The Link, February 2022

Swedish footprint in the uk Nine Swedish businesses giving back to local communities.

creating a two-way mentoring relationship A learning experience for both mentor and mentee.

LINK Dedicated to the Swedish-British business community since 1906

“This is our way of saying we really do still believe in the high streets .”

Peter Jelkeby, Country Retail Manager and Chief Sustainability Officer at IKEA UK & Ireland

No.359

brexit one year later What happened during the first year and what to expect in 2022.

The LINK

ABOUT

The Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the United Kingdom is the ultimate business platform for Swedish and UK businesses. We help businesses establish, grow and develop, through our wide range of business services, matchmaking, events and programmes.

We represent some 400 businesses, from start-ups, to SMEs, unicorns and large multinational corporations, from across all sectors and industries. Founded in 1906 – by business and for business – we have connected the Swedish-British business community for over a century. Join us today, if you haven’t already.

SCC PATRONS

THE LINK ISSUE 359

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Editors: Jonas Eklund, Mathilda Kennett, Saga Palmér Cover: Peter Jelkeby, Country Retail Manager and Chief Sustainability Officer, IKEA UK and Ireland, with staff Photo: Renz Andres

LinkedIn: Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the UK Twitter: @SwedishChamber Instagram: @sccuk

NOT A MEMBER YET? Visit www.scc.org.uk or contact us on +44 (0)20 7224 8001 / info@scc.org.uk

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LINK

DEAR MEMBER

From a fresh start to a fantastic future As I am writing this, Britain has lifted all restrictions, and Sweden just announced its intention to do the same next week. The pandemic is no longer, as they say, a threat to society at-large. Two years have passed since the first real outbreak and the first real lockdowns imposed on society. 2022 has a lot going for it, despite a turbulent world around us. At the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in London we are gearing up for a year of celebrating Swedish-British interests, be it sustainability and the road to net-zero, bringing about a new work-life reality or honing in on the innovations and technologies changing our lives as we know them. Innovation is what drives us forward, the fuel to our businesses, and the safeguard against irrelevance.

We will be running a focused post-COP26 agenda, in partnership with our strategic sustainability partner Skanska, focusing on cross-border challenges, and public-private partnerships for change. The big bang will be our Impact Summit in May, the follow-up to last year’s conference, where we create a platform for Swedish-British thinkers on all things sustainability, from across sectors and industries, with the brightest academics, the foremost thinkers from business, and the sharp decision makers and influencers. Don’t miss Impact 2022, and the President & CEOs of Scandinavian Airlines, Vattenfall, easyJet, LKAB Minerals and Gant; Leif Johansson, chairman of AstraZeneca, Chuka Umunna, former MP and Head of ESG at JP Morgan, amongst many others. You’d want to chime into this discussion.

It is no secret that we believe the UK to be a great place for Swedish businesses to establish, grow and develop. This is why we launched “From Sweden to the UK” last November, in partnership with the UK’s Department for International Development and the British Embassy in Stockholm. The campaign takes a deep dive into the success of a number of Swedish businesses making a mark on the UK market, from fintech giants Klarna and Trustly, to energy company Vattenfall and e-scooter unicorn Voi, to name a few. Go to www.fromswedentouk.com to learn why they chose the UK, and how they made it a success for them. In this issue of the LINK we are also looking at how Swedish businesses are playing an active part in their communities, and having real impact, from north to south in the UK. Also in this issue of the LINK, we hear why IKEA decided to go against the tide and acquire a large shopping space in central London, when most other businesses seem to be abandoning the high streets. We look back at the first year post-Brexit, and ask what it has meant in terms of changes and updates, and look ahead on the year 2022, with the help of Tom Standage, Deputy Editor of The Economist. Fredrik Bergsten, Managing Director at Kinnarps UK, predicts what the future workplaces might look like, and Yael Nevo, Founding Director at Gender Rise, advises on how to make them more diverse. You will meet the new Ambassador, H.E. Mikaela Kumlin Granit, and the mentor-mentee becoming friends thanks to the SCC’s New Generation Leaders Programme.

We summarise the key insights from the Swedish-British Summit 2021, where leaders and other stakeholders shared their most important learnings, after a turbulent year and a half.

One of the main strengths of our network is precisely that – the opportunity to bring key players together and facilitate an exchange of experience. And our community continues to grow. A special welcome to our new patron Invenio Growth, as well as our newest members Aurora Forum, Burges Salmon, CWM, Fairpoint Capital, Freeths, Gåva, Metry, No Black Book, US Tax & Financial Services and War on Cancer.

We represent a fantastic membership, and a strong trading partnership. If you haven’t joined us already, I hope you will do so in 2022. We have an exciting agenda ahead, and would love to have you part of the journey. Do what 68 businesses did in 2021, join the SCC.

Peter Sandberg Chief Executive sandberg@scc.org.uk

SCC TEAM EVENTS AND PROGRAMMES

MEMBERSHIP AND COMMUNITY

Mathilda Börjesson, Head of department Martina Falkenberg, Sparbanksstiftelsen Finn Scholar Julia Jamison

Christoffer Waldemarsson, Manager Lovisa Engstrand, Membership and Community Executive Douglas Tönnberg

Business services MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS Jonas Eklund, Head of department Saga Palmér, Marketing Executive Mathilda Kennett, Fund for Swedish Youth Abroad Scholar

Anna Crona, Head of department Sara Rolén, Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the UK Scholar David Molin, Elof Hansson Foundation Scholar

Contact us Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the UK Sweden House, 5 Upper Montagu Street, London W1H 2AG +44 (0)20 7224 8001, info@scc.org.uk

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We know the Nordics by heart.

With more than 160 years of Nordic Private Banking experience, we understand the unique challenges you face as a Nordic national living abroad. That is why we offer financial services tailored to your international needs.

To find out more, please contact Helena Whitmore or Daniel Wikehult +44 (0) 20 7246 4225 privatebanking@seb.co.uk Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (publ) (SEB), London Branch sebgroup.com/privatebanking This communication is made by Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (publ), London Branch for informational purposes only.

Our London Branch is available to introduce you to the SEB Private Banking network outside the United Kingdom. SEB London Branch is authorised and regulated by the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority. Deemed authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority.

Subject to regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and limited regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Details of the Temporary Permissions Regime, which allows EEA-based firms to operate in the UK for a limited period while seeking full authorisation, are available on the Financial Conduct Authority’s website.

CONTENTS THE LINK • ISSUE 359 • FEBRUARY 2022

Meet H.E. Mikaela Kumlin Granit The new Swedish Ambassador to the UK on her passion for European affairs.

PageS 37-38

The beauty of a good routine

reinventing the workplace Is there room for the office in the new normal? Fredrik Bergsten, Managing Director at Kinnarps on how to future-proof the office.

Sofia Radomska, Managing Director at Oriflame UK, on how habits affected health and wellbeing during the pandemic.

Pages 9-10

Page 20

A NEW ERA OF UNPREDICTABILITY The Economist forsees the world in 2022.

DISCUSSING THE SPEED OF CHANGE Thought-leaders on how to keep up with a world in constant change.

GENDER EQUALITY FOR THE NEW NORMAL Yael Nevo at Gender Rise on challenging our modus operandi.

PAGEs 15-16

PAGES 21-22

PAGE 34

IN THE LINK 70 YEARS AGO In the February 1952 issue of the Link, then called The Anglo-Swedish Review, the first pages were dedicated to the recently passed George VI, and the commencement of the new reign under Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen was described “like her father, not born as a direct successor to the Crown.

At the same time the carefully thought-out education which she received under the surveillance of her mother, could not but equip her admirably for the change in her position which came with the abdication of Edward VIII. She showed very early her sense of duty to the country”. This February, we celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, along with an additional celebration taking place in the UK in June. It seems as true today as it was written 70 years ago in the Anglo-Swedish Review: “The place she had already won in the affection of the British people was most conspiciously demonstrated at the time of her marriage to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten ... They have both been taken fully into the heart of the nation.“

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Refurnishing the

high streets With stores closing down from left to right and e-commerce booming, many predict that the end of the in storeera is closing in. But in the middle of the downfall, one major retail company has decided to go against the tide and acquire huge properties, one on Oxford Street in central London, and another one in Hammersmith. Why? The Link spoke to Peter Jelkeby, Country Retail Manager and Chief Sustainability Officer at IKEA UK & Ireland, about IKEA’s new strategy, opening city centre stores, and the reforming attraction of high streets.

BY: MATHILDA KENNETT

“There is a lot of debate right now about the future of high streets and in-store shopping, which is why us at IKEA are putting it out there now – we still believe in it.”

In the autumn of 2023, the doors of the new flagship store on Oxford Street will open, revealing a 7,700 sq metres property developed to inspire the modern-day customer.

“The store will differ quite a bit from the big warehouses we are used to visiting, and focus more on the experience,” Peter says. “It’s not going to have the classical walk-around set up, it’s going to be more open and structured with different ‘hubs’, designed to inspire and give you an idea of what your home could look and feel like.”

A holistic totality offer Recently, the word omnichannel has been roaming around in the retail industry, a concept combining all customer channels in a seamless way to make the shopping experience as easy and smooth as possible. These “channels” can typically be divided into two groups: physical channels, such as physical stores and concepts, as well as digital channels, such as websites and social media.

The opening of these new city-stores goes in line with IKEA’s omnichannel strategy, where each channel not only fills its own purpose, but also complement each other. “We still believe in the physical space – it’s all about how you use it. It’s about going all in on multiple channels, not either e-commerce or in-store.

The goal is to create a seamless omnichannel experience for our customers,” Peter says.

“The purpose is to offer another relevant way of experiencing IKEA.” Hammersmith opening But we won’t have to wait until next year for IKEA’s city centre experience – on 24 February 2022, a similar store opens in Hammersmith.

This store will have around 4,000 products on display, with 1,800 available to take home on the same day – saying goodbye to the big brown boxes. The larger furniture can instead be ordered for home delivery or to nearby collection points. “The purpose with opening the stores in Hammersmith and on Oxford Street is to offer another relevant way of experiencing IKEA, which will work in harmony with our other channels,” says Peter.

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Peter Jelkeby, Country Retail Manager and Chief Sustainability Officer at IKEA UK & Ireland. Photo: Renz Andres.

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Hélène Barnekow, CEO of Microsoft Sweden.

The new store in Hammersmith has its grand opening end of February 2022. The store on Oxford Street is set to open autumn 2023. Photo: Renz Andres.

Repurposing channels Instead of replacing the traditional, physical shopping experience with e-shopping, Peter explains how they will be fused together to create a new type of shopping, where they all play important roles. ”We knew that if we were to develop a physical space as part of that omnichannel experience, it needed to be more relevant than what it was. With this new concept, we are working a lot with repurposing our channels, maximising the way they can complement each other. We view the channels as a network, coming together as a kind of holistic totality offer.”

“We still believe in the physical space – it’s all about how you use it.”

The new customer experience According to Peter, the new IKEA concept will decrease the amount of work the customer needs to put in, in terms of planning and preparing a visit to the store. This means more flexibility and less effort for the customer. “I think a big difference will be the planning part of the shopping experience, you won’t have

to plan in advance to take your car and go to IKEA with a list of things to get. It’s going to be more of a spontaneous kind of experience, where you can visit IKEA and then continue shopping in other stores after.”

