Who's Who: Wollan Family

Anders Wollan, Cochlear Senior Marketing Manager

Niki Wollan, Cochlear Recruiter

Jake Wollan, bilateral cochlear implant recipient

Both Anders and Niki Wollan are new to the Cochlear™ team, but their experience with Cochlear was well established before they started working at Cochlear. Their son Jake was diagnosed with profound hearing loss when he was 1 year old. Six months later, Anders and Niki decided that he should get a Nucleus® cochlear implant. Jake has since received bilateral implants and upgraded his old SPrint™ processor to Nucleus® Freedom™ processors. And so their journey with Cochlear began.

The Wollan family.

Becoming Advocates
Niki and Anders are amazed at the things the cochlear implant has done for Jake, so they jumped at the opportunity to help others experience the same thing by working for Cochlear. Niki started in 2006 as a part-time employee in Cochlear’s growing human resources department. She has since transitioned into a full-time recruiting position. Anders applied for a Senior Marketing Manager position and now works with the professionals marketing team and manages internal implant marketing projects.

Both Anders and Niki agree that their favorite part about working for Cochlear is being part of the passion that surrounds this industry.

“It’s awesome to experience the life-changing miracles that a cochlear implant brings on a daily basis! We have experienced what the cochlear implant has done for our son Jake. He’s just a normal kid that can do anything he wants in life,” says Niki.  “Now we get to be a part of helping others share similar experiences. It really is a great feeling.”

Sharing one of his father-son cochlear implant moments, Anders explains, “Jake and I were riding in the car with the radio playing. Out of the blue Jake asked me, ‘Daddy, how do they make music so beautiful?’ I was absolutely amazed. Five years ago, doctors were telling me that my son probably wouldn’t understand speech well and now, not only can he communicate, but he is also asking how music can be so beautiful,” exclaims Anders. “It really was a great moment and reinforces just how great this technology has been for Jake and my family.”

More about Anders and Niki 

• Anders is originally from Norway and met Niki while attending the University of Colorado through an exchange program.
• Both Anders and Niki were on the Colorado Ski Team and have passed on their love of skiing to their children, Jake and Abby.
• Niki likes to do triathlons. She is currently training for her third season this year.