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Winning stories
Building Long-Lasting Hardware Leadership
Leadership development is often shaped by experience rather than a predefined plan. For Eltwin’s Head of R&D Hardware, Troels, it has evolved through reflection, professional exploration, and a growing understanding of how leadership, structure, and wellbeing are closely connected.
Troels joined Eltwin approximately six years ago as a hardware development engineer. At the time, the development organization was smaller and more consolidated than today, with hardware development forming part of a unified department. His role involved broad technical responsibility and close collaboration across disciplines.
Over time, Troels began to feel that something was missing in his role. Although he could not clearly define what it was, he chose to seek new opportunities outside Eltwin in the hope of finding the right professional balance.
Finding the Right Role
In his next role, Troels worked primarily with project management, stepping away from hands-on technical work and focusing on coordination and overview. While he valued the helicopter perspective, the role also made it clear that pure project management was not the right fit. Instead, the experience helped him identify a “sweet spot” between technical hardware expertise and structured, people-oriented coordination.
Troels later moved into a leadership role within another electronics company, leading a hardware department. The role aligned well with his interest in workflows, prioritization, and daily coordination. However, differences in leadership style and organizational culture highlighted the importance of wellbeing and sustainable working conditions - and ultimately confirmed that this was not where he would stay long term.
Returning to Eltwin
Following this period, Troels reconnected with former colleagues at Eltwin and entered into dialogue with the then Head of Development. His expectations for a role had changed since his time as a hardware engineer, and together they identified a path that combined leadership responsibility with a strong connection to hardware development.
He initially returned as Team Leader for the controls area. As the development organization grew and was later restructured into software, hardware, and test & compliance, Troels was offered the role of Head of Hardware — an opportunity he accepted.
Establishing a Leadership Foundation
This professional journey became the starting point for more fundamental reflections on leadership. Troels began considering what responsibility he holds as Head of Hardware, what he can reasonably promise his employees, and how leadership can support both performance and well-being over time.
As part of leadership training with one of Eltwin’s partners, he formulated a Leadership Foundation. The foundation is a written framework that functions as a form of contract with employees: outlining what they can expect from him as a leader and which goals he is working toward.
A key focus of the Leadership Foundation is well-being. Based on his own experiences, Troels is convinced that long-term performance depends on sustainable working conditions. Retaining employees and attracting new talent requires differentiation - not only through products and technology, but also through leadership and organizational culture.
“From my own experience, I’m convinced that long‑term performance can only thrive under sustainable working conditions. To retain our people and attract new talent, we must stand out — not just through our products and technology, but through the way we lead and the culture we build.”
– Troels Mejer, Head of R&D, Hardware.
Sustainability in a Leadership Context
The Leadership Foundation defines an ambition to build a hardware department that is both sustainable and competitive. Sustainability, in this context, refers to long-term organizational durability: creating structures that can grow and adapt without exhausting employees.
Competitiveness is closely linked to this ambition. Troels emphasizes the importance of understanding the department’s relevance and contribution to Eltwin’s overall value creation. Clear priorities and differentiation are necessary to remain relevant in a competitive market.
What distinguishes the Leadership Foundation from more traditional leadership approaches is its explicit nature. Rather than relying on implicit expectations, the framework makes priorities visible and open for dialogue. It defines what matters most, while acknowledging that leadership must be continuously maintained and developed.
Leadership as an Ongoing Practice
The Leadership Foundation has been shared within the hardware department and across Eltwin’s leadership team. It serves as a reference point for discussions about expectations, trade-offs, and long-term goals.
For Troels, leadership is not about fixed answers, but about clarity, consistency, and dialogue. By making his leadership approach explicit, he aims to support both wellbeing and performance. And to contribute to a hardware organization that is resilient, attractive, and capable of creating long-term value.
