​Frank Cleeren recently joined the Dutch Chamber as a 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

​On the 7th of March, a group of master students in strategic design from the Technical University (TU) in Delft, Holland visited the Dutch Chamber. The students were on a student visit in Stockholm to help different renowned Swedish companies with some real-life case studies.
The evening started with a welcome from our chairman Maarten Merckx, which was followed by a presentation of Wilco Schuttelaar, innovation attaché from the Dutch Embassy.
Wilco spoke about the building and his work at the Embassy. After that, the students presented their case studies about Strategic Design.
The students showed passion for their subject by giving elaborate answers and responding to each others answers, which was inspiring to see. The evening ended with drinks and networking.

/Joep van Ool

Our corporate member, Jan Aldries Oldenkamp, CIO of Scania, made the news about the digitalisation journey and IT-strategies of Scania.  The magazine Computer Sweden published a very positive interview with Jan Aldries Oldenkamp, in which he explained what Scania has achieved so far and what the remaining challenges of digitalisation are for the international vehicle company.

Read the full article (in Swedish) here.

On Thursday, 7th of February, the Dutch Chamber in Malmö started off the season with some inspirational thoughts on leadership in a changing work environment. The Dutch business leader Marco Beemsterboer shared his experiences in a much appreciated key note speech.

Around 30 people attended the event at Rådhuskällaren in central Malmö, a great mix of different nationalities and professions. Many of the guests were first time visitors interested in expanding their business networks.

On the picture (fr. l. to r.): Ann-Nina Finne, Marco Beemsterboer, Charlotta Feith and ambassador Henk Swarttouw.

/Ann-Nina Finne

On the 7th of February our Annual General Meeting (AGM) took place once again. Thirty members of the Dutch Chamber gathered to start the evening with a much appreciated guided tour of Riksdagen, followed by the AGM.
The past year was reflected upon and the board got discharged whereafter the new board (same persons) got elected, with approval of the members.
The evening ended with a New Year's Mingle at the Sheraton hotel where everyone had a good time over a nice drink.
A special thanks goes out to Martin Brozek for setting up the tour and taking care of the group, ultimately creating a successful evening.
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/Joep van Ool

Ilse Wicherts is one of our associate members and an expert within the field of occupational health and safety. Her company ArbetsRiktning supports companies in creating a safe working environment. We asked her to tell us more about her company and share some insights on the differences between sick leave in Sweden and the Netherlands.

Can you give us a short introduction of your company?
ArbetsRiktning supports companies in making the working environment safe and sound and is both focussing on structure, and on hands-on training in leadership, safety culture, group dynamics and resilience.
I grounded ArbetsRiktning formally in 2013 and work actively since 2015. Getting two kids within two years time slowed down the start-up process considerably. 2015 activities boosted considerably and since then I´m traveling through Sweden.

What are the differences in 'sick leave' between Dutch and Swedish people?  
Differences between industries, companies, local cultures and leadership are probably bigger than differences between 'the Dutch or Swedish- way'. But thinking out loud, there are some differences. 
From a Dutch perspective, there is more space in Sweden for a 'wait & see- approach'. Which is due to differences in insurance system and the process around sick leave. Legislation has however changed last June.
Compared to Dutch employers, Swedish employers do organise a lot for their employees. At the same time there is a high work-flexibility (in the way you work, where and when) and leadership-on-distance is quite common. Both requires a higher self-leadership: to organise your own work efficiently, keeping the balance, and making it clear if something is unclear. Responses in form of support is highly depending on the local culture and leadership.

What do the statistics reveal?
Compared with Sweden, sick leave is higher in the Netherlands (2017 national data, totals are including both short- and long-term sick leave). It is difficult to say what the differences depend on. 

What are the benefits of a membership of the DC for yourself and your company?
The meetings are always inspiring and in an easy-going atmosphere. In that way it is a huge energizer for me. The meetings have also given me connections, good discussions and inside-information. 

/Marion Norman