One of the central responsibilities of my department Business Assurance is to ensure that all departments around the world are in compliance with ‘the Novo Nordisk Way’ and our ethical standards. One of our functional areas, Group Internal Audit, travels around the world to conduct these business ethics audits, and as a part of my rotation here I had the pleasure to take part in one of them.
As a result, I am now based at our office on the 11th floor in Tehran, Iran.
The Iranian affiliate
We are now half way through the 10-day trip and I can easily conclude that this country is nothing like we first expected – and only in a positive way. Before arriving to Tehran I was a little concerned about how it would be to work as a woman, due to the mandatory dress code, not being allowed to shake hands with anyone, and other rules that applies to females. The first day at the office I came covered from top to toe, not showing a single glimpse of hair, only to meet the female employees with loose hanging headscarves, who greeted everyone welcome with a firm handshake. I was also positively surprised to find out that the majority of managers in the affiliate were women. Talk about changing prejudices!
We spent the weekend in Tehran for some sightseeing. We hadn’t have time to plan the sightseeing before arriving, but we did not even had to land in Tehran until I had a notebook filled with travel advice from curious Iranians at the flight, who wanted to make sure we got the best experience in their country. And that has continued for all days here. The people here are extremely open and friendly, and some have even invited us home to their families on traditional Persian dinners and events.
The city itself is also quite unique and offers everything from crowded Bazaars, shopping, beautiful palaces and mosques, and when you feel like a sip of fresh air the cable cars takes you up to the mountains where you can overlook the entire city.
One of the advantages of working for a global company like Novo Nordisk, is that you get endless opportunities to travel and see the world. Today I am enjoying life in Iran, and only a month from now I will be moving to Istanbul for my second rotation. Without sounding too cliché, that is what I call a life-changing career :-)
- A visit at the creator of a "fantasy" house, called the Cave Museum, together with a local artist
- Traditional Persian dinner
- The Iranian affiliate
- Reaching the top of the mountains
- View from 4200 meters height
- View from the office
- On a walk around old palaces
- Audit team ready to enter the Mosque
- Ski resort at 4200 meters height
40 Comments to First business trip – to Iran
Dear Hanna,
What an amazing experience – and great pictures!
Lise
Dear Hannah
I’m glad that you enjoyed your stay in Iran and realized that true Iran is not what you see or hear in the media! I myself have been to Sweden several times, I had heard that Swedish are not welcoming black-headed people!!! but I visited lovely people from the first days until my departures. Besides, my sister who lived in Stockholm for more than 4 years had many nice Swedish friends and neighbors and wishes to return to Sweden again. Politics makes dirt, people make friends! Viva Sweden, and the earth heaven, Stockholm and also Nacka!
That is very true, Simin! :-) I am glad you had the chance to go to Sweden and find out that it was not the case at all. All the best – Hanna
Hi Hannah,
I’m also glad that you’ve seen the true Iran and enjoyed your stay in Tehran.
It’s a beautiful opportunity to see different cultures and countries by visiting them all. wish you all the best in Tehran and in Istanbul.
I’m graduated in Finance as well and working as a financial analyst in the Netherlands, please let me know of your company has more this kind of beautiful opportunities.. ;)))
good luck…
Shahab
Welcome to iran.
Pictures are so good :)
Wish u all the best.
Hej dear Hanna
Wellcome to IRAN .Now you have chance to see more cities from my country, hope you have time for travelling. Come to my beautiful city and enjoy more. Always be happy .
Soheil from Shiraz
Thank you very much Soheil, I am now back in Denmark with only great memories :-)
Best – Hanna
I hope you had a good time in Iran
did you ever wondered why more than 60,000 Iranians and mostly very well educated Iranians preferred to live in exile in Sweden?
Leave behind all those beauties which you described?
I wish the best time for you during your stay in my beloved country and wish one day i can return there as free as you.
Best Regards
Hi Hanna,
Glad you enjoyed. Hope to see you again in Iran.
Best Wishes,
Nima
Hej Hanna
Riktigt kul att du har roligt och att du njuter av din tid i Iran.
Manga upplever samma sak som du. Att landet inte är det land som media framställer, att kvinnor har en mycket mer framträdande roll än man förväntar sig, och att människor i allmänhet är oppna och trevliga.
