Author Archives: Liselotte ENGSTAM

The Immense Value of Networking and Lifelong Learning

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The Immense Value of Networking and Lifelong Learning

By INSEAD Sweden Alumni Board Member, Digoshen Founder and Professional Board Member Liselotte Engstam

The importance of networking 

Networking is crucial to building your business and career, learning new insights, and having sense-making feedback buddies. You might have them in your family or from childhood, you might have them from junior school, from university, from an interest group, from an MBA, Executive, or Board program.

The network, however, is not static. Many have some base groups, some networks that others help facilitate, and some that present themselves as opportunities. Unfortunately, many people go to their networks first after they are in deep need themselves, which might prove much more challenging to benefit from.

INSEAD Professor in Organizational Behavior Noah Askin has studied networks and has some great tools and tips you can find in this article “Networking in the New Reality”, and a recent presentation by Prof Askin held in June 2022 at INSEAD.

Prof Askins key takeaways are that time, money, and relationships are the currencies that run our lives. For networking, we need to consider

  • Building a community is more than a network
  • Think long term and develop a habit
  • Be specific about yourself and your needs
  • Mentors are crucial
  • Be the connector

Helen Pitcher OBE, the President of The INSEAD Board Directors Network, has written an article targeting board members outlining “10 networking strategies to a board role“, which is highly relevant. The networking strategies include

  • Build your networking muscle – it takes time and effort, but it is worth it
  • Develop a thick skin – you might not get the thing you ask for directly
  • Be nice to everyone you meet – basic courtesy
  • Be giving – When you reach out to someone in your network, start with offering to support that person in something that would be valuable to them before jumping into the asks.
  • Grow your relationship database – get yourself into new networks
  • Communicate – share your insights, and help others learn
  • Keep it simple – is it easy to understand what three things you are known for?
  • Build rapport – engage and show empathy
  • Set goals – gives you focus
  • Access available resources – go via your current networks to expand. Don’t always expect something back.

How do you contribute to and benefit from your business networks? You will find that the best networkers are giving in nature and act as connectors. They are training their curiosity and seeing that serendipity will also come into play.

 

The INSEAD Alumni Network

In a combination of thirst for Lifelong Learning and Networking, the INSEAD Alumni Network has proven invaluable. The Alumni Network is a great network with top leaders and entrepreneurs worldwide, providing many opportunities to get and stay connected.

The network opportunities are available locally in person in different countries, including the Swedish INSEAD Alumni Network, with many opportunities. If you are INSEAD alumni – ensure to invite colleagues with a guest ticket. If you are not alumni, contact us to inquire about joining our events.

There are also network opportunities with local and international meetings with several INSEAD global clubs (such as INSEAD Directors Network, Energy Club, Tech Club, Women in Business Club Indevor etc). In addition, there are events arranged by INSEAD Academic Centers (as INSEAD Corporate Governance Center and INSEAD Family Business Center, INSEAD Private Equity Initiative), and there are also yearly regional Forums in Europe, America and Asia. In addition, INSEAD provides many webinars and digital dialogues from INSEAD and the INSEAD Lifelong Learninginitiative. The networking naturally expands also to many business collaborations across the world.

Experiences of INSEAD Alumni Network

As many business leaders, I am a member of several business networks, including friends from university, alumni networks from executive courses, and networks related to some of my focus areas as art and culture, startup investments, coaching, innovation, sustainability, and board work.

Let me share some of the connections and benefits I have gained and contributed to via INSEAD and the INSEAD Alumni Network.

Coming from an international career with Executive and CEO positions at European, American, and Indian technology and services companies, I was approached to join board positions and decided I needed to gain international board education. After evaluating the board programs at the top international universities and business schools, I settled on the INSEAD International Directors Program, based on its content with a focus on the international side, the human side, and the opportunity to join the INSEAD Directors Network, IDN, as well as becoming an INSEAD Alumni.

After I went through the INSEAD International Directors Program 2014-2015 and became a certified International Board Director IDP-C, I became a grateful INSEAD Alumni and member of the broader INSEAD Alumni Network as the Global Club IDN.

 

 

In 2015 I was elected to the IDN Board and worked for six years as their Chair of Communication. That led me to start, among other things, the IDN global webinars, which meant that during 2015-2021 I organized and ran more than 75 webinars with INSEAD Alumni and faculty members and learned so much about international board work and grew my network immensely. Some of the webinars are summarized via the INSEAD IDN Blog.

Another opportunity to contribute and network has come from becoming a mentor to other international board members via the excellent IDN Mentor Program, professionally led by Board Member and Coach Helen Wiseman.

Additional education and alumni forums related to INSEAD, as programs in Strategy, Digital Disruption, Sustainability, Board Dilemmas, and networking events with a focus on Purposeful Leadership, Technology for Good, allowed me to share and interact with many of the experienced INSEAD Alumni and faculty.

All this benefits many leaders and companies across the globe, including my board assignments on both public and private boards, and gives me many new colleagues and friends.

