Latifa Melk
Moving to southern Sweden for a job at Sandvik opened many doors for Latifa Melk. It also gave her an opportunity to take to the skies.
Sandvik Materials Development Expert, Latifa Melk, has always had a passion for learning new things. This curiosity has served her well over the years and taken her on an academic path that began in Morocco and led to universities in France, Spain, and eventually much further north, to Luleå University of Technology in Sweden. There she was awarded the prize for the best PhD thesis in 2016 to go with her double PhD degree in Materials Science.
Lives in southern Sweden
Today Latifa Melk lives in Svedala, southern Sweden, where she relocated in 2018 to work on material development within Research and Technology at Sandvik Rock Processing Solutions. She is currently working on the development of advanced and new materials for crushing applications.
“I love my job,” says Melk, who works within the crushing solutions team and thrives on innovation. “We are about to build a new lab to speed up our materials development and increase customer satisfaction. It’s a journey to be proud of and shows that nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it,” she adds, after successfully championing Sandvik to invest in a new laboratory.
Customer benefits come first and foremost when researching new materials and solutions, Melk points out. Materials development at Sandvik focuses on making parts last longer and improving performance and customer profitability.
New perspectives
When she’s not working, Melk takes to the skies.
“I noticed the nearby South Sweden Flight Academy after moving to Svedala to work at Sandvik,” she says. The prestigious flight academy attracts people from around the world, with weekend lessons conducted in English. Suddenly, Melk’s’s childhood dream of flying was within reach.
3 quick questions
What do you like about working at Sandvik?
Sandvik has a good reputation and I’m living a company culture that matches my values. I’m happy with the trust and encouragement I’ve received and the opportunity for personal growth and competence development. Now, for example, I’m taking part in a Sandvik global leadership training for experts.
What are some of the ways that flying has helped you at work?
You learn to make quick decisions, solve problems and be responsible for your own safety and the safety of others.
Do you have any advice for people starting at Sandvik?
Be the change you want to see, stay curious and never stop learning.
Flying offers new perspectives and has helped me cultivate a growth mindset where I am pushed beyond my comfort zone in my personal and professional life.
"Flying has also enhanced my decision making and problem-solving abilities. You learn how to make quick decisions, develop creative solutions and improve your ability to collaborate with others. Mastering flying instills in me the confidence and belief that if I can conquer the skies, I can take on that ambitious project!"
Flying also gives Latifa Melk a sense of freedom – something that she gets from Sandvik as well, she says, drawing a parallel between the two. “I get space, trust and the freedom to be creative and innovative at work. People are open to other ways of thinking at Sandvik. I like that I have their support and can hopefully inspire others too."