Women in leadership: Emily Selvera, Head of Performance and Transformation

Over 16 years at Ericsson, Emily Selvera has built a global career spanning finance, analytics, and transformation. From Dallas to Madrid to Johannesburg, she’s led teams across continents and now heads Performance & Transformation for Market Area Americas.

Today, she drives business excellence and continuous improvement initiatives that enable smarter decision-making and sustainable growth. Her journey reflects the value of curiosity, courage, and staying true to yourself in a culture that empowers growth.

From intern to leader: Emily Selvera’s 16-year journey at Ericsson  

When Emily Selvera first walked into Ericsson as a summer intern, she thought she’d only be there for three months. At the time, she was finishing her accounting degree at the University of Texas at Dallas, preparing for her CPA license, and already had a full-time offer from a Big Four accounting firm, a dream for most accounting students. 

But sometimes, life takes an unexpected turn. In those three short months, Emily found something rare: a company culture that inspired her to stay. “The first three months of Ericsson left such a strong impression on me that I knew I didn’t want to leave. I took a risk, but in my heart, I knew it was the right thing to do.” What began as a three-month internship has turned into 16 years of growth, transformation, and leadership. 

Taking risks and finding belonging  

Emily started her career in business operations, later transitioning into business finance as Ericsson centralized its finance teams. From there, she explored different finance roles, eventually moving into performance and transformation, where she now leads initiatives within Business Control and Sourcing.  

Her career has been defined by saying “yes” to opportunities, even when the timing wasn’t perfect. “Every time I asked for something, whether it was a new project, a chance to travel, or to work with a new team, it didn’t always come immediately. But people remembered. And eventually, those opportunities came.” That willingness to ask, paired with Ericsson’s culture of support, has shaped Emily’s career in unexpected and rewarding ways, including assignments in South Africa, Senegal, Sweden, India and Madrid.

A culture of trust and opportunity  

Looking back, one moment from her internship stands out: “Three weeks into the job, my manager asked me to present results to senior leaders. I had no experience, just what I had learned in school. But they trusted me. That experience set the tone for my career.”  

It’s that trust, combined with Ericsson’s openness to employee ambitions, that convinced Emily she could build a career here. “At every stage of my life, whether I wanted to go back to school, travel the world, or now start a family, Ericsson has supported me.” 

Leading with flexibility, empathy, and authenticity  

As a people leader, Emily has shaped her leadership style around flexibility and respect for diversity. Having worked across market areas and global functions, she’s learned that no two people are the same. “There is no one-size-fits-all leadership model. Some people want close involvement; others prefer independence. The most important thing is flexibility, and remembering that everyone deserves respect, care, and appreciation.” 

For Emily, authenticity is non-negotiable. Early in her career, she worried that her fun, lighthearted personality might not be taken seriously in a corporate environment. Over time, she realized that being herself (silly jokes and all) was her biggest strength. 

“It took me time to realize that being authentic would get me further than trying to fit in. I’ve gotten further by being myself than I ever did trying to mirror someone else’s energy.” 

Lessons from 16 years at Ericsson  

Emily’s career journey has given her insights not just into leadership, but into navigating change and staying true to yourself. Some of her biggest takeaways include:  

1. Speak up about your goals. Even if opportunities don’t come immediately, they will be remembered. 
2. Find your unique strengths. Whether it’s a technical skill or a personality trait, bring it forward from day one. 
3. Embrace job shadowing. Some of Emily’s biggest career shifts, including going back to school for a systems engineering degree, came from shadowing colleagues in different roles. 
4. Never stop learning. Emily has earned five degrees, four sponsored by Ericsson, because each new project or interest sparked a desire to deepen her knowledge. 
5. Be yourself. Authenticity not only builds trust, it also sustains a career. 

Advice to early career professionals  

If she could give advice to her 20-year-old self, Emily would say: “Don’t dull your personality or try to be someone else at work. Be yourself. Authenticity is more powerful than fitting in.” She also encourages new hires to identify and share their unique skills from day one: “Every new hire I’ve worked with brought something special to the table, even if they didn’t recognize it. Don’t underestimate what you bring. Speak up, and you can make an impact right away.” 

One Ericsson, many paths  

Looking back on Ericsson’s evolution, Emily reflects on the company’s shift from many regional units to five global market areas as one of the biggest and best changes she’s witnessed. 

“It created more collaboration, more tolerance for differences, and helped us learn from each other. It truly feels like One Ericsson.”

And for Emily, that’s what keeps her inspired: the chance to grow, adapt, and contribute to something larger than herself. Emily’s journey shows that careers aren’t just about roles or titles, they’re about finding a place that values your ambitions, supports your growth, and lets you be your authentic self. For her, that place has been Ericsson, for 16 years and counting.  

Does Ericsson sound like a place for you? Check out our open roles to find your next career move.