People in tech: Anna Granö, GlobalConnect

Anna Granö took up her role at GlobalConnect in January 2024. She looks back on an intense and educational first year as Group Executive Vice President for B2B.

- My focus has been on understanding our business and our customers' needs while developing the organization towards a more cross-border approach. There is still a lot to learn and improve, but we have already made great strides towards working more as a single Nordic company.

Anna Granö has worked in B2B sales for over 20 years and held senior positions in companies such as IBM, Microsoft and Hewlett Packard Enterprise before joining GlobalConnect, one of the leading providers of digital infrastructure and network services in the Nordic region. With headquarters in Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo, Helsinki and Hamburg, the company employs around 2000 people

- "GlobalConnect is in an exciting phase where we are focusing on making the most of our size and scale. We have built an extensive digital infrastructure in the Nordics, and the challenge is to maximize its potential to create even greater value for our customers," says Anna Granö.

At the same time, GlobalConnect is affected by the geopolitical situation, where security and protection of critical infrastructure is becoming increasingly important.

- As the owner and developer of this infrastructure, we have a great responsibility to secure our customers' data. We see the threat landscape increasing, which places even greater demands on us.

What is GlobalConnect doing to protect the submarine cables in the Baltic Sea from sabotage?

- Recent events have really shown how vulnerable our digital infrastructure can be, and how important it is for everything in our society to function as expected. Fortunately, we have not had any major disruptions to our network. To be able to react quickly should something happen, we have 24/7 monitoring of our entire network to detect anomalies and, if necessary, redirect traffic to alternative digital routes. In addition, we are continuously working to expand and strengthen our infrastructure to increase capacity and future-proof the network in the region. Among other things, we are planning several new routes that will strengthen the digital connection in the Nordic region.

How much use does a company like GlobalConnect make of AI?

- AI is an important part of our development, and it is an area I am passionate about - something that is also reflected in my long-standing involvement in AI Sweden's board. At GlobalConnect, we have several exciting AI projects underway, particularly in the operation and monitoring of our network. We are also using AI to improve customer service and create a more efficient and proactive service. To maximize the potential of the field, in 2024 we have established a new organization dedicated to AI and data analytics, as well as a collaboration with the University of Oslo, allowing us to get the latest knowledge directly from academia.

GlobalConnect is one of TechSverige's member companies. What benefits do you see with the membership?

- TechSverige gives us a strong common voice on issues that are important to the entire industry. Although tech is a broad area, there are many common challenges, and through TechSverige we can together drive development forward and influence important decisions at an overall level. This can be anything from getting more people to choose education and professions that we see a shortage of, but also to influence regulations and create conditions for a good business climate in Sweden.