisions.
  • Able to work well in a team, both internally and externally.

What does the future look like — for the company and for Andreas?

– We’ve grown since I started, and we’re going to keep growing — that’s very clear. When I joined, it was just Jakob, Anders, Ingrid, and me. Today we have three offices and several new hires on the way. Being part of the company’s journey is incredibly rewarding.

– Swedish Hydro Solutions plays an important role in water treatment in Sweden, and I believe we will have that internationally as well. Where the journey leads, we’ll see — but I definitely plan to stay on board.

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