Men som Reza säger skrapar du under ytan sa kommer du att märka att livet för manga iranier inte är en dans pa rosor. Denna regim förtrycker hänsynslöst alla olikstänkande.
Jag hoppas att det blir manga resor för dig till Iran för att det finns mycket att se och upptäcka….men till en fri och demokratiskt Iran.
Kram,
Hanna, you are so beutiful, marry me ! I can assure you that I am completely in compliance with ‘the Novo Nordisk Way’ :)
Iran is very a good place to visit!
wow my country is very very beautiful. I hope you had a good time in Iran. :)
hi
Glad you enjoyed
I have a question, what do you think about Islam?
plz answer me.
thank you.
I’m glad you liked Iran.
Hope that someday you pay a visit to Iran just for the sake of fun of it :)
“I’ve been making a list of the things they don’t teach you at school. They don’t teach you how to love somebody. They don’t teach you how to be famous. They don’t teach you how to be rich or how to be poor. They don’t teach you how to walk away from someone you don’t love any longer. They don’t teach you how to know what’s going on in someone else’s mind. They don’t teach you what to say to someone who’s dying. They don’t teach you anything worth knowing.”
― Neil Gaiman
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it–always.”
― Mahatma Gandhi
hej,jag är glad att du hade så bra i Iran.jag hoppas att det ska bli många resor till Iran.
maryam,lund
Hej dear Hanna
I’m also glad that you’ve seen the true Iran and enjoyed your stay in Tehran.
I have been in Sweden about 3 years ago for 30 days , I had visited lovely people in your country. I wish return to Sweden again. If you came to my country again I welcoming you to my city and hope enjoy more. Always be happy .
Sirous from Ahvaz
hej hanna, manna, det är roligt att du tivdes i tehran och affären gick bra, dina fina bilder är mycket bra, bl.a
jag fick läsa dina upplevelser utdrag och tänkte fråga dig ifall du behöver en tolk eller svensk/ persik talande guid eller sådant gärna kontakta mig,d.v.s jag erbjuder mig jobba hos din företag, järna majla mig vid eventuell svar.
mvh
khosrow från göteborg
Hi Hanna
I am happy that u had a nice time in Iran but believe me the problems in Iran is lack of freedom and that people must live by the rules that maybe they dont even like. The problems is not how hard women must cover their body but they cant decide what to wear. As a iranian girl i must say the big problems is that u must live by the fear all the time and every where u go. The problem is that people must live by the code that goverment made for u.
Many of us left our home, family and people we love just because of that, because we couldnt live the way we wanted to live.
At the end im happy that u had a good time and wish u the best and hope that one day my people also can have freedom and dignity they deserv.
Yalda
Hej Hanna !
Iran är verkligen vackert, men den som gör det fult är diktatur, förtryck och brist på demokrati och frihet, hoppas på din nästa resa ser du mer.
hej du
Det jatte roligt att hora vad du har upplevt under tiden du har varit i Iran.
sen skulle saga att jag sjalv bot i sverige o i stockholm nara 25 ar. nufortiden jobba o bor i Tehran . men trivs inte sa mycket du ha kanske upplevt. jag alskar stockholm men har ar nagonting for sig sjalv da.
hur som helst ar jatte glad over att du trivdes har. du kan kontakta med mig i fall du befinner dig i Tehran igen. vi kan fixa nagat roligt .
kram
fariba
Hej Hanna;
Du har sett de bästa delarna av Iran. Tehran är en prioriterad stad där alla resurser satsas och 50% av oljeinkomsterna. Iran är inte bara Tehran. Du skulle ha åkt till Balochistan, Kurdistan, Khuzestan (Arabestan, etc) för att se fattigdomen, förtrycket, diskrimineringen (aparhtied systemet) där andra folkgrupper än personerna lever i missär och som 2:a och 3:e gradens invånare. Du har inte sett den utbredda korrupptionen hos myndigheterna och den mördande byråkratin. Folk diskrimineras för att de tillhör en annan grupp än perserna elle den statliga relionen (shia 12 emami). Du har inte sett fängelserna där oliktänkande tortyreas, våldtas av mullornas melis och fångvakter bara för att de har haft åsikter om styrningen av landet. Trafiken borde du ha upplevt ju…även där i Tehran folk kör som idioter…Man ska vara glad om man klarar sig att gå över gatan utan att bli påkörd! :-) Du har heller inte besökt ngn av de offentliga hängningarna av människor som är det ända nöjet för vanlig folk att gå och titta hur folk hängs!