It also led me to collaborate on Academic Research with INSEAD, including

In addition, I have been invited as returning presenter to INSEAD Corporate Governance Centers Board Programs and the Nordic IN-Board Program, hosted by INSEAD Alumni Norway led by President Susanne Hannestad. Both allow me to continue to meet and network with many engaging leaders.

 

 

As Chair of Boards Impact Forum in Nordic, and Board member at the Climate Governance Initiative in collaboration with World Economic Forum, we have linked up with INSEAD.

We have arranged a partnership with INSEAD Corporate Governance Center led by Sonia Tatar as a knowledge partner, and we collaborate on surveys and run joint webinars. The next webinar on September 7 with the topic of “Rising to the ESG challenge, Routes towards effective governance ” together also with BCG, is open for all to join and includes INSEAD research and a fantastic panel.

On October 12, we will collaborate with INSEAD Wendel International Center for Family. We will run a webinar with them, including Professor Morten Bennedsen and with top European owner board members, two of them INSEAD alumni, on the topic of “Strategic integration of sustainability, accelerated by engaged and active owners” as part of the CGI Global Summit.

 

The INSEAD Alumni Network Sweden Board, then led by Carl Magnus Norden, and now led by Alfonso Paradinas, invited me to join them. I meet many new business colleagues and friends in different settings and help arrange events, webinars, and communications.

At the INSEAD Sweden Alumni Network board, we have organized several webinars, which is available in recordings and blog posts via the Blog

 

Many INSEAD alumni and faculty have truly impressive backgrounds and engagements, and we have been fortunate to interview some of them for the podcast Exploring Leaders which is part of the Think Tank Digoshen, that I founded 7 years ago.

Sharing their immense insights and providing an additional opportunity for Lifelong Learning, we welcome all to listen to the podcast episodes and read the blog posts that includes INSEAD Alumni and INSEAD Professors listed below;

  • How Coaching benefits Board Work with Helen Wiseman (INSEAD Alumni) > Podcast Episode and Blogpost.
  • Create and believe in the future – with INSEAD Professor Nathan Furr > Podcast Episode and
  • Popping the founder’s age myth of successful ventures with serial entrepreneur Carl Magnus Norden (INSEAD alumni) > Podcast Episode and Blogpost
  • Experienced board chair Helen Pitcher OBE, Inspiring boardroom excellence (INSEAD Alumni)  > Podcast Episode and Blogpost
  • Why all leaders should include design thinking in their toolbox with Fennemiek Gommer (INSEAD Alumni) and Anne Mieke Eggencamp > Podcast Episode and Blogpost.
  • Learn From Experienced Digital Non-Executive Board Director Denise Koopmans (INSEAD Alumni) >Podcast Episode and Blogpost.

We have also run webinars, including several INSEAD Alumni members, and created related blogposts, as for example

 

Conclusion

  • Networking is the social capital and knowledge capital, where you can add value and which will contribute to yourself and your business.
  • Networking takes time and effort and is a well-worth investment.
  • INSEAD Alumni Network is an excellent example of a valuable source of connections, inspiration, and friends.

For all INSEAD Alumni, we welcome you to engage and contribute to our outstanding network.

  • Share some of your insights in person or at a virtual event.
  • Share more about yourself and your business at our INSEAD Sweden Blog- find out how here.

For all business colleagues and alumni, we welcome you to check out and join our upcoming events and collaborate with us.

“Networking is like an investment. If you invest well in networking, it will grow in value over the years” – Liselotte Engstam

 

 

 

Learn more

About INSEAD

Follow

INSEAD Alumni Sweden Website and INSEAD Alumni Sweden at LinkedIn

INSEAD Directors Network at LinkedIn

INSEAD Alumni Association at LinkedIn

INSEAD Knowledge

For Master Programmes

For Executive Education

About Networking

Haven’t networked in a while? Here’s How to jump back in. by Dorie Clark

Learn to love networking with Gino et al

Get better at Networking: Our favourite Reads by Paige Cohen

10 networking strategies to a board role By Helen Pitcher OBE

 

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This blog post was originally shared at the blog INSEAD Alumni Sweden, at the blog of Digoshen www.digoshen.com,  and at the blog of the Digoshen founder www.liselotteengstam.com

#BreakTheBias: Experiences of Increasing Inclusiveness for a more Competitive Business

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#BreakTheBias: Experiences of Increasing Inclusiveness for a more Competitive Business

“We need to look upon what kind of company are we and how are we attracting talent in the views of these tensions as environment, aging population, increasing technology adoption etc. And tensions, as you know, are usually a force of opportunities.” – Anne Årneby

“If you’re looking only for culture fit in recruitment candidates, then you will not get diversity”- Jakob Stengel

Many businesses and executive boards are experiencing increased competition for talent, which is hampering company growth. Leaders are looking to diversify their teams to increase competitiveness and increase business value. But how do we break the bias to increase diversity in organizations? The INSEAD Alumni Association Sweden and Denmark organized an event to answer just that; Jakob Stengel, CEO & Managing Partner at Case Rose InterSearch and Global Head of Board Practice at InterSearch, and Anne Årneby, Ex-CEO Nordic Morning Group, Board Member Svenska Spel & Rolling Optics, gave their current perspectives on this business imperative topic on International Women’s Day.