Making high streets attractive again Despite the recent, and increasing, trend of physical shops closing, Peter doesn’t view high streets as a thing of the past. They are rather going through a renovation, where many of the stores and concepts belonging to the old world will be replaced by those of the new one. “There are some stores closing, but you need to understand the context of them closing down versus us opening. We believe we will open with a relevant shopping experience, as we are going in with a totally different offer from what is there today.”

But it is not enough to simply renovate or replace the stores on the high street. The key is to find the right combination of stores and concepts that can complement and harmonise with each other, to create an interesting high street offer. “I think in retail, when it comes to certain questions, we need to work together.

If we want to make a high street attractive, it’s not only about IKEA, but we also need neighbours that attract as well. Of course, there is the aspect of competition, but we are pretty confident in our offer and other competitors

are going to contribute to enhancing the attraction of the area. It’s a win-win more than anything else.”

“In retail, we need to work together.”

Bringing new confidence for retailers In order to accomplish a full high street revolution, more businesses and brands need to have the courage to go against the current trend. By investing in these stores on Oxford Street and in Hammersmith, Peter is predicting that IKEA will lead by example and encourage other innovative brands to do the same.

“I do think us moving into the high streets will spark a new confidence for the whole retail industry, at least that’s what I hope. We are investing a lot, and this is our way of saying we really do still believe in the high streets and ‘physical’ shopping.”

What this future physical shopping experience will look like, and how it will interact with its surrounding, is still yet to be seen. One thing that is sure, is that IKEA’s acquirement of the Oxford Street and Hammersmith stores leaves a clear message: The high street won’t be closed down, it is simply being refurnished.

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SWEDEN UNITED KINGDOM THE WORLD

Meet the southern

Tech startups and scaleups capital: learn more about the UK scenes The United Kingdom has advanced infrastructure and both social and financial capital, making it one of the leading locations in the world for tech companies. This is underpinned by effective support measures for research and development and generous schemes for investors. With world-class talent in the financial services and tech space, as well as a record-breaking games industry, fintech and games are industries with plenty of opportunities to tap into.

QUICK FACTS

BUSINESS CASE

37%

By 2028, 37% of all UK payments will be contactless compared to 19% in 2018.

75%

Why the UK is a strategic hub for fintech company Klarna

In 2020, console hardware sales reached £853m, up 74.8% year on year.

“Whether it is through the heritage of your company, through partners who you work with in your existing markets, or organisations such as the Swedish Chamber of Commerce, you might already have a presence in your future target market that can really help with those introductions and get you into the local ecosystem.”

Alex Marsh, Head of Klarna UK

Find more insights, business cases, and opportunities for Swedish business within clean growth, fintech, life sciences and other UK key sectors.

Since its UK launch in 2014, Swedish fintech company Klarna has grown exponentially. As of June 2021, Klarna partners with over 15,000 retailers in the UK, and has had over 14 million unique consumers using its services.

“The UK, like Stockholm, is a real hub for fintech innovation, with many fintech companies clustered together in London, as well as in Manchester,” Alex Marsh, Head of Klarna UK, says. “In addition to it being a very inspiring environment to work in, the talents and capabilities that we see in the UK have been very helpful for us in terms of building our own internal capabilities to drive forward our growth.”

www.fromswedentouk.co.uk The campaign “From Sweden to the UK, then the world” is a collaboration between the British Embassy Stockholm and the Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the UK.

LINK

PATRONS HIGHLIGHT

optimising the OFFICE It is hard to guess what the workplace of the future will look like. The traditional office continues to be challenged by new trends and changing policies, forcing them to redefine themselves and be more sustainable and suited for flexible conditions. After coworking spaces, open-plan offices and WFH-solutions, what comes next? The Link spoke to Fredrik Bergsten, Managing Director at SCC patron Kinnarps, about what to expect.

BY: SAGA PALMÉR

“Five years ago, most organisations were trying to fit as many people as possible into an office, using different setups. Since then, we’ve seen a significant change with the introduction of a more residential look in the office and possibilities to choose between different environments depending on activity and work task,” Fredrik Bergsten, Managing Director at Kinnarps explains.

The office is a place that is constantly changing. Having been around for centuries, what most people think of today when they hear the word “office” is quite different from what it used to be. But as people’s ways of working change, so do the needs for an office. If anything, this became evident as the pandemic struck the world.

“In the last 18 months, organisations have had to rethink why people are coming into the office. Five years ago, it was because they ‘had’ to. Today, coming into the office needs to ultimately provide a better experience than working from home. With this change comes the need for flexibility and the ability for the office to continue to evolve.”

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Even if this new view of the office is a direct result of Covid-19, it won’t disappear along with the pandemic, according to Fredrik. Same goes with the flexible working models that many have gotten used to.

“I don’t think we will ever go back to working in the same way as before. The workplace must evolve and meet the needs of today, not meaning that we will move away from having offices. I’m confident that the office will continue to play an incredibly important role for organisations and their employees – not least to support their wellbeing, efficiency and creativity.”

“I don’t think we will ever go back to working in the same way as before. The workplace must evolve and meet the needs of today.”

A new way of working Instead of going back to our old ways, Fredrik believes in bringing the best of both worlds when defining what the future offices will look like. While home offices can boost productivity for some, a shared office space might be ideal for collaborating and more creative tasks.

Fredrik Bergsten, Managing Director at Kinnarps.

LINK

PATRONS HIGHLIGHT

“Homeworking clearly works for some, and I think we will continue to see a mix over the next couple of years. For some businesses, it’s been a realisation that their employees can be as productive when working from home.

At the same time, in-person collaboration and true creativity is difficult to achieve in that environment. Our brains aren’t designed to switch into a creative mode from one moment to the next – you need an environment that triggers creativity and allows you to get into the flow.”

The challenge will be to combine the old and office-based, with the new and remote. Even with employees increasingly moving away from the office, Fredrik doesn’t consider it a thing of the past. On the contrary, he believes that offices will become more important and progressive than ever.

“I think they will play an even bigger role in the future, especially with the introduction of AI and more functions becoming automated. To ensure that your office supports the change, we believe you need to design an office that can change forever. A futureproof and long-lasting office interior solution needs to be flexible enough to keep changing with the organisation. These could be small changes that happen every day, but they can also be bigger shifts and transformations that occur with far less frequency, like the shift we find ourselves in right now.”

A (climate) friendly place to work To be considered an office well-suited for the future, it is not enough to be adapted for flexi- or hybrid working. It is becoming more important than ever to nurture and care for the things surrounding the office, both in terms of people and environment.

“Thankfully, sustainability is on top of most organisations’ agenda today. The companies

Kinnarps is constantly trying to challange the traditional workplace. Photo: Kinnarps.

most successful with this transition are the ones that take a holistic view and not just focus on the actual office space, but also ensure that their employees are sustainable. I also believe that we will see a change in how furniture is procured, and the importance of high quality that gives the interior a long life cycle.”

It is still hard to say what the new normal office will look like. The years following the pandemic will be a time of experimenting, with some businesses deciding to shift fully to remote work, others going back to the office, and many falling somewhere in between the two.

“I think it will be interesting to see how many of the organisations that have chosen to go 100% homeworking today, will continue to do so in maybe 3-5 years. The office plays a big role in supporting the mental wellbeing for

many people and the need for that will only increase. For example – how do you ensure your employees are ok when only seeing them on a screen?”

No matter if you are team Office or team Remote, we are all clearly moving away from the one-size-fits-all era. Instead, we might expect the future offices to be as diverse as the companies and people working in them.

THE PATRONSHIP The SCC patronship consists of a core group of SCC member businesses committed to supporting the Swedish-British business community. The patronship comes with a range of benefits – if you would like to know more, please contact membership@scc.org.uk.

Five steps to Future-proof the office 1. Set a vision and goals. To create consensus, management needs to set a vision and goals for the business. Vision and goals should then form the basis for the entire process.

2. Involve staff. A crucial factor in the success of your change journey is to inform, involve and prepare all employees from the outset. When you take advantage of different experiences and needs, the end result is always better.

3. Design the office according to actual activities. To create a successful office, the interior needs to be designed according to mapped activities and working methods and put both the individual and the business in focus.

4. Set rules and guidelines for the office. To make the best use of the office and create a good work culture, you need to set clear guidelines for how to use and behave at the workplace, as well as guidelines for remote work. The rules for the office must be dynamic and adapted to changing conditions.

5. Follow up. It’s important to follow up on how the new office works and how the new environments function and are actually used. Follow-ups must be carried out regularly to ensure the office is adapted to changing needs and new employees.

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LINK

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Creating a two-way mentoring relationship A learning experience for both mentor and mentee How can two strangers, finding themselves in completely different stages in their lives and careers, learn from each other and grow? Without the Next Generations Leaders Mentorship programme, they probably wouldn’t have met.

Now, meeting each other has given them an invaluable exchange of knowledge and experience. The Link met with Ranj Begley, Chief Content Officer and Managing Director UK at Readly, and the former mentee Alexandra Mierins, Legal Counsel at Mercer, for a conversation on their participation in last year’s programme. “I went into this thinking I wanted to give something back, but it ended up being such a learning experience for me too,” says Ranj.

BY: MATHILDA KENNETT

The mentor-mentee relationship Alexandra: We had multiple meetups with all the mentors and mentees, and the whole experience really exceeded my expectations.

As for the arrangement between Ranj and I, we would meet once a month for an hour or so. Sometimes the meetings would be more structured, and sometimes more free-flowing conversations.

We would consolidate and reflect at the end of each talk, which was really helpful for my learning. And anyone who is close to me knows that I greatly looked forward to these conversations with Ranj. I always felt inspired and buzzing after them; they just gave me great momentum.

Ranj: This was the first time I was asked to become a mentor with the Chamber, so in all honesty, I was a bit apprehensive when I first met Allie. I thought “okay, here is this great lawyer, and she is super smart”, and I was a bit nervous since we are quite opposites in our career paths. Now in hindsight, I can really

see why we were pulled together. I now see Allie as a friend, as opposed to that mentor and mentee relationship.

“When you speak with someone who is at a very different stage to you in their career, there’s this great cross-pollination of ideas.”

An open and positive atmosphere Alexandra: Ranj was extremely open and warm from the start. I felt completely at ease throughout the experience, and that really helped me deep dive into the questions I

Mentor: Ranj Begley Ranj Begley is the Managing Director of Readly UK, the ground-breaking, all-you-can-read digital magazine service, and Chief Content Officer for the whole of the international Readly operation which has a consumer footprint across 50 territories worldwide.

Ranj built the UK company from the bottom up, brick by brick, from its launch in 2014 to its current marketleading and award-winning position.

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wanted to ask – because she was so relatable, encouraging, and positive.

Ranj: Allie was very systematic in her approach. It was super helpful for me to get questions up front, even when we were having our less structured meetings. When she sent me the subject she wanted to talk about in advance, I would think back and prepare an example of when I had previously been in a similar situation, and together we would discuss the outcome of that. I found it easier for me to give advice on how not to do things, drawing from my own experience and mistakes.

