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Lena Ulvi

Human resource director

Skanska USA

With a decade of experience in human resource management with Honeywell and Welch Allyn, Lena Ulvi joined the executive management team at Skanska in 2012. She immediately went to work on progressive ideas, co-founded the Skanska Women鈥檚 Network, an employee resource group focusing on the needs of women. The network provides all of the women employed at Skanska, one of Oregon鈥檚 largest general contractors, with opportunities for professional development, mentoring, and professional and personal balance methods.

Ulvi鈥檚 perspectives on diversity have been a key element in her firm鈥檚 growth.

鈥淪kanska is a very progressive company,鈥� she said. 鈥淚n an old-fashioned industry, diversity is often a struggle. We’re addressing that, and it’s working.”

Ulvi has helped revive Skanska鈥檚 community service committee in the company鈥檚 Portland office and worked to increase community outreach. Efforts include involvement with Rebuilding Together Portland, an organization bringing volunteers and local communities together to improve the lives of low-income homeowners by assisting with maintenance and rehabilitation of homes and upgrades to make them more livable for seniors and disabled individuals. The Skanska committee also is involved with the Oregon Food Bank and SOLVE, and Ulvi serves as co-chairwoman of the human resources management committee for the latter group, which is an environmental nonprofit.

Ulvi has been active with Skanska鈥檚 Young Professionals group, providing mentorship, training and guidance for the company鈥檚 young employees. She restructured the annual employee survey to improve input from employees regarding their concerns, and the results have led to significant organizational changes. She recruited and hired more than 70 employees in a very short timeframe for a $500 million construction project. She created a scholarship program for Portland State University and University of Portland students, including a 12-week summer internship program in project engineering. She spearheaded a new program to improve new Skanska employees鈥� integration into the company and improved the firm鈥檚 employee forecasting for more efficient recruiting.

Ulvi has been a PSU Graduate School of Business mentor since 2009.

She appreciates the need to build relationships both outside the office and within her professional capacity.

鈥淎t the end of the day, it鈥檚 facilitating, connecting the dots, talking with people at all levels to determine how we improve, how we continue to be diverse and solve problems more directly,鈥� she said.