Member Highlight: Christina Crafoord

What do you do as a Woman in Tech?

Being a woman in tech has a few different layers for me.
In my formal role, I’m a Group Manager at Scania IT, leading a team that supports the Swedish People & Culture organization with IT solutions and services. That includes navigating complex IT landscapes, legacy systems, and challenging processes that “have always been done this way.” A big part of my work is collaborating with stakeholders and executing strategies to find our path from where we are today to where we want to be tomorrow.

Another equally important part of my role is empowering others. I drive initiatives across Scania IT, such as a mentorship program I run with a colleague. The idea is simple: pair people with someone different from themselves to gain new perspectives through dialogue, reflection, and challenge.

I also actively engage in conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion within Scania and in public forums such as Almedalen. If there’s a spark of an idea, I go for it. Courage and positivity are my superpowers, and that’s how Chief of Glitter was born.

At the core, what drives me is learning and inspiring others to create a more equal, authentic workplace. I love complex problems, tangled systems, and ambitious change.
Even after 10 years in the business, I’ve sometimes struggled to call myself a “tech person.” But this is me officially declaring it to the world: I am a Woman in Tech.

What made you choose tech?

It all started with a horse girl who needed money to spend on her horse—true story.
I worked for many years as a professional show-jumping groom and horse trainer. It was an amazing experience, but working with horses is more of a lifestyle than a job. At some point, I wanted a more “normal” life, while still keeping my horses (any equestrian knows it’s not cheap 🤭).

Tech caught my interest because it felt future-proof, dynamic, and full of opportunities. After my studies, I ended up at Scania.

Today, I stay in tech because I love the constant evolution, the challenges, and the smart solutions people create. Technology still amazes me. I no longer have a horse, but now that I have two children, I want to spend that time with them instead.

What does the Women in Tech community mean to you?

On a personal level, the Women in Tech community has helped me fully accept myself.
The inspiration I get from this community gave me the courage to step into my sparkly, authentic self and proudly claim Chief of Glitter as a title. Every interaction leaves me energized, inspired, and motivated to drive change.
Fun fact: I’ve never “just” attended the conference 😄
My first experience was presenting a focus session on Diversometer, a tool for measuring diversity, with colleagues. The year after, I volunteered (best experience ever!), and in 2025, I was part of the Scania team at our booth.
Different roles, different experiences, but one thing is always the same: you leave with hope for a more equal future.

If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring woman in tech, what would that be?

Be you. There is truly no one else like you.
Don’t let anyone put you in a box. As Tima Fofana so perfectly said in her opening talk at the 2025 conference:
“How do you box something that was made to expand?”
So go out there and expand beyond any box someone tries to place you in.

What’s a hobby or interest you’re passionate about outside of work?

My instinctive answer is still riding and spending time with horses, even though I don’t do it anymore. I’ll probably return to it one day. The love is still there.
Right now, my time outside work is focused on exploring the world with my kids and taking care of myself. To be a good mother (translation: have patience 😄), I need to recharge, and for me, that means working out regularly.
The riding boots have been swapped for running shoes for now. A marathon might be coming up. One thing’s for sure: I don’t back down from a challenge!