Insight to someone else’s hindsight Alexandra: When you’re speaking with someone who is much more experienced than you, one of the most valuable insights is to learn about the challenges they faced along the way, how they dealt with them, and what they might have done differently – it’s that insight into what someone else’s hindsight teaches them.

Mentee: Alexandra Mierins Alexandra is a lawyer at Mercer’s London office. Originally from Canada, Alexandra moved to Sweden in 2009 to study biology and sustainable business at Lund University, and environmental management at Stockholm University.

In 2013, law school brought Alexandra to London and she trained at international law firm Gowling WLG. Alexandra spent four years at Gowling WLG’s London office and qualified into the Pensions & Risk Transfer team.

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Mentors and mentees of the Next Generation Leaders Mentorship Programme at one of their meet-ups at SCC patron Vattenfall’s offices in central London. Photo: Saga Palmér.

You have this opportunity to speak openly and candidly with someone who is outside of your office and in another industry. When you speak with someone who is at a very different stage to you in their career, there’s this great crosspollination of ideas.

“Realising that I can learn a lot from a junior person, through listening and understanding, is the most valuable thing I’m taking with me in my career going forward.”

Ranj: For me, this experience was very much about learning to listen. I spend a lot of my time in meetings, sometimes switched on and sometimes switched off, depending on what the subject is. A lot of the time when I’m in these meetings, there’s this expectation to have all the answers because I’m the senior person in the room. Since I don’t know all that much about Allie’s field, I really had to listen to understand her situation and be able to offer good advice.

Building confidence and realising what success can look like Alexandra: This exchange created positive momentum and helped me build confidence. It was invaluable to have this strong and natural female leader as a role model. Ranj and I did not only have practical conversations about how to prepare for a job interview or make a career change; we also had philosophical conversations about fulfilment, which made me better able to articulate what success looks like.

Ranj: I took up this programme as I felt that I was at a point in my career where I wanted to give something back. Then when I was in it, I found that it was so nice to speak to someone ‘fresh’, somebody outside my industry, and to establish a relationship. In fact, the whole process was a huge learning experience for me too.

Learning from each other Alexandra: Among the most important lessons I learned from Ranj, is to stay true to yourself, be authentic, feel proud of who you are and not try too hard to fit in. On leadership, Ranj taught me the importance of remembering to be human; to ask people how they are doing as opposed to just pushing them to meet objectives. I think everything I’ve learned from Ranj is highly applicable to various scenarios that I’ve either already encountered or am very likely to encounter in my professional life.

Ranj: I’ve learned some very valuable lessons from my conversations with Allie, one of them

being that I, as a mentor, do not have to have all the answers. It’s more of being able to guide, provide feedback and most importantly ask questions, which helps find a solution.

It was a two-way thing, as Allie also inspired me to understand and manage a few of my own work-related projects. Realising that I can learn a lot from a junior person, through listening and understanding, is the most valuable thing I’m taking with me in my career going forward.

The benefits of mentorship programmes Ranj: I’ve recommended an employee of mine to apply as a mentee for the Next Generation Leaders Mentorship programme because I can really see the power in this type of exchange. I also think Allie should become a mentor in the future. With new people coming in, and old mentees becoming mentors, I think this kind of programme creates a beautiful circle of continuous knowledge sharing – I think it’s brilliant.

Alexandra: Joining this mentorship programme is a great opportunity to learn about someone else, as well as yourself. Your mentor is very likely to have been in your shoes, they can act as a sounding board, you can bounce ideas off of them and discuss different scenarios and strategies. The group meetups also give exposure to a broader network of dynamic people who are coming from all different professional backgrounds. It gives you the chance to network in a context that doesn’t feel like networking; it feels like you’re amongst friends.

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LINK

Swedish footprint in the uk

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Swedish businesses IN the UK GIVING BACK TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES Swedish businesses have been present in the UK for centuries. As integral parts of the local communities in which they operate, Swedish businesses are committed to support communities across the UK. From training and education programmes for the young generation, to combatting mental health issues or building a sustainable future for homeless people – we present nine examples of how Swedish businesses are giving back to their local communities.

BY: JONAS EKLUND

VATTENFALL

SKANSKA

ABB

 £2.5m 

£2.5 million in annual investments into local communities hosting wind farm projects.

 £800k 

ABB staff in the UK have raised over £800k for for the Macmillan Cancer Support.

 700+

In 2016, 766 Skanska employees volunteered to support a UK charity or local community.

 500+

More than 500 young people involved in skills development programmes in 2021.

 £1m

In 2019, ABB commited to invest £1m in Imperial College’s carbon capture pilot plant.

 6,195

The employees spent more than 6,000 hours volunteering.

SCC patron Vattenfall invests more than £2.5m annually into local communities hosting wind farm projects. In each case, the company works with the communities to develop the best possible approach to the local investment – to make sure that it delivers something that is aligned with community needs of the future.

Communities are supported through for example benefit packages, and training and education programmes. In 2021, Vattenfall delivered 6 skills programmes involving more than 500 young people.

Swedish global technology company ABB supports communities in the UK in several ways.

Since 1998, staff at ABB sites across the UK have raised over £800,000 for the Macmillan Cancer Support. The company also partners with Women’s Engineering Society to support the development of female engineers, and since 2012, ABB is partnering with Imperial College London. In 2019, the company committed to invest £1 million worth of equipment to the college’s carbon capture pilot plant.

SCC patron Skanska supports the communities in which it operates in numerous ways, with focus on strengthening local economies and championing education in its areas of expertise. For example, each year Skanska’s employees receive additional paid leave to support organisations close to their hearts or one of the company’s charity partners. In 2016, 766 employees spent 6,195 hours volunteering.

Also, the company encourages its employees to sign up to be education ambassadors. Currently, more than 200 education ambassadors give up their time to visit local schools and act as role models to young people.

Vattenfall’s investment in local communities comes in many forms, including benefit packages and skills development.

ABB is partnering with Imperial College London to equip students with skills needed to run industrial processes of the future.

Skanska’s employees give up their time to volunteer and become education ambassadors to act as role models for young people.

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HANDELSBANKEN



Thanks to donations from Handelsbanken in Shrewsbury, a local hotel owner could feed and house 30 homeless people during the pandemic.

With its decentralised business model, giving back to local communities is part of SCC patron Handelsbanken’s DNA. The bank contributes in many ways to the local communities it serves.

Concrete examples of sustainability work are the branches’ involvement in various initiatives and activities carried out by local associations and charities. For example, a hotel owner in Shrewbury housed some 30 homeless people in his empty hotel during the pandemic. Thanks to donations from Handelsbanken’s Shrewsbury branch, the homeless people could be fed and housed without the hotel owner having to take a loan for the operations.

The branches of Handelsbanken are involved in various initiatives and activities carried out by local associations and charities.

KINDRED GROUP

ESSITY

 £2.3m 

Since 2002, Essity has donated over £2.3m worth of essential products in the UK.

 7m

By 2023, the company will have donated 7 million period products to those in need.

SCC patron Essity has been supporting HRH Prince of Wales’ charity In Kind Direct in the UK since 2002. During that time, the company has donated more than £2.3m worth of essential products including toilet tissue, nappies, and period products. Since 2017, Essity’s Bodyform brand has donated 100,000 menstruation pads every month to help combat period poverty in the UK. By the end of 2023, Bodyform will have donated over 7 million period products to those most in need.

Essity’s Bodyform brand donates 100,000 period products every month to those in need in the UK.

ELECTROLUX H&M

 800

H&M Foundation supported 800 young homeless people in the UK to create a sustainable future for themselves.

Together with five charities, SCC patron H&M and its foundation provided homeless youth in the UK with support and training to transform their future. Accessing education, employment and training are essential steps towards an independent life for a homeless young person as it is a long-term solution to the issue of youth homelessness. Between 2016-2019, 800 young homeless people in the UK were supported to create a sustainable future for themselves.

This was done by improving young people’s employability and work readiness through skills programmes and work experience, engaging, and supporting employers to enable them to offer opportunities and providing in-work support.

H&M Foundation supported 800 young homeless people by for example improving their employability through skills programmes and work experience.

 20+

Swedish footprint in the uk

Electrolux helped 20+ primary schools in London to teach healthy cooking.

The Electrolux Food Foundation is an independent, non-profit organisation founded and funded

by SCC patron Electrolux. Through a number of programmes, the foundation encourages healthy and sustainable food choices among consumers and professionals. Recently, the Electrolux Food Foundation teamed up with non-profit organisation Cook School to launch a 10-week online cooking course for schools in London to implement as part of their lessons, designed to get children excited about food and learning to cook healthy recipies. 22 primary schools in the city signed up to the programme.

Additionally, 11 primary schools in Clerkenwell used the course for after school clubs, following the programme over a series of weeks.

Electrolux helped 22 primary schools in London to encourage children to get more excited about food and cook nutricious recipies.

Tackling mens’ mental health issues through supporting football communities across the UK.



Supporting the clubs Derby, Leeds, Preston, Middlesbrough, Aston Villa and Rangers, and respective communities.

Part of SCC member and gambling giant Kindred’s sustainability framework is to equip communities in which it operates with resources to build a better future. As part of this work, the company has launched a new model of football club sponsorship – one that means investing in the local community as well as the club.

The model is being piloted in partnership with Derby County’s Community Trust, supporting men across Derby who are struggling with mental health problems through its new ‘Team Talk’ project.

Through its football club sponsorship in Derby, Kindred supports men in the community struggling with mental health issues.

IKEA

 

£1.3m

 67,500

IKEA contributed with £1.3m to help those most impacted by the pandemic in the UK and Ireland.

67,500 people were supported through community efforts and partnerships.

During the pandemic, when the UK went in and out of lockdowns, SCC patron IKEA continued paying all of its co-workers full salary, even though stores were closed to customers for up to three months. Its Swedish food markets remained open to key workers and some of its car parks became drive-in testing centres for NHS staff. During this time, IKEA was able to contribute £1.3m to those most impacted by the pandemic in the UK and Ireland, with over 67,500 people supported through its community efforts and charity partnerships.

IKEA’s support reached more than 67,500 people during the pandemic.

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FEATURE

The Economist foresees

THE WORLD IN 2022 We can probably agree that 2021 was a year of unpredictability, putting our adapting skills to the ultimate test. By the looks of it, last year prepared us for the year to come, where the key word will be adjustment. The Link spoke to Tom Standage, Deputy Editor at The Economist and Editor for the future-gazing annual “The World Ahead”, who shared his predictions for 2022.

In your opinion, what are the key trends or events that will have the greatest influence on 2022?

I think 2022 will be dominated by the need to adjust to new realities, both in areas reshaped by the pandemic (the new world of work, the future of travel) and as deeper trends reassert themselves (the rise of China, accelerating climate change). So, it’s a year in which we’re still dealing with the virus and grappling with

“We’re moving down the path from this being a pandemic to becoming an endemic disease.”

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its implications, but we’re also starting to look beyond it.

What are your predictions regarding the development of the pandemic?

We’re moving down the path from this being a pandemic to becoming an endemic disease, where we treat the symptoms rather than trying to control its spread, like we do with influenza. We’re not there yet, but we are much closer to that situation than we were a year ago. New antiviral pills will help this year, and we should also keep an eye out for new vaccines that can be administered by skin patch or inhalation. That would help to improve vaccine coverage in the developing world.

