Last week, our event Challenges for Migrant Entrepreneurs in Sweden took place at the Dutch Embassy in Stockholm. The Ambassador of the Netherlands, Mrs Ines Coppoolse inspired with her introduction on the topic of the evening.
Natasha Webster and Karen Haandrikman, researchers from Stockholm University, presented their research about the challenges that women migrant entrepreneurs face when starting their business in Sweden.  We then listened to the personal stories of migrant entrepreneurs Virginie Garcia, and Wendy Heijne, exemplifying the research on its topics and emphasizing the need of being persistent and having a certain drive towards one’s goals. Being a bit “unswedish”.

The second panel with policy experts Sam Yildirim, Elisabeth Suzuki, Petya Thorne and Edgar Haverkamp went more into finding answers and opportunities, and the audience of around 45 people was engaged and eager to discuss with the panel. The evening as a whole was moderated by Ruben Brunsveld who asked thought-provoking questions and engaged the audience in a great way.  
Following the panel and the discussions, it seems Sweden as a country has some particular obstacles to overcome for migrant entrepreneurs. One of the discussions focused on the example of the mastery of Swedish language as being critical in order to be successful as a migrant entrepreneur in Sweden.

We look forward to continue the discussions and follow the development in this important field.
We thank the Embassy of the Netherlands, Stockholm University, the involved entrepreneurs and policy experts for making this event come true and all guests for coming and for engaging in the discussions!

/Els Berkers and Joep van Ool

A seminar report with more thorough information about this topic can be found at the website of the Dutch embassy. Read here.

Flavio Santos is the Swedish country manager of Signify (formerly known as the lighting division of Philips). They joined the Dutch Chamber this spring as a corporate member.   Some of our members might have met Flavio at the Annual Dinner in March. For those who didn't, we interviewed Flavio to find out more about him and Signify’s current relation to Philips. 

Who is Flavio Santos?
I am a Brazilian but have lived in Sweden for 21 years now, which I enjoy very much. I am currently the Country Manager and Professional Channel Director for Sweden at Signify. This means that I am responsible for the B2B part of the company where we address the customers in the private and public sector ranging from all types of lighting  applications in segments like industries, offices, retail stores, hospitals, roads, streets, parks and arenas.

Could you please tell us a bit more about Signify. What is the relation to Philips?
Signify is the new company name of the Lighting Division that spun off from Philips in 2016. Signify is an independent company listed on the stock exchange in Amsterdam (ticker LIGHT). We are the largest lighting company in the world and the leader in LED and connected light.
We have only changed the company name, we will still continue to sell and promote the world famous Philips brand in all our products, so for our customers the name change will not have any impact.

What is your experience with working with the Dutch?
From my experience there's a great fit with the Swedish business culture, where both cultures are for a more flat organisation and not so hierarchical. However, the Dutch are generally more aggressive and straight-forward in the way of doing business, which is inspiring and constructive.

How did you get in touch with the Dutch Chamber? 
Since we were part of Royal Philips, after we spun off from them, I was contacted by Maarten Merx and we started our discussions.

What are your expectations towards the Dutch Chamber of Commerce? How can the Dutch Chamber help you to achieve your ambitions?
It´s all about people! I expect that the Dutch Chamber will allow our company to be in touch with others that are looking for solutions or challenges where we can make a positive contribution. I also expect to be able to contribute to the network by sharing more knowledge about the lighting industry and how we can contribute to better well-being and a more sustainable world.

 /Els Berkers

Armand Scheijen recently joined the Gothenburg team and introduces himself here:

My name is Armand Scheijen and I will be supporting the Gothenburg team of the Dutch Chamber. 
Since I moved to Sweden in September 2014, being freshly graduated from Law school, several challenges and opportunities where served to me in a pretty short time.
Moving to Sweden and mastering the Swedish language was the first challenge, which opened more opportunities for me, of which a production and event management role within TEDxGothenburg was one.


​After 11 months in Copenhagen, I moved back to Gothenburg to start working with regulatory tasks at Volvo Cars headquarters. It's a role with international connections, a meeting place of different cultures and tons of legal challenges.
In the meanwhile enjoying the benefits of the Swedish work environment, the nature and all the good things Sweden has to offer. But still maintaining that bold and straightforward attitude the Dutch are known for.
 
Making new connections and increasing my network is something which gives me new energy and joy to develop myself and others to reach further than expected.
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I am looking forward to meet you in the near future at one of the upcoming Dutch Chamber events.
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For our event in Malmö on April 12 we decided to organize a good old Friday after Work with King's Day as a theme.
We turned out to be a very nice and enthusiastic group: attendees were dressed according to the theme and even though the event officially ended at 20.00, most of us stayed much longer!

