#WeAreTOMRA: From Exploration to Innovation: Arne Olav's Journey with TOMRA

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your career journey at TOMRA?

I grew up in Oslo and studied to become a product development engineer/mechanical engineer in Trondheim, with a year in Stuttgart, Germany. I had the opportunity to do my master’s thesis with TOMRA back in 2013, and when a position as a Mechanical Engineer opened up in 2016, I joined the mechanical department. I had the chance to work on the first multi-feed machines and the revised MultiPac backroom machines before leaving the company in 2018. My wife is an aerospace engineer specializing in rocket engines, and there are limited places in Norway where you can work with rockets. So when she received an exciting career opportunity, we decided to relocate. During my time away, I followed TOMRA and the innovations launched curiously. Having been away from the company for six years, I am happy to be back in the mechanical department as a Senior Mechanical Engineer, getting to know the new products, new faces, and new challenges. 

What attracted you to TOMRA when you first joined?

I was lucky to get to know TOMRA, both the company and the people, as a student. I wanted to work for a company that took its social responsibility seriously, with values aligning with mine. From an engineering point of view, TOMRA had production volumes allowing for production methods many smaller manufacturers are cut off from, and a strong team of highly qualified, enthusiastic engineers that I knew I would learn a lot from. Additionally, TOMRA’s cutting-edge technology in resource optimization and recycling solutions was a major draw for me. After my first job in the oil industry, it was a great to join an industry that was less bureaucratic and faster-moving.

What did you learn or experience while you were away from TOMRA?

While away from TOMRA, I worked at a smaller company where I took on additional responsibilities and in a business with higher volumes and in-house production. It was an interesting experience from which I learned a lot. I got a different view of the other aspects of making a new product: sourcing, production and production line setup, testing, and project management. Working closely with the people assembling the products day in and day out has made me more aware of the privilege and responsibility that comes with developing products.

Why did you decide to come back to TOMRA?

TOMRA was, and is, a company that has a certain size and financial muscle allowing roles with clear responsibilities. For example, it can be difficult to be both a developer and a project manager, balancing the need to deliver the project on time and maintaining the quality of the developed product. Not having several roles at the same time and having more people to discuss solutions and impacts with was a driver for me returning. A larger engineering community, in general and still working for a company which manufactures products in Norway was also appealing. While away from the company, my family has grown, and it was a great time to move back to TOMRA, closer to family and good old friends.