To start off the event, our Women in Business Association Leads, Jennifer Lipes and Tamara Fiona Wennecke, set the scene regarding the diversity and inclusion figures in global and Nordic businesses, and particularly how it relates to being an attractive employer for top-talent.

The following slide was shown highlighting most importantly how more businesses need to see that diversity & inclusion is not just a moral obligation, but that it drives business value.

Zooming in particularly on the lack of females in senior positions and on boards, Tamara called out specifically the fact that Denmark is the only Nordic country not in top 10 according to the Global Gender Gap Report, and has remained stagnate the last 5 years.

Anne Årneby then took a zoomed-out approach to show us how diversity plays a role in terms of the five big megatrends impacting our future, showcasing Sitra’s Big Picture of Megatrends. The important call outs were also the tensions between the megatrends, such as how new communities are coinciding with relational power and the diversifying population. She stressed that sometimes these tensions can serve as a force of opportunity, and that companies are increasing looking to build partnerships or joint ecosystems in the future.

“We have had centralized decisions, mainly over the last 150 or 200 years. But now we can see that we need a broader engagement when it comes to taking on business challenges.”- Anne Årneby

We then moved onto Jakob who zoomed into a diversity matrix showing the practical tools, steps or actions to take to improve inclusion and retain talent, depending on how formal versus cultural you look on the spectrum. One important call out that was made was in regards to KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). Jakob stressed that if you’re looking for diverse profiles, you should not use the KPIs you’ve used historically, that companies need to think more creatively regarding performance matrixes and bonuses or other company policies, or utilize external legislation to move the dial. He also sparked discussion by describing how if companies are looking for a cultural fit, they will not get diversity, but instead “companies should be looking for cultural add not cultural fit.”

“If you are really looking for diverse profiles when recruiting, you shouldn’t use the KPI sets that you have used historically, because you will be getting what you what you’ve always gotten.” – Jakob Stengel

To read more of the material or hear the live discussion you can find the full slides >> here and the recording will be added >> here.

Special thanks to Andrew Kristensen for opening and closing remarks and Liselotte Hägertz Engstam and Andrea Wilczynski for their support.

Sources:

BCG “Finding the Value in Diversity”

WEF “Global Gender Gap Report 2021”

Sitra “The Big Picture of the Megatrends”

Nils Bohlin Story

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Nils Bohlin Story

Get to know Nils Bohlin, one of our INSEAD Sweden Alumni members

Nils is an experienced international management consultant working as an executive coach and passionate about good listening and outdoor adventures.

 

* What has taken you to your current position? Any defining moments? 

Following a 40 year career in the Global Management Consulting Industry I am now engaged in professional coaching working with leaders of entrepreneurial companies supporting them through the never ending challenges of growing a small high potential company into a global force. What I learnt about the power of shared vision, team learning, dialogue, personal mastery and systems thinking during the 1990s when I worked with co-workers of Peter Senge has had a defining and propelling impact for me.

* What do you do in your professional life? 

Today I work through my own company; Venac AB (Venture Accelerator). I engage with leaders to support their efforts in building successful entrepreneurial companies.

* What do you think we need to develop for the future of work and in our leadership? 

The human capacity for compassion, collaboration, co-creation and team work will remain key. Courage, vision and the focus on execution is essential.

* Any particular pointers for books, podcasts or articles you think would be valuable for others to explore?

Most recently I have enjoyed reading the perspective creating book of Bill Gates; “How to avoid a climate disaster” and the reflective book of Jan Carlzon “Se Människan!”.

* When you get some spare time, what do you like to do? 

The outdoors; walking, hiking, cycling, skiing and spending time with my family and friends.

* What are you particularly good at, that others in the network can contact you about? 

I believe that a well-structured problem is half the solution. I am good at listening, organizing the mind and finding a way to frame complex problems; making them actionable in a flexible and pragmatic manner.

Connect with Nils Bohlin here

This post is part if INSEAD Sweden Alumni Membership stories. We welcome you to share yours!

Read previous stories shared, here are some about Jennifer Lipes and  Alfonso Paradinas 

Share your story – read more on how to here 

Jennifer Lipes Story

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Jennifer Lipes Story

Get to know Jennifer Lipes, one of our INSEAD Sweden Alumni members

Jennifer is a business development and brand consultant in the food industry, passionate about cross-cultural leadership and inclusion strategies.

 

* What has taken you to your current position? Any defining moments? 

Earlier in my career, I applied to a global young development program at my engineering consulting firm and was the only colleague selected in a non-commercial facing role (in my case HR) which not only exposed me to a working with colleagues from all over the world, but also taught me how my diverse perspective was unique yet necessary. Additionally, it gave me a network that later led me to live 3,5 years in Antwerp, Belgium, which was my first exposure to working in Europe.

