Welcome Ylva

Statistics show that many people are moving to the Municipality of Ludvika, and that's why we think it's great to introduce some of them. One of them is Ylva Wård.

Welcome to the Municipality of Ludvika, Ylva Wård. What brought you here?

– Mainly the job. I work as Director of Health, Environment, Safety, Quality and HR at Nordic Iron. I’ve worked in Norway for the past six years in the mining industry. I was contacted by a recruiter who told me that Nordic Iron is planning to reopen the Ludvika mines – iron ore mines – a very exciting project in Sweden. I thought it sounded really interesting and wanted to come home to Sweden.

Tell us a bit about yourself!

– I was born and raised just outside Umeå and have worked in the mining industry for 20 years, in Sweden, Canada, and Norway. I have a genuine interest in environmental issues and sustainability. It’s very inspiring to work in an industry that hasn’t historically had the best reputation, but we’re now making enormous strides to improve that. During the years I’ve worked, I’ve seen a lot of change, particularly in the environmental field. We’re facing new requirements concerning biodiversity, which means we must work actively with how we manage biological diversity. It’s especially interesting here in Dalarna, where mining has existed for hundreds of years. You can see areas where mining once took place and which have now developed into valuable protected biotopes, such as deciduous forests. Being a responsible operator is incredibly interesting!

What are your impressions of your new home municipality?

– My first impression is that it’s incredibly beautiful here! It feels very Swedish to me in a way. Lots of lakes and red cottages. It usually takes some time to call a place “home”, but I think after just a month I already feel at home. That’s high praise.