How will our working conditions evolve?

This is the year when companies really have to start getting to grips with the realities of

“The hybrid workplace will be less fair — unless companies design it not to be.” hybrid working. Surveys show that parents, women, and members of ethnic minorities are less keen on returning to the office full-time and would prefer to spend more of their days working from home. And we also know that bosses tend to reward workers they interact with more often. So, the risk is that women and members of ethnic minorities will miss out on pay rises and promotions, and companies will go backwards on gender and racial equality. The hybrid workplace of the future will be less fair—unless companies design it not to

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be, by overhauling their internal culture and processes accordingly.

What can we expect in terms of tech advancements in the upcoming year?

The astonishingly rapid development and rollout of coronavirus vaccines has been a reminder of the power of science and technology to change the world. Although vaccines based on new mRNA technology seemed to have been created almost instantly, they actually drew upon decades of research going back to the 1970s. As the saying goes in the technology industry, it takes years to create an overnight success. So, keep an eye out for other new technologies that might burst into prominence, from heat pumps to electric flying taxis Tom Standage, Deputy Editor at to 3D-printed The Economist. housing.

What changes are going to be made to combat the climate emergency and global warming?

There is still a disconnect between governments’ grand promises to cut emissions and real action. Alas, I don’t see much changing in 2022, though perhaps we’ll get more detail at COP27 in Egypt. Globally we need to be investing about USD 5tn a year in new energy infrastructure to reach net-zero by 2050, but we are investing less than half that much. And the recent rise in energy prices means that some countries have been using more coal.

The current short-term energy crunch has set back efforts to cut emissions and tackle climate change. But the solution to both problems is the same: more investment in clean energy infrastructure.

What is the economic outlook for 2022?

The big question this year is the extent to which the virus will keep inflation higher for longer (by contributing to labour shortages and disrupting supply chains) and hamper economic activity and growth in China (which is still pursuing a zero-covid strategy, with big lockdowns whenever a few cases are found). Fighting inflation will be tricky, because raising interest rates, the usual policy tool, doesn’t help workers recover, unblock supply chains, or make factories reo-

FEATURE

pen. So, the economic outlook is very dependent on what happens with the virus.

“The new normal is already here, so we might as well get used to it.”

Are there any predictions that are more difficult to make?

All predictions have gotten harder to make, because we’re in a new era of unpredictability, after what looks, in retrospect, to have been an unusual period of relative geopolitical and economic stability. Many people are asking when things are going to return to normal, and the answer is that they aren’t. The pre-pandemic world is gone and is not coming back.

And the rest of the decade is more likely to look like 2021 or 2022 than like 2018 or 2019.

The rather unstable situation we now find ourselves in, whether it’s brought on by the pandemic, the economy, geopolitics, or rapid technological and social change, is the new normal. It’s already here, so we might as well get used to it.

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FEATURE

BREXIT: ONE YEAR LATER A little bit more than a year has passed since the UK left the EU, a year that took many unpredictable turns. But how far have we come since the official breakup? Where do we currently stand and where are we heading? Which are the key issues, the ones that seem to be most difficult to settle? The Link spoke to law firms from the SCC membership about the most important changes made in key areas.

Louise Partridge Founder & Managing Director, Merryhill Accountancy Services Ltd

Brexit: storm in the North Sea or storm in a teacup?

Reflecting on the accounting and business landscape one year after Brexit, I have two dominant thoughts. Firstly, Brexit appears to be having an asymmetric impact on UK businesses and secondly, Covid is having such a significant impact on the business environment that it is hard to see the full impact (or not) of post Brexit changes.

The majority of our client base operate within software, technology and professional services with little or no movement of goods. For these clients, the loss of free movement of goods is mostly irrelevant; the loss of free movement of capital has had little impact other than generating additional bank charges for cross border payments – annoying, but unlikely to be business critical; and the loss of free movement of people is difficult to quantify given the relatively short timescale and restrictions on travel resulting from Covid.

For businesses who are involved in the movement of goods, there is no question that Brexit

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has created plenty of pain. Many transactions remain tariff free, but the non-tariff barriers can be significant. 2021 has delivered a rude introduction to incoterms, rules of origin, the complexities of import/export paperwork and the challenges of import VAT admin. This is especially true for small businesses who have limited resources to re-engineer their processes and expand their knowledge as well as businesses selling B2C. Looking forward into 2022, the cross-border trade in goods is unlikely to get any easier – indeed a number of simplifications and easements have ended or are due to be phased out. Despite this, I am already starting to see businesses adapt to the new requirements in a variety of ways.

I fully anticipate a similar pattern in relation to the free movement of people. Once the COVID restrictions ease, businesses will start to think about internationally mobile employees and international hiring and find a way to adapt to the new points based system of immigration.

I remain convinced that the business communities in the both the UK and Sweden are agile, adaptable and awesome!

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FEATURE

Josh Winfield, Global Talent Visa Lead, Tech Nation

Riding the Talent Wave in 2022 Whilst 2021 hasn't been the smooth ride we'd all hoped for after 2020 – indeed, it's been far from it – it has presented significant opportunities for organisations, especially tech organisations both new and established in the UK. Though undoubtedly troubled by the ongoing effects of the pandemic, Brexit and 'the great resignation', the UK has seen over USD 21bn in venture investment, substantially beating 2020's new record of USD 15bn by the end of August. This has been a remarkable year for UK startups and scaleups and with over USD 8bn in 'dry powder' still remaining, it looks like 2022 has a solid foundation for yet another record breaking year.

Still, with the three key challenges around employee health, government policy and talent shortages, going head-to-head with the best investment landscape the UK has seen in a while, there is undoubtedly some white water to navigate. However, within this, there are significant opportunities for growth and prosperity, as long as organisations are prepared. This really starts with understanding all of the ways you can relocate talent to the UK; including the different types of visas available.

When it comes to UK hires, there are a number of other areas to consider. Firstly, the UK recruitment landscape is fierce. In order to combat this, take time to clearly define both the job profile and the personal profile of

who you want to do it, as is the case in many places, the talent pool are more often than not looking for more than a paycheque and so purpose and personality are going to be exceptionally important. When it comes to retaining talent, this is becoming more and more vital for organisations looking to grow in the UK. The UK presents a significant opportunity for well-funded business growth in 2022. These opportunities are open to everybody, but as with anything, the key to success is absolutely in the preparation.

NEED MORE HELP?

Luke Dixon, Data Protection, E-Privacy and Cyber Security Partner, Freeths LLP

2021 in Data Protection UK businesses breathed a sigh of relief when the EU announced it had granted “adequacy” status to the UK to receive data transfers from the EU. This is important news for any UK businesses that receive personal data from the EU. The EU’s decision means that personal data may continue to flow freely between the EU and the UK. Whilst this is undoubtedly good news for businesses that transfer data from the EU to the UK, it comes with a caveat. The adequacy decision includes a “sunset clause” that allows the EU to review the adequacy decision in four years’ time.

The UK then proposed reforms to its data protection law for a post-Brexit world. The reforms acknowledge the importance of innovation and the global digital economy.

It remains to be seen whether these reforms are adopted, and whether they will affect the UK’s adequacy status.

Horizon Scan for 2022

Expect the UK data regulator to strike a new balance between individuals’ data rights on the one hand and fostering innovation on the other.

The EU has introduced new standard contractual clauses (“SCCs”) that will replace the current versions. Many businesses rely on the current-version SCCs to transfer personal data to third countries. The deadline for businesses to replace their “old” SCCs with the “new” versions ends in December 2022. Businesses transferring personal data to third countries under the current version SCCs will have to replace their arrangements with the new SCCs during 2022.

As of 1 January 2021, the UK and the EU are trading in accordance with newly agreed trading terms, and the United Kingdom has left the EU’s single market. Businesses looking to trade between the two regions must now digest the agreement and consider what it means for their operations and cross-border trading.

For information on specific challenges and information for your respective sector or industry, you may find specific trade bodies a useful resource, as many of them provide Brexit guidance and advice tailored to your business’ specific needs. The UK Government’s “Keep Business Moving” portal will continually be updated with useful information as the negotiations progress and new information emerges.

Visit the SCC’s Brexit portal on scc.org.uk, for information and links to resources.

Contact the SCC secretariat at info@scc.org.uk or 02072248001 if you have any questions regarding Brexit.

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FEATURE

The comeback of cosmetics

– and the beauty routine of the quarantine After 18 months of people staring at themselves in zoom calls, seeing their maybe not-so-groomed WFH faces, the beauty industry is making a strong post-pandemic comeback. While some might have enjoyed the chance to stay at home au naturel, many are looking forward to rediscovering the playfulness of makeup while we slowly return to the social world. The Link spoke to Sofia Radomska, Managing Director at SCC member Oriflame UK, about the beauty industry reaching new groups, new platforms and new heights.

BY: SAGA PALMÉR

“Despite social distancing and lockdowns, I’ve noticed a positive boost in our beauty community’s confidence in being bolder with the way people express themselves,” Sofia Radomska, Managing Director at Oriflame UK, says.

Instead of disappearing, the beauty display has simply moved from the streets into the digital sphere. With many going out less and spending more time online, more people than ever are learning and sharing their beauty routines on social media. “The good thing with moving our interactions to Zoom and social media has been that people have been much more excited to experiment with their makeup, to try out new skincare products and to show off their personality through their appearance. And with apps like Instagram and TikTok, we have a whole new platform to share our personal beauty routines, our style and to be inspired by others.”

Sofia believes that cosmetics is becoming an increasingly important outlet in people’s need to express their identity. The younger generations are not only finding new ways and platforms to share their routines, but also new reasons for doing so. Caring for beauty is no longer seen as superficial, but rather as an additional step in caring for our own wellbeing. “Self-care and personal expression are values that are held in a much higher regard than ever before, especially among younger millennials and gen-Z. People prioritise their mental and physical wellbeing, and this very much includes their identity and their appearance. As a result, they are much more willing to invest time and money into beauty products that they believe attain this. “ This growing interest is also making its way into new groups – groups that traditionally haven’t been as well represented in the beauty clientele. “We’re in an age where the old societal expectations are being challenged. For example, thanks to shifts in the old perceptions, men’s skin care and cosmetics are rapidly growing, and new customer groups are allowed to come forward.”

The ups and downs of the pandemic The UK cosmetics industry is the third largest

in Western Europe, with a market value of £2.4bn and expected increase of 28.1% in 2022. Despite a Covid-caused drop in sales in 2021, the market size of the cosmetics retailers industry in the UK has grown 3.8% per year on average between 2017 and 2022.

Sofia believes that, on the contrary to what many might expect, the pandemic has created the perfect conditions for the beauty industry to bloom.

“Self-care and personal expression are values that are held in a much higher regard than ever before.”

“We experienced great growth prior to the pandemic and despite all the challenges Covid brought, the interest is stronger than ever.

It’s no surprise to me, with such emphasis on taking care of our health and wellbeing. For many people, taking care of our skin, hair and appearance is a huge part of that. Lockdown was difficult for everyone but keeping small daily routines to take care of ourselves became a strong way to keep our sense of self when our lives were turned upside down.”

very good growth from the start of pandemic.