* What do you do in your professional life? 

I work for Sweden’s leading tofu producer in a global business development role focusing on internationalizing our brand but also expanding our products beyond Sweden. From attending trade fairs to engaging in conversations with potential partners, I work in an agile team with our vegan products in what is now an exciting time for the vegan and organic market.

* What do you think we need to develop for the future of work and in our leadership? 

Flexible and empathetic leadership – with the increase and popularity of remote working, leaders need to re-think how they engage and motivate individuals to contribute to their strategic goals, focusing more on how to align and partner with what’s important to people (as opposed to focusing on medium/short term profitability and relying on compensation purely as motivation). Leaders also need to cultivate compassionate leadership in a remote working setting; this includes changing communication styles to be an attentive and empathetic leader towards employees or audiences.

Aligning personal values to company values – I think people are recognizing the need to become more involved and accountable for the companies and industries we’re working for: e.g., understanding our company’s environmental impact; driving gender and racial equality in how employees are treated, compensated, etc.; making sure companies are working on projects that align with core values (see: facial recognition tech); utilizing the power of a company’s voice (e.g., standing up to political changes)

* Any particular pointers for books, podcasts or articles you think would be valuable for others to explore?

I love the podcast “How I built this” with Guy Raz as I find it fascinating to learn about the perseverance and journey that founders go through to start companies. It is encouraging hear how it’s not that founders are overly smart, it’s more so that they are passionate and quick learners, skills that I believe anyone could use to start something great. 

I also love the podcast “We can do hard things” with Glennon Doyle as it recognizes the challenges in daily life and the importance of communicating openly, finding support systems, and taking care of your mental and physical health.

* When you get some spare time, what do you like to do? 

You’ll typically find me cooking for a crowd, trying the latest craft beer at the local brewery, or doing something outdoors like running or skiing in my spare time. I also volunteer as a career mentor for two veteran organizations, consult for women in business advocacy groups, and serve as a learning coach for INSEAD’s Advanced Design Thinking programme.

* What are you particularly good at, that others in the network can contact you about? 

My expertise is fundamentally within people strategies. I’m particularly good at developing diversity & inclusion strategies for companies or utilizing active listening to make individuals feel included. I am passionate about cross-cultural leadership, including how to use cultural awareness to communicate messages in the intended ways. Overall, I have a diverse network and serve as a great connector to those looking to find contacts outside of their personal circles or communities.

Connect with Jennifer Lipes here

This post is part if INSEAD Sweden Alumni Membership stories. We welcome you to share yours!

Read some previous stories shared, here is one about Alfonso Paradinas

Share your story – read more on how to here 

Lifelong Learning as a driver for a Sustainable Future

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Lifelong Learning as a driver for a Sustainable Future

In today’s rapidly changing environment, lifelong learning is required for the continued development, growth and success of individuals, corporates, academia, our societies and countries. It’s a responsibility both for us as individuals and all stakeholders.

  • How can Corporates encourage and create a platform for lifelong learning?
  • How are Business Schools like INSEAD developing the topic of lifelong learning?

INSEAD Alumni Association Sweden arranged a webinar on the very current topic of “Lifelong Learning as a driver for a Sustainable Future” in late August 2021.

We we fortunate to have Britta Börjeson, Vice President Learning Expertise at Volvo Group and Anne-Ev Enzmann, Director of Lifelong Learning at INSEAD sharing their vast insights and perspectives on this very current topic.

The webinar was hosted and introduced by INSEAD Alumni Association Sweden President Andrew Kristensen, the discussion is moderated by board member Liselotte Engstam, and Board member Alfonso Paradinas will conclude the webinar.

The presenter bios and a link to the recording can be found below

Andrew Kristensen introduced the webinar with some facts regarding INSEAD

 

Followed by a highlight by the moderator Liselotte Engstam, why the topic was indeed very current:

The first Presenter Britta Börjeson, Vice President Learning Expertise at Volvo Group shared insights first about Volvo Group as a company

and the how the company has adjusted its vision and strategy to achieve its new future

Britta followed that by generously sharing about the transformation journey the company has been going through and the important role of Lifelong Learning in that journey

She followed on with highlighting various ways of learning the the enablers to the journey

And concluded with how important the lifelong journey was for Volvo Group

 

The second presenter Anne-Ev Enzmann, Director of Lifelong Learning at INSEAD, continued enlighten us with her perspectives on what Lifelong Learning means, and what focus it has taken at INSEAD

And shared some insights into some of the key dimensions that is changing as

And on the topic of skills Anne-Ev referred to a McKinsey report highlighting 4 areas of 56 foundational skills needed to thrive in the Future of Work. Find the study here

Alfonso concluded with thanking our presenters and some more things to look forward to

Find the recording here

Link to the recording can be found on Youtube here

 

Presenter bios

Britta Börjeson, Vice President Learning Expertise, Volvo Group

Britta Börjeson has a background from senior management positions within Organizational Change Management, Finance, Business Control and IT from globally leading companies within both consumer goods and industrial businesses as Essity, SCA and Volvo Group. Her ability to formulate a compelling vision and organize assignment and lead people with a high level of transparency and involvement has proven critical to reach the goals. Britta led the largescale project of establishing a corporate university to support business needs and to secure future competence development for the main professional target groups in the Volvo Group, creating economies of skill and scale. Today Britta is the Vice President of Learning Expertise at Volvo Group. Britta has a Bachelor of Business from the University of Gothenburg and is an alumni of the Executive Program Ruter Dam.


