Caroline - data scientist at Trygg-Hansa and expert in statistical anlysis

From academic studies to the insurance industry

As a data scientist at Trygg-Hansa, Caroline Tjäder Svahn uses her deep knowledge of statistics and machine learning to create insights based on data. She is currently on parental leave with her four-month-old daughter, but when at work, she helps the insurance company analyse data and anticipate customer insurance needs using advanced models.

“When I’m not at home with my daughter, I work with machine learning and statistics in the insurance industry – for example, by using data to anticipate customers’ insurance needs,” she explains.

Broad applicability of statistics

With a doctoral degree in statistics, Caroline is an expert in statistical methodology. This gives her the opportunity to work in many different fields, which she sees as one of the great advantages of her profession.

“I’m an expert in methodology, not necessarily in application, and that allows me to work in a lot of areas,” says Caroline, adding that the best thing about her job is finding something unexpected in data that can create real value for the company.

One of the biggest challenges in her job is finding high-quality data that accurately measures what is to be investigated.

“If you don’t understand the problem properly, you can easily draw the wrong conclusions,” Caroline points out, and explains how important it is not only to interpret the numbers correctly, but also to understand their context.

A career built on statistics and research

Caroline's journey into working life began during her studies at Linköping University. She did her degree project at Ericsson Research in Linköping and was then asked if she wanted to continue as an industry-based PhD student. She continued her doctoral studies with support from Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program (WASP), and received her PhD in Statistics in 2022. After completing her doctoral education, she stayed at Ericsson Research in Kista before moving to the insurance industry and her current role at Trygg-Hansa.

Statistics – a natural choice

Caroline has always had a penchant for mathematics and problem solving. She initially considered studying for a master’s degree in engineering, but soon found that an education in statistics best suited her interest.

“I’ve always liked maths, and when I discovered discrete mathematics in upper secondary school, I thought it was so much fun that I decided to take statistics instead,” she says.

The choice to study at Linköping University was made easy by the university’s strong student life and the academic opportunities in statistics and data analysis.

“Linköping felt like a good choice, not least thanks to the rich student life,” says Caroline.

A varied and challenging education

During her studies at Linköping University, Caroline received both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Statistics and Machine Learning. She describes her education as intensive but instructive, especially on the master’s programme, where the workload was sometimes high.

“It was great fun, even though the workload on the master’s programme was at times high. But then you also learn a lot,” she says, remembering in particular the wide mix of courses that gave her both theoretical and practical knowledge.

Another aspect that Caroline appreciated was the small master’s class, which created a strong community among the students.

“We were a small class on the master’s programme and had a lot of fun together as a group,” she says.

Active student life and student dramatics

In addition to her studies, Caroline was very active in student life at Linköping. She was involved in the Holgerspexet theatre group, where she both sat on the board and participated on the stage. This gave her the opportunity to meet many people and forge strong friendships.

“I devoted a lot of time to Holgerspexet and can really recommend getting involved in clubs and associations – it’s a great way to meet a wonderful mix of people,” she says. She met many of her best friends today through her involvement in student life.

Tips for prospective statistics students

Caroline encourages others who are thinking about studying statistics to do so. She emphasises the importance of getting involved in both studies and student life.

“Spend a lot of time on labs and lessons – then the exams will be quite easy,” she advises, but also underlines that it is important to participate in student life.

“There’s something for everyone to get involved in, and it’s really worth it,” she concludes.