People are more conscious than ever about their health, and I think this trend is here to stay. People have also had time to invest in their skin during the lockdown, and many seem to continue on that route, as a healthy base is crucial for a beautiful makeup. You wouldn’t paint a window frame without sanding it first!”

When looking at the bigger picture, the future seems bright. The market size of the cosmetics retailers industry in the UK has increased faster than the economy overall, and as we continue to return to normality, people will find even more reasons and places to show off the result of their new routines. What the cosmetics-as-wellbeing trend implies, and what more and more people seem to discover – beauty is not about vanity, it’s about sanity.

“Lockdown was difficult for everyone but keeping small daily routines to take care of ourselves became a strong way to keep our sense of self when our lives were turned upside down.”

If you ask Sofia, beauty and wellbeing go hand in hand, an approach that is getting increasingly common. As people are diving deeper into their beauty knowledge, Sofia predicts they will also dive deeper into their routines – and spend more time on creating beauty all the way from the inside out. “People have revalued a lot during the pandemic and realised that health comes first. Our wellness category, as well as our skincare, has had a

Sofia Radomska, Managing Director at Oriflame UK. Photo: Renz Andres.

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OUTER THINKING

LEaRNINGS FROM LEADERS key insights after a turbulent year Few other things have been as synonymous with the term “speed of change” as the year of 2021, and when looking at the creation of a “new normal”, there are several stakeholders playing crucial parts. In December 2021, the SCC held its annual Swedish-British Summit 2021: Outer Thinking, gathering some of the key thinkers from different sectors to discuss the speed of change in the 21st century. Led by Masters of Ceremonies, Nik Gowing, Director and Founder, Thinking the Unthinkable, and Hélène Barnekow, CEO, Microsoft Sweden, the summit included speakers from various backgrounds and businesses, each contributing to the construction of our shared future.

BY: SAGA PALMÉR

Towards a brighter future using tech In his opening remarks, Rajesh Agrawal, Deputy Mayor of London for Business, highlighted the tech sector as a field of increasing importance and a field that unites Sweden and the UK – both being industry leaders pushing the development forward.

The Times, said that another sign of the world moving from an era of globalisation to one of deglobalisation is shown in the way countries increasingly strive to be self-sufficient. Not only when it comes to Covid-related issues, such as vaccines, but with a wish for a greater level of autarchy, or self-governance.

In addition to the contributions of fintech and medtech, Rajesh thinks the sector is important in solving the challenges that London will face as a result of climate change. According to him, investments in fields such as cleantech is an investment in sustainability.

The deglobalised UK One of the countries taking a big step in the deglobalised direction is the UK, something that Andrew Bowie MP, and Fraser Nelson, Editor at The Spectator, discussed in the following panel.

Unpredictable issues need brave investors In the following keynote, Leif Johansson, Non-Executive Chairman of the Board at AstraZeneca, spoke about the lessons learned during the last 18 months of the pandemic. As the virus continued to take on new forms and ways of spreading, the past year turned into a time of constant innovation for pharmaceutical companies worldwide.

“Businesses not wanting to take part in the green switch might have more to lose than those who are leading it.”

According to Leif, the key takeaways from the pandemic year is to look for input in unexpected sources and to fund at risk. In the case of AstraZeneca, while looking to make progress in a rapidly changing environment, the company had to search for new partners and sometimes put in the funding prior to having any guarantees. In short, extreme situations call for bold actions and can, if done right, lead to great results.

Moving in a deglobalised direction Moving from something as global as the pandemic, the following panel discussed the recent trend of so called “deglobalisation”.

According to the panellists, countries seem to be moving in a nationalistic or protectionist direction, with forces such as immigration, tech and finance driving the movement.

Panellist Simon Nixon, Chief Lead Writer at

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According to Fraser Nelson, Brexit would only be beneficial if the government was able to make the right moves when sculpting the new, post-Brexit Britain. For example, he said, the government must be able to make decisions that are less favourable to some groups, to achieve a positive result in the long-term.

However, in the current situation, the panel says that the actions of the government are instead leading to a Britain isolated from the surrounding world.

Isolated, but connected One of the key topics of the conference was the future of tech and the massive opportunities to be found in its progress. Åsa Tamsons, Senior Vice President and Head of Business Area Technologies & New Businesses at Ericsson, mentioned a few of the fields where tech

would be likely to play an important role.

Apart from the opportunities created with the rollout of 5G – making it easier, quicker and more accessible for millions of people to stay connected – Åsa highlighted how technologies such as AR, AI, machine learning and VR will play an important role in making the rest of our everyday lives easier, both when working, shopping and socialising.

Finding balance through tech Staying on the digital platform, the following panel discussed the speed of the digital economy and what role it plays in the work-life balance. Dan Hill, Director of Strategic Design, Vinnova, said that by speeding up some tasks with the help of technology, we could hopefully slow down other parts of our lives. For example, speeding up bureaucracy as a way to create more time for creative work.

Gerard Grech, Chief Executive at Tech Nation, noted the increasing imbalance created when companies tried to speed up production – both to keep up with competitors and to meet demands of clients – while employees felt an increased need to slow down.

Green, clean and more transparent Moving from a digital to an environmental point of view, the following panel discussed the aftermath of the climate crisis and the recently held COP26. Jan-Olof Jacke, Director General, Confederation of Swedish Enterprise, Anna König Jerlmyr, Mayor of Stockholm, Sean McGuire, Director for Brussels, CBI and Peter Jelkeby, Country Retail Manager and Chief Sustainability Officer, IKEA UK and Ireland, discussed the changing attitudes of businesses in regards of making the green switch. Previously, many saw these changes as a threat to both business and production strategies. Today, they are increasingly seen as opportunities.

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OUTER THINKING

From left to right: Anna König Jerlmyr, Mayor of Stockholm, Peter Jelkeby, Country Retail Manager and Chief Sustainability Officer, IKEA UK and Ireland, in the panel “Speed of climate change and the impact on business”, moderated by Nik Gowing, Director and Founder of Thinking the Unthinkable. Also, Lisa Lindström, CEO at Doberman, Lord Ed Vaizey of Didcot, Chair of Digital Futures, and Polly Toynbee, Columnist at the Guardian, in the panel “Speed of change in the labour market”, moderated by Hélène Barnekow, CEO of Microsoft Sweden. Photos: Renz Andres.

With the increasing demand from clients to ensure sustainable production methods, it is harder than ever for businesses to try to seem greener than they actually are, using so-called “greenwashing”. Consequently, businesses not wanting to take part of the green switch might have more to lose than those who are leading it.

The great divide of the future workforce Dr Carl Benedikt Frey, Director, Future of Work at the University of Oxford honed in on another topic that has been highly relevant in the last 18 months – the future of work. Having concluded that low skill jobs will continue to be replaced by artificial intelligence and machine learning, while high skill jobs will take longer to automate, he pointed at another upcoming division – between invention and execution.

Manifested in the division between cities and the countryside, with labour and real estate being less costly on the countryside, we are likely to experience a shift where production moves out of urban areas, while more strategical roles cluster in skilled cities, such as London and Stockholm.

Looking beyond the traditional candidates Staying on a similar topic, the panel “Speed of change in the labour market – and it’s wider

impact” discussed not only the current workforce situation, but also the increasing issue of the so-called talent gap. This gap is the result of an increasing difference between the skills offered by job applicants and those in demand by employers and businesses. The panellists said that the strategies used by most universities today are at risk of putting talented students or candidates at a disadvantage, and instead benefit only those who are well suited for traditional studying methods.

“The high tolerance for failure provided in the creative field is key for innovation, as people who aren’t afraid to fail are more prone to be playful or to explore new ways of doing things.”

Fetching the best of two worlds = the future of recruiting?

Last but not least, Doberman CEO Lisa Lindström and artist Jason “Timbuktu” Diakité discussed what traditional companies and

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s photo More summit the from age 23 on p

business can learn from the creative fields, such as the music industry. Apart from the skill of good listening, Jason pointed at the high tolerance for failure provided in this field as key for innovation, saying that people who aren’t afraid to fail are more prone to be playful or to explore new ways of doing things.

Looking forward to a 2022 of new learnings All and all, this full day conference covered a great number of fields with an even greater number of speakers. As the speed of change in the surrounding world is showing no sign of slowing down, we will bring all these new insights into 2022, hoping to make it a year filled with opportunities. We will be back at the Swedish-British Summit 2022 with just as many new learnings as we did this year.

Swedish-British Summit 2022: Outer Thinking The world is facing some fundamental challenges, from disruptions lead by the technological revolution, to climate change and a workforce with new conditions to relate to. Sweden and Britain celebrate centuries of friendship and trade, and our business and political spheres are tightly interlinked as a result of it. At the Swedish-British Summit 2022 we look at our joint future ahead, the challenges, and how we can learn from each other. Learn more and sign up by scanning the QR code.

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PREVIOUS EVENTS

Outer Thinking 2021 2 december On 2 December 2021, the SCC gathered 25+ leading speakers from both business and the political sphere for the Swedish-British Summit: Outer Thinking, to discuss some of the biggest challenges of our time. At the full-day conference at Nobu in London, we discussed the key trends facing any businesses today – from artificial intelligence to sustainability and continuous learning – and looked forward to the business of tomorrow.

A special thanks to our sponsors AstraZeneca, IKEA, Kindred Group plc, Saab, Trustly and ZYN. Peter Sandberg (SCC).

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Andrew Bowie (The Conservative Party), Fraser Nelson (The Spectator).

Anna König Jerlmyr (Mayor of Stockholm) and Peter Jelkeby (IKEA UK & Ireland).

The audience listening in to the panels.

Leif Johansson (AstraZeneca).

Simon Nixon (The Times), Ambassador João Vale de Almeida (Head of Delegation of the European Union to the United Kingdom), Magnus Lewis-Olsson (Saab UK).

Jason “Timbuktu” Diakité (artist) and Lisa Lindström (Doberman).

Dr Carl Benedikt Frey (University of Oxford).

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PREVIOUS EVENTS

Annual Christmas Luncheon 3 December On 3 December, the SCC’s Annual Christmas Luncheon gathered the Swedish-British business community to wrap up the year among friends and colleagues. The Luncheon dates back over a century and is today the pinnacle of the Swedish-British business calendar. The event featured a St Lucia procession as well as a grand charity raffle.

A special thanks to our sponsor Handelsbanken Wealth & Asset Management for making this event possible.

Jan Olsson (Deutsche Bank) and Håkan Winberg.

Hélène Barnekow (Microsoft Sweden) and Peter Sandberg (SCC).

Gary Matthews, Tamsin Sewell, David Williams and Anthony Wragg (SSAB).

H.E. Mikaela Kumlin Granit (Swedish Ambassador to the UK), Jan Olsson (Deutsche Bank) and Anna König Jerlmyr (Mayor of Stockholm).

Jason “Timbuktu” Diakité performed during the luncheon.

Luke Seaman and Alex Marsh (Klarna UK).

The luncheon included a Lucia procession.

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PREVIOUS EVENTS

Nordic private equity forum 2021 18 november On 18 November, the SCC brought together stakeholders from the Nordic and UK-based asset management communities, from fund managers to banks, investors and advisory firms to discuss private equity and venture capital in the light of sustainability and our strive towards net-zero.

