This week we’re spotlighting Adina Manisor, Head of Group Data & AI Product at Electrolux. Approaching her work as a builder rather than a decorator, Adina thrives in transforming operating models and turning raw technology into measurable business outcomes.
Instead of focusing purely on algorithms, she views her role as cultivating an “orchard” – preparing the cultural soil, aligning business strategy, and developing teams so value becomes self-sustaining. For Adina, technology is the straightforward part; user adoption and human capability are the true differentiators.
In this short interview, she touches on her 19-year journey in data, how to quantify the financial value of data products, and why strong data fundamentals are what enable AI to create real business value.
Hyperight.com: What’s the best way to describe your job to someone outside tech?
Adina Manisor: I often think of my job as growing an orchard. Technology is just one of the ingredients. First you prepare the soil by building trust and alignment. Then you plant the right seeds (business problems one is trying to solve) by defining strategy and building capabilities. You nurture them by developing people, introducing better ways of working, and creating the right operating model.
Eventually, the organization becomes self-sustaining and starts producing value year after year. My role is creating the orchard-not growing every tree myself.
Hyperight.com: What originally sparked your interest in AI/data, and what keeps you inspired today?
Adina Manisor: About 19 years ago, in a Reporting team, I discovered that my passion wasn’t technology itself, but using data to improve business decisions. That moment shaped the career I’ve built ever since. I’ve had the privilege of growing alongside the field itself-from Reporting to BI, Analytics, Data Science, and now AI. There has never been a moment of boredom because the industry has continuously reinvented itself-and so have I. What continues to inspire me today is that I believe we’re still only scratching the surface. Data remains one of the greatest untapped assets organizations have. The greatest opportunity is in helping organizations fundamentally change how they operate and make decisions through data and AI. That’s the challenge that continues to motivate me every day.
Hyperight.com: What is one challenge you’re trying to solve, and why does it matter?
Adina Manisor: Putting a measurable financial value behind data products. Most organizations call data a strategic asset, but very few manage it like one. If we want data to be treated as an investment rather than a cost, we need to quantify its impact on revenue, efficiency, risk reduction, and customer value. Solving this would fundamentally change how organizations prioritize, fund, and scale Data & AI initiatives.
Hyperight.com: A tool you can’t live without (tech or not)?
Adina Manisor: Excel. AI helps me move faster, but Excel is where I make my thinking visible. It’s where ideas become business cases, trade-offs become clear, and strategy turns into action.
Hyperight.com: What trend in data or AI do you think will shape the Nordic region the most?
Adina Manisor: Transition from AI experimentation to enterprise-wide adoption is the one that will have the biggest impact. Nordic companies have invested heavily in data & AI over the past decade. The organizations that will lead the next decade are those that successfully embed AI into everyday workflows, equip their people with the right capabilities, and redesign how work gets done. Technology will be the easy part-adoption will be the real differentiator.
Hyperight.com: What’s one piece of advice you’d give to others entering the data and AI field?
Adina Manisor: Build expertise before shortcuts. AI is an incredible accelerator, but it shouldn’t replace deep understanding. Invest in strong fundamentals and use AI to amplify your capabilities- but not bypass learning.
