I joined Avanade eight years ago after working for a competitor in Sweden for seven years. Back then I specialized in web development for clients in the insurance and healthcare sectors, but I also had some pretty unique clients based in Stockholm.

During my career at Avanade I have worked in interesting places like China and Switzerland and was partly living in Zürich for some months commuting back and forth until my son was diagnosed with a rare disease and I needed to stay in one place. While in Zürich I started working with Sitecore and moved into the public web site development space. At that time I was primarily working as the Solution Architect thanks to my strong background in web development, but today, just a few years later, I have switched focus and I am currently a member of a 100+ person Avanade team working for one of Avanade's largest clients in Europe.

I have always considered myself a strong technical guy first and foremost and I really enjoy coding, but as I have grown older I have been pushed in another direction. Avanade encouraged me to take on new challenges and stretch roles, and I’ve benefitted from both.

I have received positive feedback from my colleagues in my new role as Program Manager, overseeing a number of projects and currently leading a team of about 40 people. These projects include a push for ecommerce and launching multiple campaigns where people can make purchases online. I have had the opportunity to grow into the Program Management role and thanks to the great performance of my teams, it has been a fun and exciting experience.

Now I see that I have a wealth of experience to share with my co-workers and that I play an important role in helping others grow and succeed in their careers. I have a truly fantastic team working across many different projects and geographies and the fact that Avanade is now giving me an opportunity to help develop our people through our Talent Communities, I feel that I can share even more. I also believe having technical people like myself developing strong client relationship skills is critical, as we truly understand the work that we are selling to clients.

Johan at Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

The best part of being in charge of your career at Avanade is that you create your own working environment. Having a son with special needs has made me very conscious about life work balance. I love spending time with my son, and I am slightly obsessed (in a good way) with practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I have just received my blue belt and spending time on the mats keeps me very fit. I consider myself a lucky guy. I have the best job in the world, great family and friends to balance my life. I've even caught the bjj bug, an activity that keeps my body and brain agile. Avanade has supported me in ways I didn’t expect, allowing me to be successful both in and outside of work. I couldn’t ask for more!