Anne-Ev Enzmann Director of Lifelong Learning INSEAD

Passionate about the future of work and learning, Anne-Ev is a curious and entrepreneurial leader focused on delivering impact and results. Anne-Ev started her career in management consulting at AT Kearney, followed by 12 years in the retail industry where she developed an international corporate career culminating in the role of Vice President Marketing and Communications and Member of the Executive Board in Thailand at BigC Supercenter, a publicly-listed company and part of French Casino group then. Pursuing her passion for education, innovation and technology, she joined edtech start-up Gnowbe in Singapore as Chief Growth Officer and helped win the first 20 clients and build partnerships, including KPMG Digital Village and Temasek Polytechnic.

Today, Anne-Ev is the Director of Lifelong Learning at INSEAD, where she has defined and set up a programme of easily accessible learning experiences for alumni and friends. She has been serving on the Board of Governors of the German European School in Singapore and on the ExCo of the INSEAD Alumni Association in Singapore.

Anne-Ev holds an MBA from INSEAD, an MA in European Studies from the College of Europe and has passed the (German) State Exam in History, Political Science, German literature and Pedagogy with Highest Honours.

Host & Introduction: Andrew Kristensen, President INSEAD Alumni Association Sweden

Andrew Kristensen is an experienced Managing Director/CEO/Board Member with a solid track record of leading companies through business transformation, turnaround, and international expansion, having led manufacturing entities in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Spain, UK, USA, and Malaysia.

Andrew has an Executive MBA from INSEAD and M.Sc. from DTU (Technical University of Denmark), and is board member at Svensk Byggtjänst, Industriarbetsgivarna, and President of INSEAD Alumni Association Sweden.

Andrew is a firm believer in the power of diversity, digitalization, and business as a force for good.

Moderator: Liselotte Engstam, Board Member INSEAD Alumni Association Sweden and INSEAD International Directors Network

Liselotte Engstam has a background from leading international positions in the technology industry. She is a chair and board member at three listed and two private companies. She is the Chair at Board Impact Forum, the Nordic Chapter of World Economic Forums Climate Governance Initiative, a board member at the academic foundation IMIT and advisor to the EU Commission on Digitization and Corporate Governance. She is the founder of Digoshen, a think tank and host of international board networks, education programs and the podcast “Exploring Leaders”. She trains chairs’ and board members, including in Swedish academy of Board Directors Chairman Program and runs their Chairman’s Network. She is engaged in academic research, and together with INSEAD she researched modern chairmanship and co-authored the book “Leading a Board, Chairs’ Practices Across Europe”. She researched and co-authored “AI Leadership for Boards”. Research on “Boards’ leadership of corporate renewal and innovation” is to be shared in a forthcoming book. She is a Fellow at the Institute of Coaching, Harvard Medical School, has a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering and Sustainability, is an alumni of the executive program Ruter Dam and is board-certified IDP-C from INSEAD. She is trained as a climate change leader by Al Gore and certified by CDSB to manage climate-related risks and opportunities.

 

Conclusion & Next: Alfonso Paradinas, Board Member INSEAD Alumni Association Sweden

Alfonso Paradinas is the Managing Director of Sikas Sweden. Alfonso is an Experienced Managing Director from the Chemicals, Construction and Renewable Energy Industry with companies like Sacyr, Orsted and Sika. He has been focused on customer engagement and is skilled in negotiations. Alfonso has worked and lived in numerous countries as Ireland, UK, Tanzania, Switzerland and Sweden. Alfonso holds an MBA from INSEAD and a University Degree from Universidad Politecnica de Madrid.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Value Beyond the Deal

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Value Beyond the Deal

The transformation of companies is at an all time high, with intense acquisition activity going on in the market. Buyers need to find those extra value creation levers to gain a competitive edge – more detailed focus on strategic repositioning, revenue growth opportunities, changes to the business model and operating model, for example, or putting tax, the balance sheet and working capital under the microscope. This could prove the difference between a mediocre deal and a transformative one.

INSEAD Alumni Association Sweden arranged a webinar on the very current topic of “Value Beyond the Deal” in late May 2021.

During the webinar we explored the approaches companies take on how to plan for and ensure the value creation when the deal is concluded. We listened to the experienced leaders Mikael Ahlström, Founder Procuritas and Sofia Nordenskjöld, Partner PwC M&A Integration and Carve-out.

Introductions were made by Andrew Kristensen, President at INSEAD Sweden Alumni Association and the webinar was moderated by Liselotte Engstam, Board Member at INSEAD Sweden Alumni Association and INSEAD Directors Network.

