Hanna works with sustainability in a global business environment
Hanna Leek, ESG Manager at Ekman Group, works to drive the Group’s sustainability agenda in a global business environment. With a degree from the MSc in International Business and Trade, she describes how the programme provided the analytical perspectives and strategic tools that have shaped her career – from trainee to her current role with responsibility for sustainability.
Sustainability in practice
Hanna Leek works as an ESG Manager, combining strategic sustainability management with a strong understanding of business and organisational dynamics. Ekman Group is a global trading company within the forest industry, and Hanna explains that sustainability issues have become increasingly important for the business in recent years.
“Ekman operates globally with products such as pulp and recycled materials, and in that context sustainability has taken on greater significance, not least due to increasing requirements and changes in the external environment".
Her role involves analysing how external requirements and societal trends affect the business and leading the development of the Group’s sustainability work.
“I work at the intersection of regulation, business and organisation – interpreting external requirements and changes in the business environment, placing them in a commercial context, and helping the organisation to prioritise and take action. A large part of the role is also about building structures, creating clarity and supporting different parts of the organisation in various sustainability-related matters”.
A global perspective as a guiding principle
Hanna’s journey began with previous studies in political science and economics, where her interest grew in how institutions, economic systems and regulatory frameworks shape behaviour and decision-making. The MSc in International Business and Trade became a natural next step.
“The programme offered exactly the combination I was looking for – a global perspective together with a deeper understanding of business strategy and international business operations". Hanna describes how the theories and analytical tools from the programme helped develop her ability to see connections and understand how companies operate in global markets.
Among the courses that made the strongest impression, she highlights International Strategic Management, which gave her a more detailed understanding of how companies analyse their external environment and build long-term competitive advantages.
“It gave me valuable insights into how resources and capabilities within organisations can become strategically decisive. These are insights I have made great use of in my work, as they help you understand which types of resources within companies create long-term value”.
She also highlights lecturer Johan Jakobsson as a particularly inspiring influence during her studies.
“When someone is truly passionate about a subject, that enthusiasm is contagious. I remember Johan’s courses as challenging, but incredibly rewarding.”
She adds that the varied course formats contributed to a deeper understanding of the theory.
“Our courses were designed in a way that required active engagement with the material, for example through cases, projects and discussions. That meant you didn’t just absorb the theories, but also gained a clearer understanding of how they can be applied in practice”.
The School of Business, Economics and Law – more than just a school
The School of Business, Economics and Law meant a great deal to Hanna, both academically and socially. It became a place where she made lifelong friends while also engaging with a business community that actively sought out the School and its students.
“The School also became a meeting place where I got to know some of my closest friends – and my partner”.
During her studies, she and her classmates worked with real companies, including a project in collaboration with a large manufacturing company in Gothenburg.
“That gave you a much clearer picture of how the theories you learn can actually be translated into practice”.
A role with responsibility for sustainability
In her current role as ESG Manager, Hanna is responsible for Ekman Group’s sustainability work. This includes analysing sustainability issues, interpreting regulations and trends, and translating them into strategy and action. At the same time, the role involves navigating the organisation internally.
“Sustainability work has to take place both vertically and horizontally, which means you need to understand organisational dynamics and how to drive change without always having full formal decision-making authority.”
International experience
Hanna’s journey at Ekman began when she was accepted into the company’s International Trainee Programme. The programme took her to Milan, London, Miami and Gothenburg, providing broad insight into the company’s business model and organisation, while also allowing her to build an internal network.
“It provided very concrete insight into how the company operates in practice – from sales and logistics to how different markets differ from one another”.
After the trainee programme, she moved into the role of ESG Analyst, where she began working more closely with sustainability issues, particularly related to data, research and reporting. Over time, she was promoted and now works as ESG Manager with responsibility for the Group’s overall sustainability agenda.
The right tools for working with sustainability
Hanna sees clear links between her education and her work in sustainability, particularly when it comes to systems thinking and managing complexity.
“The programme didn’t give me a specific ‘sustainability competence’, but it gave me the tools to work with complex issues – and sustainability is exactly that kind of field”.
A large part of her role involves translation: taking complex regulations, scientific insights and societal trends and making them relevant in a business context.
“That requires analytical ability, an understanding of organisations and a willingness to navigate uncertainty – all skills that the programme helped develop”.
When asked what makes her thrive at work, she returns to three key factors: meaning, culture and personal development.
“I thrive where the work feels important and where I can see that it actually leads to some form of change,” she says. She also emphasises the importance of a culture characterised by curiosity, collaboration and a willingness to challenge the status quo.
“And I need development – learning new things and taking on increasingly complex challenges”.
Looking ahead, she is particularly interested in continuing to develop at the intersection of sustainable business development and organisational development.
“That’s where sustainability really becomes strategic”.
Advice to future students
To students considering studying at the School of Business, Economics and Law or applying to the MSc in International Business and Trade, Hanna advises against focusing too narrowly on grades.
“Employers value your ability to think and collaborate – not whether you have top grades in every course”.
She also encourages students to engage in networks and student organisations.
“When I look back, I would have liked to network even more. That’s often where you build relationships and gain experiences that make a real difference later on.”