EDITOR INTERVIEW
In conversation with...
Elisa Swanson-Parbäck,
Business Development Director – Sustainable Lubricants Engineered Fluids, Commercial & Innovation, Perstorp AB
Where were you born and where did you spend your early years? I’m a seventies child born and raised in Helsinki, Finland. As the only child to entrepreneurs in the diving industry, I had the pleasure of dividing my time between school, make-believe-play and accompanying my parents on travels near and far. Jumping into different shop, dive school or factory duties was a natural part of life as my parents’ business was an extension of the family and vice versa.
What did you want to be growing up? Early on, I dreamt of becoming a veterinarian and specifically working with marine mammals. That ambition evolved into a side career as a dive instructor. A diplomatic career was also in my consideration, heavily influenced by UN profiles like Dag Hammarskjöld and Martti Ahtisaari, and perhaps with a slight dose of Ian Fleming romanticism.
What was your path to higher education? My IB biology teacher, whom I greatly admired, recommended Lund University. I’ve never regretted following her advice. I started with Business Economics and later completed a second degree in Human Resource Management with a focus on Work Psychology. The combination of analysing human behaviour and decision-making in a business context was likely a natural evolution from growing up in a family business.
Where and when was your first job, and what did you like about it and what did you not? I held several jobs during my educational years, but my first long-term contract was with Axis Communications in Lund. I learned a lot and did a lot—it laid the foundation for my understanding of
62 LUBE MAGAZINE NO.189 OCTOBER 2025
customer relations, sales and marketing and product development.
How has career mapping led to where you are now? From there, I transitioned from market development in IP-video surveillance to the world of chemicals, and eventually into synthetic base fluids and immersion cooling fluids. It’s not a conventional path, but each step has been driven by a desire to challenge norms and create meaningful impact.
Today, in my role within sustainable lubricants, I see my career not just as a function but as a platform: to influence, to connect, and to contribute – together with peers - to a more sustainable and inclusive future. Community has played a pivotal role throughout. Whether through professional networks, voluntary work, or internal teams, I’ve found that collaboration and shared values are the true accelerators of innovation.
Are you a lifer? If yes, how do you see your career panning out over the next 20/30/40 years? If things become too customary and there’s no dynamic with both the highs and the lows, then I’m not a lifer. However, as the industry stands today, I can see myself staying for the next 20 years. That said, never say never. I’m open to evolving into new roles and take on new paths if the right opportunity arises.
How has the industry changed since you started? When I started in the industry, the discussions on sustainability where still being developed. However, I recognise all the important groundwork laid by many industry veterans, including my manager Valentina Serra-Holm, which now manifest especially in the
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