The presenter’s bios and a link to the recording can be found below.

Andrew Kristensen introduced the webinar with some facts regarding INSEAD;

followed by why M&A and Value Beyond the Deal is a relevant topic to INSEAD Alumni in Sweden

Liselotte Engstam introduced some facts that highlighted why the topic is so current

The first Presenter Sofia Nordenskjöld, Partner PwC M&A Integration and Carve-out shared many insights under the framework of a research done by PwC with key findings under three headlines:

Following that the Second Presenter Mikael Ahlström shared insights on the development of the PE industry and some insightful examples on key items he ensures in order to secure and grow the value of the deal.

Andrew concluded by thanking the presenters and highlighting some upcoming events;

The recording to the webinar can be found here

To Recording 

 

Presenter bios can be found below

Mikael Ahlström, Founder Procuritas

Mikael has 30 years of Private Equity and industry experience, and is the Founding Partner of the first Nordic private equity firm Procuritas.Mikael is the Founder of the investment company Byggmästare Anders J Ahlström Holding, listed on Nasdaq First North. He is additionally the Founder of the non profit organizations Charity Rating, Givarguiden and the CHELHA Foundation.Mikael’s board assignments include Byggmästare Anders J Ahlström Holding AB, CHELHA Foundation and Charity Rating.His previous board assignments include Swedish Match, Gunnebo, Bravida and Lekolar.Upon INSEADs 50th Year anniversary Mikael was named by INSEAD as one of 50 Alumni who have changed the world. Mikael has also been inducted to The Swedish Private Equity Hall of Fame.Michael has an MBA from INSEAD and equivalent of a B.Sc. in Economics from Lund University.

Sofia Nordenskjöld, Partner PwC M&A Integration and Carve-out

Sofia is a Partner at PwC and she is heading the Swedish M&A Integration and Carve-out practice. She has extensive experience from working with carve out and integrations, from due diligence to execution. In addition, she has experience from Commercial, Operational and Financial Due Diligence as well as Strategy and Process improvement.Sofia is a certified project manager, she is used to lead large projects in a multinational setting. Sofia has worked with clients in various industries including, Energy, Industrial Products, Financial Services, Healthcare and Consumer Retail. Before joining PwC, Sofia worked for the A.P MøllerMaersk Group. Sofia has also worked for PwC in Norway, predominantly working with Energy companies.Sofia holds a MSc in Economics, majoring in Macro Economics from Lund University and where she did her exchange studies at Haute École de commerce in Lausanne, Switzerland.

 

Moderator:

Liselotte Engstam, Board Member INSEAD Alumni Association Sweden and INSEAD International Directors Network

Liselotte Engstam has a background from leading international positions in the IT and technology industry. She is a chair and board member at three listed and two private companies. She is a Chair at Board Impact Forum, the Nordic Chapter of World Economic Forums Climate Governance Initiative, a board member at the academic foundation IMIT and advisor to the EU Commission on Digitization and Corporate Governance.She is the founder of Digoshen, a think tank and host of international board networks, education programs and the podcast “Exploring Leaders”. She trains chairs’ and board members, including in Swedish academy of Board Directors Chairman Program and runs their Chairman’s Network.She is engaged in academic research, and together with INSEAD she researched modern chairmanship and co-authored the book “Leading a Board, Chairs’ Practices Across Europe” coming in June. She researched and co-authored “AI Leadership for Boards”. Research on “Boards’ leadership of corporate renewal and innovation” is to be shared in a forthcoming book.She is a Fellow at the Institute of Coaching, Harvard Medical School, has a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering and Sustainability, and is board-certified IDP-C from INSEAD. She is trained as a climate change leader by Al Gore and certified by CDSB to manage climate-related risks and opportunities.

Host:

Andrew Kristensen, President INSEAD Alumni Association Sweden

Andrew is the Managing Director of Weber Saint-Gobain Sweden AB and Board Member at Industriarbetsgivarna BÄF, Byggmaterialindustrierna, Svensk Byggtjänst and President of INSEAD Alumni Association Sweden.
Andrew is an experienced executive with a track record of leading companies through business transformation, turnaround, and international expansion, having led organizations in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Spain, UK, USA and Malaysia.

Andrew is a firm believer in the power of diversity, and importance of digitalization and sustainable development, and has an Executive MBA from INSEAD and M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering and Product Development from Technical University of Denmark.

 

 

 

Alfonso Paradinas story – international and ambitious leader

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Get to know Alfonso Paradinas, one of our INSEAD Sweden Alumni member .

Alfonso is an international leader in construction industry passionate about ambitious leadership, sports and travelling

 

* What has taken you to your current position? Any defining moments? 

My position involves construction and teams management. I would not have reached my current role without the decision to pursue an Insead MBA and without having taken the risk to move to Africa to start a new company from scratch. Both defining moments have shaped my career and have allowed me to be where I am today.

* What do you do in your professional life? 

