Dan Havner

Background

About Dan Havner

I am an experienced engineering leader with 20+ years in software development, PLM, and digital transformation – building bridges between technology, people, and strategy. My career spans the automotive and defence industries, where I have led global teams, driven agile and digital transformations, and ensured delivery under high demands for security, compliance, and efficiency. At Saab Surveillance, I play a central role in consolidating and scaling CI/CD and Developer Experience platforms – building services that multiple product organizations rely on. My leadership focuses on creating scalable, sustainable solutions, while enabling economy of scale and long-term efficiency. These results are only possible through collaboration, and I take pride in leading teams and initiatives that succeed together. Earlier, at Volvo IT, I spent more than a decade in global PLM transformation programs – from method development in CAD/DMU and PLM, to system integrations and international training. This long tenure gave me both breadth and depth in digitalizing product development, and laid the foundation for my later leadership roles. I describe myself as a generalist with technical credibility: I understand code and system architecture, and enjoy scripting and configuring when time allows, but my true strength lies in bridging disciplines. I move comfortably between strategy and execution – winning trust in the boardroom as well as in the engineering team. Key strengths include: Leading global and multicultural teams in Europe, the US, and India. Developing people and teams – from coaching growth paths to handling sensitive HR matters. Driving change and transformation with trust and clarity. Balancing regulatory frameworks with delivery efficiency. Staying calm and decisive in incident and crisis situations. Seeing systemic patterns early and turning them into actionable direction. I thrive where technology meets business and society – creating secure, sustainable, and efficient digital solutions that matter.