A special thanks to our sponsors DealCloud, DFIN, Globalization Partners, Lincoln International and White & Case LLP. Jan Jensen (White & Case LLP).

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Jan Olsson (Deutsche Bank) and Gabriel Mellqvist (Dagens industri).

Joana Rocha Scaff (Neuberger Berman) and Adam Black (Coller Capital).

Fridtjof Berge (Antler), Katja Bergman (Brightly Ventures) and Joe Schorge (Isomer Capital).

The attendees took part of several panels and discussions.

Maria Perez Hultström (Priveq) and Ellinor Schrewelius (Verdane).

Christina Brinck (Volvo Group Venture Capital) and Tomas Gärdfors (Norton Rose Fulwright).

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PREVIOUS EVENTS

Link up Drinks .. at HAstens 11 november Hästens hosted the last Link Up Drinks of 2021 at its flagship store on Wigmore Street. The event brought together the SCC community for an evening with drinks and canapes, and an opportunity to connect with the Swedish-British ecosystem.

Since 1852, Hästens has undertaken to design the best sleep.

Each bed is handmade, only from the best natural materials.

The flagship store is loacated at Wigmore Street in central London.

New members of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce introduced themselves during the evening.

The guests were invited to try the handmade, premium beds.

meet & pitch : fintech 9 november The SCC invited the brightest, most innovative and prominent Swedish fintech businesses to join two half days sessions at the offices of Rise London and Klarna. 10 companies were coached through masterclasses, inspirational speeches, and given the opportunity to meet important stakeholders in the industry.

The event was organised on behalf of the British Embassy Stockholm, together with Klarna and with supporting partner Findec.

The event included several keynotes and panels aimed to provide insights about the UK market.

Alex Marsh (Klarna UK).

The companies were able to pitch their ideas to a jury, providing them with feedback.

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PREVIOUS EVENTS

young professionals after work 21 november On 21 November, the SCC young professionals gathered for an After Work at Balls Brothers Austin Friars. We were excited to see many new, and familiar, faces – and happy to see our community constantly growing.

Madison Prince-Judd (LSE), Matt White (Trimont Real Estate Advisors), Nicholas Zikpi (Diversio), Sara Rolén (SCC), and Martina Falkenberg (SCC).

Victor Hedenberg (AMBA), Fredrik K. A. Andersson (Cedar Capital) and Astrid Stirling (Sky).

Nicholas Zikpi (Diversio) and Sara Rolén (SCC).

Young Professionals christmas dinner 10 december On 10 December, the young professionals of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce were invited to the Annual Christmas Dinner.

The dinner was held at SKÅL Nordic Dining in Islington, offering a true Nordic dining experience. The evening began with networking over some mulled wine and gingerbread, and continued with a three-course meal in true “julbord”-style. The guests also took part of a Christmas raffle and festive games.

Joshua Reeve (Moore Global US Tax Services), Anna Tranchell (The Harlequins Foundation), Patrik Lei, Charlotte Pike, Jonathan Pike (Carter Backer Winter), and Ana Weeks (Moore Global US Tax Services).

Hannah Barnett (Gowling WLG) and Benjamin Obinali (Gowling WLG) celebrating after winning first prize in the Christmas raffle.

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Viktor Seppälä, Patrik Lei and Douglas Tönnberg (SCC).

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feature

Helping Swedish tech scale up in the UK After three years of success stories, the fourth edition of the accelerator programme AccessUK is now being launched. Throughout the years, a total of 56 companies have taken part, of which several have taken substantial steps in their growth journey since. “We are so proud to once again be able to offer this opportunity for Swedish tech businesses looking to scale up in the UK. It’s thrilling to see our former participants excel, and we are excited to meet the next cohort of promising businesses,” says Anna Crona, Head of Business Services at the SCC. BY: MATHILDA KENNETT

The Chamber organises AccessUK on behalf of Startup Sweden, part of the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth (Tillväxtverket). The programme is especially designed for Swedish tech businesses looking to build a presence and connection with London and the UK. “We have been in touch with people that I couldn’t have dreamed of reaching, or at least it would have taken me months and months to reach without the help of this programme,” says Benjamin Reece Hamshere, UK Country Manager at Metry and participant in the 2021 edition of the programme.

Three-day bootcamp and individual meetings During a three-day bootcamp, participants get to learn from, connect and meet with leading tech experts, successful entrepreneurs, and seasoned investors within the industry. The programme also offers a range of dedicated seminars and workshops on topics such as how to practically set up in the UK, how to find customers and distributors, lessons learnt from entrepreneurs already established the UK, and what investors are looking for.

Alongside the bootcamp, participants are offered individually tailored coaching, as well as personalised meetings with experts, partners, and prospective clients.

Leading to actual business Climate action technology company ClimateView is one of the businesses that

Carlo Biggio, Venture Capital Investor at Accel Partners, Triin Linamagi, Venture Associate at Founders Factory, Jenny Tooth, CEO at UK Business Angel Association, and Hussein Kanji, Founding Partner at Hoxton Ventures, in a panel on how to attract funding.

has seen great results after participating.

“The programme is super useful, and it did lead to actual business. We are now up and running with five London boroughs thanks to the introductions to London Councils. We are so grateful for that. We have also hired a colleague based in Nottingham,” says Fredrik Uddenfeldt, VP, Community Growth UK at ClimateView, when asked about their participation in AccessUK 2020.

Benjamin at Metry belives that the programme is a great way to kick-start in a new market: “Yes, you can do an element of research, and yes, you can invest time and money into it on your own – but I think working with this extra team and having those extra resources, enables you to start quicker than you would have otherwise.”

Applications now open for the 2022 programme Now, the applications are open for the 2022 programme, where 10 companies will be selected to participate. Learn more and apply by scanning the QR code and apply by 7 March.

Hanna von Oelreich, took part in the programme as Chief Commercial Offier at Ingager, and has since then moved on to Sana Labs.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Upcoming events The SCC is offering a mix of virtual and inperson roundtables, forums and summits.

For our live events, the SCC is continually monitoring government and health guidelines to protect our team and our guests. Along with the venue provider, we want to provide a safe environment. Learn more at scc.org.uk/events

Nordic M&A Forum 2022

10 March | Linklaters, One Silk St, London EC2Y 8HQ Welcome to the Nordic M&A Forum 2022, where we will be discussing the year ahead for Nordic cross-border M&A and financing, and bring together stakeholders from across the industry, from banks, asset managers, private equity and advisory firms, from both the City and the Nordics. Sponsored by Brunswick, DealCloud, DFIN, Lincoln International and Linklaters.

Ecosystem Exchange: Fintech

4-5 April | TBC, London The British Embassies in the Nordic and Baltic countries, together with the Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the UK, are proud to present a TechConnect initiative to promote Nordic and Baltic startups and scaleups in the UK. We are inviting 15 innovative companies ready to take their fintech business to the next level.

Participants will be selected to take part of two half-day sessions, where they will be coached through masterclasses, inspirational speeches, and “speed-networking”. Important stakeholders, experts, and specialists within the industry will be on site, ready to provide insights, give advice, and connect - all needed for a successful growth journey in the UK.

22-23 March | TBC, London The British Embassies in the Nordic and Baltic countries together with the Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the UK are proud to present a TechConnect initiative, inviting the brightest, most innovative and prominent Nordic and Baltic scaleups within Greentech to join two half-day sessions in London. 15 companies will be selected to be coached through masterclasses, inspirational speeches, speednetworking and have the opportunity to meet important stakeholders in the industry.

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26 May | TBC, London With growing calls for a green recovery and societal acceleration in fighting climate change – business, policy makers and consumers need to walk hand in hand. Join us at Impact 2022 to hone in on the key issues and solutions in helping us reduce our footprint, and together reaching the United Nations sustainable development goals. Strategic sustainability partner: Skanska. Sponsored by AstraZeneca, Electrolux, LKAB Minerals, Kinnarps, SEB, SSAB, Stena and Wastefront.

115th Annual General Meeting

Nordic Drinks

Ecosystem Exchange: Greentech

Impact 2022

28 April | Gowling WLG, 4 More London Riverside, London SE1 2AU Join us at the Nordic Drinks hosted by Gowling WLG, to network and meet friends and members of our fellow Nordic chambers of commerce in the UK. The Nordic Drinks brings together new and loyal members of the Nordic chambers for an evening of high-level networking over drinks and nibbles at the premises of SCC member Gowling WLG. It is a great opportunity to get acquainted with the extended Nordic network, as well as to explore and develop business relations across the NordicBritish business sphere.

9 June | TBC, London On 9 June 2022, we welcome all SCC members to join the 115th Annual General Meeting.

As customary, we welcome the 2022/2023 Scholars to the Chamber, with a scholarship ceremony after the AGM.

Tech Forum 2022

22 September | TBC, London Tech Forum 2022 brings together business leaders, entrepreneurs, policy makers and academics to discuss the best of the latest in technology from across the North Sea. Through keynotes, panels, and interactive talk shows, with stellar line-ups of speakers, the forum is a great way to connect with the UK-Nordic tech ecosystem.

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IN OTHER NEWS

Vattenfall, SAS and Shell join forces in massive techinvestment

Image: Microsoft Sweden.

Hélène Barnekow steps down as CEO for Microsoft Sweden Hélène Barnekow has announced her resignation as CEO of Microsoft Sweden, after nearly four years in the position, to join Norwegian consulting and leadership business Ascension AS. Hélène joined Microsoft in December 2018 and will be succeeded by Tomas Frimmel, who will take on the position on 1 April. Tomas is currently Director for the Enterprise Commercial Segment, where he is helping enterprises to drive digital transformation. He has worked for Microsoft Sweden for 16 years, and been part of the management team since 2010.

A C /LDN

SCC patrons Vattenfall and SAS are coming together with Dutch-British energy production company Shell and carbon recycling company LanzaTech in a massive investment in sustainable aircraft fuel. The companies have applied for SEK 290m in support from the Swedish state-owned investment fund Klimatklivet – the largest amount that has been up for discussion since the aid was introduced.

The project idea was presented in November 2021, initiated by Vattenfall. Having noticed an increasing demand for sustainable aircraft fuel, Vattenfall was joined by Shell and Lanzatech shortly thereafter, and confirming SAS as the main – but not only – client. The production is planned to start by 2026.

Diversio receives funding SCC member Diversio has received USD 6.5m (about £4.8m) in Series A funding. It is Diversio’s first institutional funding, coming from a group of investors, including First Round Capital, Golden Ventures and Chandaria Family holdings. Diversio was funded in 2018 with the aim to diversify workplaces by using technology such as AI, data analytics and subject matter experts. Since then, the company has grown 300% year over year.

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From a one-off interior design project to a widerranging conceptual piece, we work tirelessly to find suitable solutions for each client’s unique needs. We know it can be difficult to define and hunt down that special something for your home or business interior. That’s where we come in.

Contact Ann-ChAarlotte Gerdne ac@artconcepts.london

Image: Löfbergs.