More of these evenings to come after the summer! 
/Charlotta Feith

 (On 2 April, members of the Dutch Chamber were invited to participate in the international seminar “Preparing global leaders in a modern world”  at Grant Thornton. This event was organised by the CCFS in cooperation with the Dutch Chamber, other international Chambers and Grant Thornton.

Peter Bodin, global CEO of Grant Thornton,  held a presentation during which he talked about the crucial importance of incorporating diversity and gender equality, to be able to succeed in a global context.

A panel of current and future global leaders of this world then discussed the main topic of discussion, which was the future vision of leadership, with globalisation and diversity in mind. The key message that a few speakers wanted to give was that people have to be themselves in order to be happy with their jobs and lead people into the right direction. 

The panelists were: Mathias Wikström (founder of Doconomy), Håkon Vist (CEO of Veolia Nordic), Manon Escoula (product manager for OBH Nordica) and Niclas Karlsson (CEO of GSK Sweden). Two AFS exchange students were also invited to talk about their experiences about going international and what they have learned. The panel was moderated by Margareta Neld (Chair of AFS).

For more pictures and more detailed information about this seminar, please click here. You will be re-directed to the website of the CCFS.

​/Joep van Ool

​Frank Cleeren recently joined the Dutch Chamber as an SME-member with Design Research Studio Tom Dixon. We were curious to find out more about him and the design company he works for as contract sales manager Nordics.

What is "Design Research Studio Tom Dixon" about?
Tom Dixon designs and manufacturers lighting, accessories and furniture. Tom Dixon is a widely celebrated global force in interior design with our own hubs in New York, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Tokyo and soon Milan. Our 600 products range from lighting to furniture, from tableware to fragrance and are distributed in over 65 countries. They are instantly recognisable for their sculptural qualities and engineered materiality. 

How long have you been in Sweden now and how did you end up in Sweden in the first place?
I moved from London to Stockholm because of my partner, without job in March 2011, studied some Swedish and started working in January 2012.

What are the biggest challenges for you, as being a Dutch entrepreneur in Sweden?
I lived in a few countries before, which made moving to Sweden feel like a natural next step. It sounds contradicting perhaps, on the one hand I wanted to settle and on the other I wanted to start all over with finding a job. Learning a new language after the age of 30 was the biggest challenge.

How is it to work in a design loving country and to promote the work of a foreign designer studio?’
It is nice to work for a foreign company in Scandinavia, Tom Dixon is a company with radical and industrial designs, they stand out from the crowd. 
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Can you tell us a bit about how it is to exhibit at Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair (SFF)? 
For Tom Dixon, the Scandinavian market is one of the larger ones in Europe. This goes for both retail as well as the contract market (office, hospitality markets). Scandinavians are design focused and spend more money on interiors than many other European countries. 
I believe there are two explanations for this. Firstly, it is dark during five months a year. Wherever you go in Sweden, candles are lit all day long. The cosy factor is important, (artificial) light plays a large role in the wellbeing of people. 
Secondly, the larger part of social invitations takes place at people’s homes. Dinner parties are often given at home, eating out is less common than in southern European countries. I am sure you recognise this. People dress up, exclusive glassware is put on the table, and extreme care is taken of the right colour coordination and furniture choices.
Exhibiting at SFF was a must for us, the fair has shown an increase in international visitors over the past 5 years due to the Scandinavian design trends with brands like Hay and Gubi.
We decided to go all-in again after a two years of absence and do a brutalist booth in black and white to make it very clear we are not a Scandi-brand. The strategy of our design team proved to be successful, architects and customers loved the minimalistic approach. Further, we invested in a 2-window display at NK, an event in Arket’s showroom and a VIP dinner in the Residence of the Ambassador of the UK to proof that we are committed to the Scandinavian market.

How did you get in touch with the Dutch Chamber? 
This makes for a good story. My wife won a car on the Arlanda Airport and was invited to the Sheraton hotel to collect the prize. She met Roel Huinink (re-located now) and brought me in contact with the Chamber, I attended an event and decided this was really good.

Which past event has given you the best memories?
Annual dinners are a true highlight each year! The quality of speakers on events is beyond what you can think for a club of our size. I mean getting the CEO of Handelsbanken to invite the Chamber for Lunch is great work or having the CEO of Vattenfall doing a presentation for the Chamber. "Chapeau" or "petje af" 
(hats off)!

/Els Berkers