Simon Persson Amsén

As head of the HR Specialist team, which includes Payroll, HR Controlling and HRIS (Workday), and responsible for employee benefits, Simon is – in more than one way – a valued member of the TAG family. We had the opportunity to talk with him about his work, his passions, why he is proud to work here and, of course, his favorite cocktail.

What do you work with here at TAG?

Me and my team are responsible for a variety of things here, but one of my key responsibilities is ensuring that all managers have the tools they need – such as information, policies, and guidelines – to ensure that we pay fair and competitive wages for employees. I also follow up annually to ensure this remains the case. That said, it is not me deciding what salary someone is paid; to do that, you need the understanding of the role, the context and the experience of the individual employee that only a manager has.

As my title suggests, I also handle our employee benefits. In that role, I make sure that they have the desired effect and, of course, that they are used and appreciated among our employees.

Can you name a recent project that you are excited about?

We recently introduced our ‘well-being and volunteering days policy’, which allows employees to take a few days extra off to focus on their well-being. We have had a similar policy before, but because of its complicated rules, it was far too underutilized to make a difference. With the new policy, you can take a few extra days off to reload, which you perhaps haven’t allowed yourself to do before. And if you prefer, you can use the benefit to do volunteer work. With this new setup, I think we have found an answer to how we can make sure people use this benefit.

What makes you proud to work for TAG?

There are many things I can name, but I’ve always been impressed by the quality of our production. The most recent thing that made me proud was when Absolut announced that their distillery is now fossil-free, one year ahead of schedule. I believe the quality of our production and the circular mindset in place in Åhus serve as perfect examples of how we try to do things in the best, most responsible and most sustainable way possible.

I’m also really proud of our diversity. Few places can gather 150 people from around 35 different countries in one office like we do. We have people from more or less every corner of the world – including France, Italy, Mongolia, China, South Africa, Panama, Brazil, United States, you name it – working together here in our office here in Stockholm. That sort of diversity is hard to come by, but we’re actively and deliberately trying to achieve that.

Finally, what’s your cocktail of choice?

It depends on the occasion, but if I have to choose, I would go for a Bloody Mary and be generous with the tabasco to give it that extra kick.