Iran är ett helvete för minst 60% av befolkningen för att de är balocher som jag, kurder, azerier, araber, Turkmener mfl.
Mvh
Baloch
Dear Yalda,
Thank you for your mail. I completely understand what you mean, and it is not that I don’t want to acknowledge that there are issues in the country, but I decided to make the post more about my own personal experience and the people I met during my stay. But thank you again for sharing your thoughts, and I wish all the best for you too.
Kind regards,
Hanna
Thank you very much, Ahvaz! I am glad you also enjoyed your stay in my country :-)
Best – Hanna
Hi Saman – Yes, I would definitely want to come back again at one point :-) Br, Hanna
Dear Hanna
A journey is best measured in the number of friends you made, not by the distance and miles you passed.
Definitely, you made lots of friends and pleasant moments in Iran journey, so it may be a valuable experience.
Hope to see you again in Iran.
Wish the best for all.
Saeid
Hej Hanna!Jag är glad och tacksam for att du har visat din fina erfarenhet till alla som vistte inte om Iran.Du är en smart och duktig tjej. MVH_ Ramin Amidi
I am reaaaaaly happy that you liked being in Iran!!
Actually I am out of Iran for an extended business trip and missed meeting you in Iran office.
I hope to meet you some point in time may be again in Iran :)
Regards, Azita
Dear Hanna
Hope you are doing great in the last couple of weeks remaining from your stay in Iran.
I sent you a personal message through the link provided on “contact me”. I don’t know if you’ve checked it out or what but I’m looking forward to hearing from you.
Best,
Mahtab
Dear Mahtab,
Thank you very much. I will search for your email and reply as soon as possible.
Best regards,
Hanna
Hi Azita,
Yes I really enjoyed it, had a great time! I was actually looking for you at the office, since you were a friend of Felipe’s. :-)
Take care and hope to see you another time in Iran/Denmark.
Best,
Hanna
Hi Hana,
I am very glad that you had nce days in Iran.
Dear Saeid,
You are absolutely right, thank you for the nice words. :)
All the best,
Hanna
Dear Hanna,
What an amazing experience!
I am actually taking a course on Leadership and Ethics at my MBA in Tulane University, and I can say that is probably one of the most interesting course in the Program.
Ethics in business involves a broad kind of scenarios in the business world, so that’s why I found very interesting your role in the company… “ensure that all departments around the world are in compliance with ‘the Novo Nordisk Way’ and our ethical standards”. -CRUCIAL task in such a large organization.
Anyways, just wanted to thank you for your comments, very interesting!
Looking forward to complete my interview process at Novo Nordisk.
Best regards!
RODRIGO CASTRO FOULKES
Dear Rodrigo,
Thank you, and glad to hear that you are in process for the graduate programme! :-)
Yes, Business Assurance is quite unique for Novo Nordisk and it has been really interesting to learn about how the company work to stay in compliance and live up to the company values.
Best regards,
Hanna
Good
Hi Dear Hanna
You are very welcome to iran and i am really glad that you loved iran.
I hope that you found realities which are in iran and saw differences between what united state and some other countries claim against iran.
You have been our guest in iran and this is our pleasure.
Sincerely Yours
Hi
How was the the security situation? I intended to go next month to Iran but our home office advises against all travel to all areas. I know they often err on the side of caution so it is worth asking somebody who has been recently. I would be going independently as a solo traveller for a few days.
Hi David,
Based on my 10-day stay there, I must say I did not feel unsafe at any point. As long as you follow the rules (check the embassy’s website) you should be fine. I think it is just about being aware of the situation and not try to challenge it.. For me, it meant to wear headscarf, not shaking hands with males, etc.
I hope you will go, it was a really valuable experience.
Best regards,
Hanna