Mats Persson: Knowledge Retention Interviews

Rome: World Food Programme (WFP), July 2023.

English

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The Knowledge Retention Interview series features Mats Persson, who retired from WFP after a career starting in 1997. Mats, an electronic engineer from Sweden, began as a regional telecommunications technician in Uganda, where he helped operationalize WFP's first email system through HF and VHF radios. He later helped implement the organization’s first VSAT system to handle increased data loads from Lotus Notes. Mats’ career highlights include negotiating a critical maize trade agreement for Uganda, piloting iron fortification for school feeding in the Philippines, and establishing mobile emergency response units with advanced communication systems. He also played a pivotal role in the successful deployment of WFP’s first supply chain commodity tracking system, LESS. Mats emphasizes the importance of trust and communication between TEC and other WFP divisions, advocating for more field experience to understand real-world challenges and avoid data fragmentation. He also highlights the need for better knowledge exchange and more field-based TEC personnel. His advice for the future includes placing more TEC staff in the field to truly understand and support WFP’s mission.

Knowledge Retention Interviews

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