For Andre Haker, growing up in an idyllic, small Swedish community was everything you would imagine. A tight group of friends, plenty of hockey and…robots?
"My interest in robotics started with my grandfather, who was a bit of a trailblazer in the field," said Haker, an automation analyst in the operations and technology division at BOK Financial®. "He helped a small company use robots in the 1970s, and that company turned out to be Samsung. Watching those robots as a child made me want to learn more about them and eventually led me to choose a career in robotics myself."
But before settling in Oklahoma in a robotics career, Haker embarked on an around-the-world journey that taught him how to get comfortable taking action in the face of uncertainty.
World traveler finds love
After earning a degree in electrical engineering from Chalmers University in Sweden, Haker worked for the global digital technologies company in Jönköping, programming industrial robots for the automotive and beverage industries. Soon, a rival firm approached him and offered him an automation engineer position, a role in which he visited more than 30 countries on behalf of the company. All that traveling helped grow Haker's natural self-confidence.
"Most of the time, I had to travel alone for work," he recalled. "I went to Brazil, Thailand, China and several other countries where they don't speak English or Swedish. I would have to interact with CEOs and navigate cities on my own. I quickly learned I could rely on myself to figure it out."
While traveling for work in Monterrey, Mexico, Haker met the woman who would become his wife. Wendy, who lived in the United States, was in town for a family wedding. "The conversation flowed so naturally—it was like we had known each other forever,” said Andre." Wendy agreed, "From the moment I laid eyes on him, I knew my soul had found its forever partner.”
A few days later, they both returned home—Wendy to Oklahoma and Haker to Sweden—but they stayed in touch with daily phone conversations, despite the seven-hour time difference. Haker would wake up every day at 5 a.m. to catch Wendy before she went to bed. Distance was an obstacle they knew was going to be difficult to overcome.
After traveling across the globe to visit each other on multiple occasions, Haker took the initiative and decided to move permanently to the U.S. "It was a huge risk—after dating for 11 months, I quit my job and sold everything I had in Sweden," he said. "I had a few boxes with personal items that I put in my mom's garage—that's all I kept."
The rise of the robots
Once he landed in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Haker pursued a second degree—this one in computer science. He then began working for BOK Financial as an automation controller, building robots for the company, just like he saw his grandfather do all those years earlier.
Haker explains that the "robots" he builds aren’t walking around like in the movies: they’re software programs that can perform computer actions like organizing files precisely as a human would, but in a more efficient manner. “The developer gives the robot a specific set of instructions, so it knows what to do, step by step," he said. "This program makes life easier for people at work because the robot can do the boring, repetitive tasks, and employees can do more interesting assignments."
He admits not everyone is an early adopter of robots as he was. Getting other departments on board sometimes takes a little persuasion or social proof.
“Often, we need to get our foot in the door first, but as soon as people see how efficient our robots can make their work, they understand the potential," he said. "They usually have lots more ideas for ways to collaborate.”- Andre Haker, automation analyst in the operations and technology division at BOK Financial
A lifetime of embracing uncertainty
Haker’s life so far has been rich with experiences—watching robots in his grandfather's workshop, traveling solo around the world, taking a leap of faith for love, embracing a new home country and building a career in emerging technology. Fortunately, Haker spent his childhood and early career getting very comfortable with the unknown.
"Many of his childhood stories revolve around building computers with his dad or his grandpa's robotics influence," said Wendy, who also works at BOK Financial as a monetary risk analyst. “He also has strong instincts for efficiency and problem-solving and an ability to think outside the box." Moving forward, Haker sees his next phase of life helping others, including his two daughters and BOK Financial, foster an innovative way of thinking.
"Andre approaches each automation opportunity with a fresh perspective," said JD Wallace, automation manager at BOK Financial and Haker's supervisor. "He finds creative solutions to existing problems or constraints which can lead to improved processes, products or services, allowing the company to respond to changing market conditions, tech advancements and unexpected challenges."
Haker is up for the journey. "To solve new problems, I'll need to think in new ways," he said. "I might have to develop a solution that's never been done before."
If anyone can do it, it will be this robot-building, risk-taking Oklahoman Swede.
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