I am Sika Sweden’s Managing Director. I am leading a team of 105 employees that generates an annual turnover of over 80m EUR. Sika is a world wide leader in the development and production of systems and products for bonding, sealing, damping, reinforcing and protecting in the building sector and motor vehicle industry.

* What do you think we need to develop for the future of work and in our leadership? 

There are two trends that are and will certainly continue shaping the future of work;

  1. Digitalisation, that Covid pandemic has accelerated its development and implementation; companies have had to quickly adapt all their systems and their internal and external communication structure to cope with lockdowns and social distancing.
  2. Sustainability, crucial to change the negative spiral that our planet is facing. From CO2 emission reductions to a radical production and supply chain recycling approach, shareholders and customers are demanding companies to transform the way they interact with nature.

As for leadership, there are three elements that employees are expecting from their top managers;

  1. Flexibility; with such a global and digital world, the younger generation will simply not accept the old way of the daily commute to the office. They are demanding much more flexibility from their employers to work from “anywhere”
  2. Empowerment; old school micromanagement does not work anymore. Younger generations expect to be able to take the lead and to be much more involved in decision making processes
  3. Diversity; much more mixed management both in terms of gender and race is a must for companies to compete and to grow. Not only due to “political reasons”, but diversity allows teams to think much more “outside the box” and to come up with new ideas

* Any particular pointers for books, podcasts or articles you think would be valuable for others to explore?

“To live is to take the risk of deciding who do you want to be” this quote by Ortega y Gasset has been my life motto for many years. I strongly recommend “The Revolt of the Masses” as it is a great critical essay about how human kind behaves around other peers and it fits very well with the world we live in.

I am also extremely passionate about the conquer of Everest history. One of my big life heroes is George Mallory, an English explorer that back in the 1920’s firstly attempted to reach the summit. “Paths of Glory” by Jeffrey Archer tells his story in a compelling way and very much worth reading about Mallory’s determination, life passion and love for his wife and his mountain.

* When you get some spare time, what do you like to do? 

In my spare time, I enjoy playing and practicing all kind of sports; skiing, tennis, paddle, football, swimming, running…it is the way I channel stress and also an great excuse to meet people and to network. My other passion is traveling and learning about new cultures. Given than Sweden is the 10thcountry I live in the last 16th years, living abroad has allowed me to grow both professionally and personally

* What are you particularly good at, that others in the network can contact you about? 

Since a very young age, I have been exposed to different cultures and I have lived in many countries. Thanks to this, I am able to adapt and to lead multi-cultural teams. Since I have quite an outgoing personality, I am a good communicator. I am also able to solve problems under tight deadlines and stressful situations. People can also contact me if they want to learn to play paddle or tennis!

Connect with Alfonso Paradinas here

This post is part if INSEAD Sweden Alumni Membership stories. We welcome you to share yours!  Share your story – read more on how to here 

Leadership in the future of work – share your story

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Leadership in the future of work – share your story

Leadership in the future of work – share your story!

We are increasingly challenged to find ways to adapt our leadership in the new fast past technology driven era we are finding ourselves in, be it as leaders, boards, co-workers or individual consultants. To collaborate with and draw on our network is an important part of all INSEADers progress. For inspiration you can read about How leaders develop and use their network

We are delighted to introduce a new initative here at INSEAD Sweden Alumni Association,  where we will increase the visibility and introduce members of our network to each other. You will soon see same introductions and we encourage you to connect with each other and we hope that you will also be eager to join our initiative and introduce yourself.

We like for all of you to answer the following questions and mail your response to alumni (.) sweden (at) insead (.) edu , together with a photo of yourself.

* What has taken you to your current position? Any defining moments?

* What do you do in your professional life?

* What do you think we need to develop for the future of work and in our leadership?

* Any particular pointers for books, podcasts or articles you think would be valuable for others to explore?

* When you get som spare time, what do you like to do?

* What are you particularily good at, that others in the network can contact you about?

We will revert and potentially ask some clarifying questions or share some guidance.  And then we will ensure we introduce you at the website and on social media. We are particularly interested in listen to your international experience and your perspectives on diversity and sustainability.

Welcome to read our first member introduction : Get to know Alfonso Paradinas

And welcome to share your story!

 

Welcome to Inspirational INSEAD Webinars

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INSEAD and INSEAD alumni’s are a powerhouse of insights and they are sharing many inspirational sessions via webinars.

Led by  diverse groups from the INSEAD community,  such as  centres and initiatives, alumni and student clubs, these webinars use innovative approaches to engage and inspire.

Many are open for public, some are for INSEAD Alumni exclusive. Many are for free, some have a minor fee.

You find them at our INSEAD Sweden Alumni Event page and our Event calendar

Exploring Leader in a #Digitalfirst world – Carl Magnus Norden

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Exploring Leader in a #Digitalfirst world – Carl Magnus Norden

Exploring Leader in a #Digitalfirst world – Carl Magnus Norden 

On our quest to highlight inspiring leaders embracing the digital world, we share interviews with curious and brave leaders. We believe it is important to take inspiration from some of the more proactive digital leaders, to understand more of their personal journey and get access to some of their insights.