Löfbergs to make greener coffee

Coffee group and SCC member Löfbergs is working to make its coffee selection a bit more green and climate clean. Löfbergs has created the Circular Coffee Community, an initiative working to eliminate all coffee related waste by converting the coffee residues from the roastery into garden soil. A pilot project is currently being carried out in cooperation with recycling company Econova, using 9 tons of coffee residues mixed and composted with manure and residues from the forest. If successful, they could potentially replace fossil peat and decrease greenhouse gas emissions.

The project is part of a bigger, circular transformation, with the end-goal of generating zero waste.

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IN OTHER NEWS

becoming a comprehensive global shopping ecosystem, which fundamentally changes how consumers pay, shop and manage their banking affairs,” he said in a press release announcing the plans in December 2021.

The fintech and payment firm has gone from operating solely on the Swedish market to being used worldwide in just a few years, and growth continues with Klarna recruiting 500 engineers, product managers, analysts, and data scientists for the opening of the new hub.

Image: Volvo Cars.

Jim Rowans appointed Chief Executive and President of Volvo Cars The Board of Directors of SCC patron Volvo Cars has appointed Jim Rowan as Chief Executive and President. Jim, who is currently the CEO and Board Member of Ember Technologies, will join Volvo Cars on 21 March. He succeeds Håkan Samuelsson, who first joined Volvo Cars as a Member of the Board in 2010 and has held the role of CEO & President since 2012. “Jim is the right person to accelerate Volvo Cars into the future – enabling it to become the fastest transformer in its field and a fully electric company with millions of direct consumer relationships,” says Eric Li, Chairperson of the Board of Volvo Cars, in a statement and continues: “I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Håkan Samuelsson for his commitment and determination over the past ten years at Volvo Cars.”

Image: Klarna.

Klarna opens development hub – creates 500 new jobs

SCC patron Klarna sets out to open a product development hub in Gothenburg, creating approximately 500 new jobs. According to Koen Köppen, Klarna’s Chief Technology Officer, the new hub will play an important role in the company’s plans to scale up: “Klarna has developed rapidly in recent years and gone from being a Swedish payment provider to

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Image: Embassy of Sweden.

H.E. Mikaela Kumlin Granit presented her Letter of Credence to H.M. the Queen

Image: Trustly.

Johan Tjärnberg new CEO of Trustly Swedish fintech company and SCC patron Trustly reforms its leadership as CEO Oscar Berglund is to step down from the post, announcing Chairman Johan Tjärnberg as his successor. Oscar, having served as an executive since the firm started in 2008, became CEO in 2016 and will now take on the role as Chief Business Development Officer (CBO), overseeing the group’s global commercial strategy. Johan Tjärnberg is the former founder of Scandinavian online merchant payment system provider BamBora AB, and is since 2020 Chairman of the Trustly Board. He stepped into the role as CEO on 17 January 2022, and said in a press release that he has high ambitions to drive the company forward: “I am motivated and engaged to assume the role as CEO of Trustly. Trustly is perfectly positioned to make digital payments seamless for everyone by connecting consumers and merchants through their bank account and I am looking forward to being part of the team that will continue to drive Trustly’s global expansion going forward.”

Swedish ambassador and Honorary President of the SCC Board of Directors H.E. Mikaela Kumlin Granit has been officially appointed to her role by the UK Head of State, H.M. the Queen. In a Covid-friendly setup, Kumlin Granit attended the Audience in Buckingham Palace via video link, along with Elin Suleymanov, Ambassador of Azerbaijan. The ceremony is part of the official appointment to the role, where the proposed candidate presents a so called “Letter of Credence” from the Head of State of his or her country. The document, known as “Credential”, is a formal letter to The Queen asking her to accept the new Ambassador.

Image: Wastefront.

Wastefront to build tyrerecycling plant in Sunderland Waste recycling company and SCC member Wastefront’s plans to build a tyre-recycling plant in Sunderland is getting closer to realisation. Recently announcing Technip Energies as the project’s engineering,

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procurement and construction partner, the £100m plant is taking a big step forward.

The plant will create around 160 jobs and will convert the biohazard used in tyre production into resalable commodities, handling around 80,000 tonnes of tyres every year.

The petroleum extracted in the process will be sold to manufacturers, including Dutch energy giant Vitol, that acquires a 5 percent stake in the project. Vianney Valès, Chief Executive at Wastefront, says that the project is well aligned with the greater goals of the business: “Our mission is to solve complex environmental issues, through a solution that has demonstrated its full alignment with EU/ UK taxonomy targets. To succeed, a rigorous approach to project execution is key.”

such as “Candy Crush” and will lead to Microsoft becoming the world’s third-largest game company, following Tencent and Sony.

King was founded in 2003 by Lars Markgren, Patrik Stymne, Thomas Hartwig, Sebastian Knutsson and Riccardo Zacconi, and was acquired by games giant Activision Blizzard in 2015, following the massive success of crossplatform title Candy Crush Saga.

Novicell hosts Business Online event in London Digital marketing agency and SCC member Novicell is hosting its first Business Online event in London on 7 April 2022. It will be a full day event at the Museum of London, providing food, drinks and a chance to learn from some of the most successful digital experts in different fields. The event will include speakers from businesses such as TikTok, Virgin Media and McLaren, and end with an afterparty

by Tower Bridge. Members of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce have exclusive access to discounted tickets, priced at just £199 (full price £450), with the code SCC*.

IN OTHER NEWS

Volvo Cars and Northvolt open battery R&D centre SCC patron Volvo Cars joins forces with battery developer Northvolt in a plan to open an R&D centre in Gothenburg. The project is part of a SEK 30bn investment in battery development and manufacturing, and is expected to create a few hundred highly-skilled jobs in the area. The centre is the first part of a planned production of next generation state-of-the-art battery cells, developed for use in electric Volvo and Polestar cars, making Volvo Cars one of the few automotive brands to produce battery cells themselves. The R&D centre is expected to be operational later this year, and to be followed by the construction of a new manufacturing plant in Europe.

Image: Vattenfall.

Vattenfall and Feenstra launches heat pump systems SCC patron Vattenfall and Feenstra are launching a new heat pump system, which could offer a more climate friendly option to traditional heating, based on gas central heating boilers. With this new, all-electric heating system, Vattenfall is taking a big step towards a fossil free future by using electricity instead of natural gas to create the heating effect. The system is to be rolled out in the Netherlands this year, with the aim of being introduced to other countries in the future.

As the Dutch gas central heating systems are similar to those in the UK, this new solution might be an option for UK housing. Mark Anderson, Commercial and Development Director at Vattenfall Heat UK is optimistic: “The high temperature heat pump solution is innovative, simple to install and could be the solution to help decarbonise homes in the UK that are heated using traditional gas boilers.”

Microsoft acquires King franchises Microsoft Corporation has announced plans to acquire Activision Blizzard INC, parent company to game company and SCC patron King. The acquisition will include franchises

Image: Unsplash.

London named best city in the world for young entrepreneurs

Image: Unsplash.

Sweden more popular as international destination Despite the negative traveling trend following the pandemic, there seem to have been an increased international curiosity about Sweden as a destination. According to a survey performed by Visit Sweden, the number of Google searches related to trips to Sweden increased with 8% in 2021, compared to 2019.

On an international level, the increase is of 2%. The most popular activities were those related to wildlife and nature, although cities were the most common types of destinations.

Visit Sweden is performing the survey in a number of countries, including the UK, as a part of its work to increase knowledge about and interest for Sweden as a destination.

According to the Forbes 30 Under 30 lists, London is the best city worldwide to be a young entrepreneur. The list, provided annually

by Forbes magazine, has been analysed by the business comparison platform Bionic, comparing results from Europe, North America, Russia, Asia and Africa. With a number of 115 Forbes Under 30s, London tops the list, followed by New York, San Francisco and Moscow. Additionally, the results showed that many of the candidates from North America, Asia and Russia, live and operate in London.

Looking at a country level, the UK ranks second, after the US, and contains all of the 5 most popular European universities.

Got news for us?

Email jonas.eklund@scc.org.uk.

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En hoppfull vår

– svenska kyrkan i London café

Svenskt kaffe & hembakta kanelbullar, svenska tidningar, fritt WiFi. Här finns alltid någon att prata med!

Anslagstavlor med tips på boende, jobb och vad som händer.

kyrkguiden

Ladda ner appen där du kan se vår kalender och övriga kyrkor i Sverige och i resten av världen.

sociala medier

Måndag, tisdag, torsdag 10-15.

Gudstjänst med kyrkkaffe söndag kl 11.

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Telefon 020 7723 5681 london@svenskakyrkan.se https://member.swedishchurch.com Om du är i nöd, ring 07584 054143.

Entrance fee £2 Children under 12 years free

på gång:

Mellokvällar 5, 12, 19 och 26 februari samt 5 och 12 mars.

Entrén öppnar 18.30.

Kyrkan är öppen 18.00-18.30 för en stilla stund.

6 harcourt street, london W1H 4AG svenskakyrkan.se/london

Notice that buggies are not allowed in the Church due to fire regulations.

svenskträffar utanför london se webben för mer information

www.rivalcolour.com

Swedish footprint in the uk Nine Swedish businesses giving back to local communities.

creating a two-way mentoring relationship A learning experience for both mentor and mentee.

brexit one year later What happened during the first year and what to expect in 2022.

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Print in Good company!

Dedicated to the Swedish-British business community since 1906

» The SCC use Rival

for printing services – in fact you’re looking at our printing NOW!

“This is our way of saying we really do still believe in the high streets .”

Peter Jelkeby, Country Retail Manager and Chief Sustainability Officer at IKEA UK & Ireland

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Guest column

Gender equality for the new normal As our society and our businesses transition to ‘the new normal’, we now have a unique opportunity to challenge our old modus operandi and explore gender, and the work towards gender equality, in a wider sense. This guest column suggests a new approach that goes beyond DEI initiatives, towards an understanding of the role of gender dynamics in the creation of our current business modelling and its role in resolving our most urgent challenges.

BY: YAEL NEVO, FOUNDING DIRECTOR AT GENDER RISE

What is the role of gender in the creation of ‘the new normal’? Let us consider the incorporation of a Gender Dynamics approach, and its greater capacity for both resolving current and future gender gaps, as well as tackling our most urgent social and environmental challenges.

As a starting point it is important to understand that the public sphere at large, and the business sector, more specifically, was originally designed to suit the needs of men. Therefore, though the social making (gender and otherwise) of our sector changed dramatically over the past decades, the model itself did not.

Consequentially, what is considered ‘Normal’ is in fact gendered.

It is this discrepancy between an essentially masculine model and a diverse workforce, that is the core reason for our current gender gaps in pay, representation, career advancement and much more. With greater awareness coming to the fore in recent years, this model is being increasingly challenged. So, when it comes to creating a NEW normal, will we be able to ungender some aspects of our business modelling to create companies that attracts and retains diverse talent, and better address the urgent challenges we are facing?

At the end of last year, I attended the SCC Outer Thinking annual conference, that explored and debated a wide range of topics. From data protection through net zero to the future of work, there was a sense of urgency and a clear agreement that great changes are needed and indeed already taking place. I found it interesting that some of the ideas and solutions that were discussed on the day, such as sustainability or mental wellbeing are in fact, from a Gender Dynamics perspective, a move towards gender equality. However, I believe that there is great value in exploring these solutions within a gendered context, especially in light of the major gender-related setbacks the Covid-19 pandemic created. Moving forward without gender consciousness would be a missed opportunity, resulting in partial solutions.