Our leader this time is Carl Magnus Norden. Carl Magnus is a serial entrepreneur and the co-founder of the disruptive venture Volta Trucks and also the President of Swedish INSEAD Alumni Association.

Carl Magnus believes that the world needs more engaged entrepreneurs that is establishing new businesses to change our world for the better.  He believes that you have different strengths at different ages, and that its the originality of the idea, closeness to customer need and the mix of the team that makes the difference.

This blogpost also points to a podcast episode, which focuses on Carl Magnus entrepreneurial journey and areas he believes we need to focus. The episode is part of the podcast show Exploring Leaders which you can find via the link or on most places where you find podcasts.

Carl Magnus Norden’s journey to become a #rebornDigital Leader

So how did Carl Magnus come into the founder position he currently holds? Listen to CM’s inspiring response.

Carl Magnus has been a serial entrepreneur since 30+ Years. He took and MBA at INSEAD, which took him to a job in UK for an American company. He started his own businesses in real estate in Benelux and then started a company in Czech Republic, he came to Sweden and started an internet company and then went into crowdfunding.

During all this time, he has kept close to his class mates and other alumni’s from INSEAD, and as he returned to Sweden he increased the engagement and took on the President/Chairman role for the INSEAD Alumni Association. He believes that the benefit of an MBA from INSEAD is that he from day one got a strong international network.

You can easily see that also for Carl Magnus his core drive has been to be passionately curious and he has embraced risk to move forward.

 

 

A disruptive new venture capitalizing on many of the current trends – Volta Trucks

Carl Magnus shares that their slogan is

“We are building an electric truck for today’s cities and tomorrow’s generations”.

But he doesn’t believe the core of the business is to build and sell trucks, the business will be a service business. But building the truck that doesn’t exist today is the tool for them to be able to do the service business that will be the business for the future.

The prime reason he sees is that the industry stands in front of a major technology shift, going from diesel to electricity. And as in many technology shift he believes startups will be faster than the incumbents. The truck is also made with focus on transportation in the city centers, where all the major trends come together. Around sustainability, around urbanization and congestion for the city centers, around needed new types of drivers.

Capitalising of not coming from the industry

As Carl Magnus didn’t come from the industry he has spent a lot of time talking to and getting to know the needs of the customers, which has served the company well, in the way it is now getting formatted.

He has also drawn on the extensive international network, much from his INSEAD network, to staff up the company and to get the first investors on board. He then could reach for the needed industry competence and manufacturing competence in a fast and insightful way.

He is also passionate about the good global impact his venture will do with less, pollution, less congestions, less noise and more customer friendliness and higher employee engagement, which is all strong points to all the stakeholders of the venture.

On the questions “What stumble blocks did you fall into?”  Carl Magnus advice is –

“Just get going!”

You can almost always adjust.

Capitalising on curiousity, network and experience that comes with age 

Carl Magnus started his venture at the age of 64. This should stand as a major role model and inspiration for many of us.

He is still ambitions and curious. He has great experiences and a great international network. And he has the humbleness to complement himself with a diverse group of leaders that can contribute to a great and important venture. His view is that it is best to be a diverse group that bring different strengths to the table. The mission for Volta Trucks is inspiring and his link to Business as a Force for good is simple;  “The more successfull we are the more good we are doing”

 

 

Recommendations to other entrepreneurs and leaders 

Carl Magnus overall advice to other entrepreneurs and leaders are

“Ensure you understand the customer, build a good team and then: Just get going”

Finally on the question we share with our interviewees what furniture he would be, Carl Magnus pondered a bit and then it came natural …. Can I be a Plant? A Plant seeks natural energy and grows with the future and have a future outlook, they are part of a full recycle system. – And they are good for the world! Inspiring!

 

 

How to become more #digitallyInvolved

To get more insight of what Carl Magnus Norden knows and shares, we highly recommend you to checkout and follow his journey at Volta Trucks

To get more insight of what Carl Magnus Norden knows and shares, we highly recommend you to checkout and follow his journey at Volta Trucks

You can also checkout Carl Magnus Norden’s presentation of the venture Voltatruck at Stockholm Tech pitch event in January 2020

Learn more about some of the strategic trends Carl Magnus has spotted as Technology Innovations, Planet Resource Challenges, Social & Work Change, Urbanisation at the Digoshen blogpost about Mega Trends

Another very exciting major startup is led by former Tesla Supply Chain Executive Peter Carlsson; the electronic batteries factory Northvolt  Follow Northvolt on twitter @Northvolt.

Of course you should also follow the Tesla founder Elon Musk on twitter @elonmusk

Also major industry players are starting to work on their electric strategies as can be found here from Scania

Follow INSEAD and learn more from their INSEAD Knowledge

And he is also a member at INSEAD Directors Network.  which you can also follow on linkedin and twitter here @inseadidn

This interview was done by Liselotte Engstam and previously shared at the blog of  www.digoshen.com, and www.liselotteengstam.com.