The current market approach to narrowing gender gaps is often part of DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) initiatives. The gender focus in this framework is mainly on how to bring more women and/or LGBTQI+ to the

table. The undercurrent belief of this approach is that by having more women/LGBTQI+ (and other underrepresented groups), we will create a diverse work environment and make our businesses stronger, better performing, and more profitable. However, the attention here is on the individual of the underrepresented group to carry the weight of the organisational transformation, and though it led to some remarkable achievements and valuable best practices, the DEI framework is essentially a numbers game that can only take us so far.

It is only by acknowledging the inherent gendered nature of business decision-making, and treating gender equality as a business goal, that we can then bring together many of the siloed actions that companies are now taking as they transition to the ‘The New Normal’, under a unifying and gender conscious approach. This will address and resolve our greatest challenges at their core, and create a paradigm shift that is truly transformational and sustainable.

To move forward in ‘The New Normal’, we must acknowledge that it is the old masculine gendered business model that led to where we are today by, in very general terms, prioritising ruthless and at times aggressive competition and individuality over people and planet. To resolve the great challenges we are facing, gender and otherwise, we must create better balance between socially assigned masculine and feminine values, towards a business model that incorporates feminine concepts, for example Care, as a core success indicator. It is this qualitative shift in values and actions that will then attract more diverse talent, who will be free to do their job without the burden of representation and tokenism.

To concretise this point let us follow, in broad terms, the example of the above-mentioned value of Care. In order to incorporate Care into organisational DNA and create balance in their gender dynamics, companies can use the GOST (Goal, Objectives, Strategy, Tactics) model to workshop an action plan: Goal: To be a caring company.

Objectives Example: Ensuring an ethical supply chain.

Strategies Example: Sign a new agreement with all suppliers regarding employee rights and environmental sustainability by Q4 2023.

SMART Tactics Example: Survey all 10 suppliers to see where they currently stand by end Q2 of 2022. Create a collaboration with minimum 3 local charities and experts to support suppliers by early Q1 2023 and monitor their progress every 6 months.

Yael Nevo, Founding Director, Gender Rise.

About Yael Nevo Yael Nevo (She / Her) is an award-winning Gender Consultant and Founding Director of SCC member Gender Rise, helping companies and organisations achieve sustainable gender equality and diversity through strategy, policy, and training. She holds over 20 year of international and multi-disciplinary gender work and research and collaborated with industry leaders such as LSE, The Guardian, Virgin, UNDP and GIZ.

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New patrons and Members

new patrons and members Membership of the Chamber provides you and your business with a unique platform to forge new business contacts, build stronger networks and to keep informed on updates, news and innovation in the Swedish-British community.

With over 400 member businesses, we represent the very core of Swedish-British business, and are one of the largest foreign Chambers in the UK. We offer a platform for you and your business to raise your profile in a meaningful way, and to connect with influencers from across the North Sea.

NEW PATRONS The patronship of the Chamber consists of a core group of member businesses, all committed to the long-term support of the Swedish-British business community. The patrons are advocates for the members of the Chamber and in return, the patronship comes with a range of added benefits, exclusive access and invites, extended networking opportunities.

invenio growth Invenio is a challenger consultancy that brings a structured, execution-focused approach to problem-solving. Global clients trust Invenio to leverage the innovation potential of startups across digital transformation initiatives. Through partnership programmes, venture M&A, and strategy consulting, Invenio help large corporations and capital allocators move at the speed of entrepreneurship.

NEW members

AURORA FORUM

‘CONNECTING COUNTRIES IN DIALOGUE’ DENMARK, ESTONIA, FINLAND, ICELAND, LATVIA, LITHUANIA, NORWAY, SWEDEN AND THE UNITED KINGDOM

www.auroraforum.co.uk

aurora forum The Aurora Forum is a meeting of minds interested in security and prosperity, stretching from the United Kingdom across the High North to the Nordic & Baltic countries. The Forum brings together high-level diverse individuals from a cross-section of sectors including business, politics, academia, opinion formers, policy advisors, think tanks and culture. The benefits of the Aurora Forum can be described as great international networking.

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burges salmon Burges Salmon is an ambitious, sustainable and inclusive firm that ensures its clients, people and wider communities flourish.

Its vision is to be the market-leading independent UK law firm that provides the best proposition for its people and its clients.

Everything the firm does is driven by the needs of its clients.

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New patrons and Members

CWM CWM is the leading independent retail property consultancy in the UK. Founded in London in 1992, CWM works with an exceptional list of both landlord and tenant clients. As a niche practice, CWM serves its clients with an innovative and refreshing outlook, provided by some of the most experienced professional property experts in the retail sector.

Fairpoint capital Fairpoint Capital is a Nordic B2B technology Venture Capital investor focusing on unique technologies and business models that are highly scalable and offer sustainable competitive advantages. The company invests in the entrepreneurs that lead the next wave of Nordic hightech breakthroughs.

FREETHS A Top 50 UK law firm with a global reach and local presence, but there’s more to us than figures. With an entrepreneurial spirit, we are business people first and lawyers second, which is why we focus on going the extra mile for clients. We keep strong ethics at the heart of our firm by only promising what we can deliver and managing any risk to clients.

gava A Gåva [gaw-vah] (eng. Gift) can be valuable without being expensive – as long as it’s chosen with care and beautifully presented. And that’s where the first product in the Gåva range comes in. “Easter Äggs” by Gåva are the reusable Easter eggs you fill with what you like, making it the perfect gift for friends, family, customers, suppliers and teams.

metry Metry helps property owners collect, structure and quality assure energy data generated in their buildings, enabling better decisionmaking and investments that make a difference. Today, more than a third of the largest real estate companies in Sweden use Metry data for energy management and ESG reporting, and international expansion is moving along rapidly.

no black book No black book is a retained executive search and leadership advisory firm helping electric vehicle businesses find the right leaders for their top teams.

o

& FINANCIAL SERVICES

US Tax & & Financial Services US Tax & Financial Services provides tax advice, planning, and compliance services for individuals, partnerships, corporations, trusts and estates, subject to the US tax system, wherever they may live or operate in the world. Its strong, multilingual team of US tax accountants and attorneys bring together expertise from the Big 4 accounting firms and Fortune 500 companies.

War On Cancer War On Cancer is a Swedish-founded healthtech company aimed at improving the lives of those impacted by cancer. It is one of the world’s largest social cancer apps, enabling its members to connect with others impacted by cancer, share their stories, and provide a support system. The app also amplifies the patient voice in cancer research through in-app studies.

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H.E. Mikaela Kumlin Granit Swedish Ambassador to the UK In late-August 2021, H.E. Mikaela Kumlin Granit assumed office as the new Swedish Ambassador to the UK. A few months into her duties, The Link met with the Ambassador to discuss her career journey, passion for European affairs and why moving to the UK felt a bit like coming home.

BY: JONAS EKLUND

“I have been working with international relations for a very long time,” Mikaela says.

“I joined the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs in the mid-90s. This was when Sweden was preparing for the referendum on the accession to the EU, and at this point I became very much involved in European affairs.”

“I think that being part of this European adveture was extremely important for me.”

Being part of the European adventure Europe has always been an important theme in Mikaela’s career, in one way or another, and is also one of the reasons she joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in the first place.

“I was young during a time when the Berlin Wall fell, in the late 80s. I’m also part of the generation that went railing all around Europe with one of those Interrail passes. I think that being part of this European adventure, was extremely important for me.”

After a few years working with her European counterparts, Mikaela wanted to broaden her perspectives and see the rest of the world.

During this time, she was posted at the embassies in Zimbabwe and later in Washington.

“When I came back to Sweden, I went back to European affairs, and worked in the Prime Minister’s office in the run up to the latest Swedish EU presidency,” she recalls. “And this was before the Lisbon Treaty, which means that Sweden had quite a substantial role in leading the EU at the time.”

Diverse and eventful career After spending a couple of years in Brussels working with the first permanent president of the European Council to help build up the cabinet, Mikaela headed the department of European Affairs at the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Stockholm. Subsequently, she was appointed Sweden’s Ambassador to Austria and Slovakia, based in Vienna. “Back

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then, I wore two hats, as I also was the permanent representative to the United Nations in Vienna. I spent most of my time during these three years as Chair of the IAEA Board of Governors dealing with non-proliferation issues and more specifically the Iran file.”

It is fair to say that Mikaela’s career leading up to her current role as the Swedish Ambassador to the UK has been diverse and eventful. “I’ve done so many different things.

In a way, I feel that I’m now coming back to doing European affairs, but from a different perspective.”

Building the new relationship According to Mikaela, the new relationship between the EU and the UK makes it a very interesting time in European history and politics. “I think there is a lot of respect for the UK’s choice to leave the EU, but the negotiations phase might have stirred up some bad atmospherics, which hopefully is only temporary. I see a strong will from both Sweden and the UK to continue building upon our relationship in this new reality.”

ing in the UK, as well as the presence of the Swedish Church and Swedish schools in the country, as some of the many factors tying our nations together. “This makes it such a natural neighbour-relationship in a way.”

Opportunities for collaboration Looking ahead, Mikaela believes there are plenty of opportunities for collaboration in business and trade between Sweden and the UK. “The sky is the limit,” she says and mentions life sciences, innovation and greentech as some of the exciting areas to look out for. “I have been really impressed with the prospects of what Swedish businesses can deliver in these fields.” And with COP26 and the Swedish Pavilion with some of the most well-known companies showcasing innovative solutions for the green transition fresh in mind, Mikaela mentions Vattenfall as an example of the many Swedish businesses that are being recognised for their green efforts in the UK.

Part of building this new relationship is to create new venues and contexts for collaboration. “Before Brexit, we met naturally and frequently in Brussels. Now, we need to work on these contacts in a different way and see to that we meet in other ways, and more often.”

“I was brought up with British pop culture and the British sense of humour through Monthy Python. ”

The UK – an important neighbour to Sweden The relationship between the UK and Sweden goes back hundreds of years, encompassing not only trade but also friendship and cultural ties. “The UK is such an important neighbour to Sweden – we have extremely close ties. We are close both culturally and geographically, and we have a lot of strategic interests in common because of the vicinity between our two countries. This is especially clear at a moment when we are experiencing such tensions in regard to the Russian build-up by Ukraine and given the close collaboration between Sweden and the UK on defence and security,” Mikaela says. She also highlights the over 100,000 Swedes liv-

British culture close to heart On a personal level, Mikaela now looks forward to experiencing what the UK has to offer. “I love nature and gardening, so I look forward to travelling along the coastline, to see England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and to seeing all these beautiful gardens.” She is also looking to immerse herself in British culture. “I was brought up with British pop culture and the British sense of humour through Monty Python. And with all the British literature that I have been reading through, it is very close to heart. Having the possibility to live here in the United Kingdom is fantastic, I must say. It feels like coming home.”

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“Before Brexit, we met naturally and frequently in Brussels. Now, we need to work on these contacts in a different way and see to that we meet in other ways, and more often.”

H.E. Mikaela Kumlin Granit, Swedish Ambassador to the UK. Photo: Radski Photography/Embassy of Sweden in London.

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