Talk with Mr Christian Levin​, President & CEO of Scania and TRATON GROUP​ – Swedish Chambers APAC CEO Series 10 June

The Swedish Chambers APAC were proud to host Mr Christian Levin​, President & CEO of Scania and  TRATON GROUP​, at the recent CEO Series online event on 10 June.

Mr Levin will gave us an insight to Scania’s commitments to reach net-zero emissions, their investment in building its third global production hub in China, and the secret behind Scania’s success in APAC. He also talked about the unique Scania modular production system and how it creates value for customers.

Event agenda:

View the recording of the online event here

Speakers

Mr Christian Levin, President & CEO of Scania and Traton Group

Mr Christian Levin joined Scania in 1994, the same year he obtained his Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering. He commenced his career at Scania as a marketing trainee and took up his first management position in 1997. In 2001 he became Director of Product Marketing and in 2005 he took the position as Managing Director, Scania Schweiz AG. Christian Levin has also been managing Director of Italscania S.p.A. In 2010, he was appointed Executive Vice President and Head of Commercial Operations. In 2016, Christian Levin was appointed Executive Vice President, Head of Sales and Marketing. In January 2019, he took up the position as Chief Operating Officer at TRATON GROUP and was also appointed as a member of the Executive Board of TRATON SE. As of May, 2021 Christian Levin is President and CEO of Scania and as of October 2021, he is CEO of TRATON SE. Member of the Swedish government’s Electrification Commission and Stockholm Chamber of Commerce. Other directorships: Chairman of the Supervisory Board MAN Truck & Bus SE. Board member of Navistar LLC, Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus, Association of Swedish Engineering Industries and the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH).

 

Ms Reema Bhattacharya, Head of Asia Risk Insight, Verisk Maplecroft 

Ms Reema Bhattacharya is the Head of Asia Risk Insight, Verisk Maplecroft’s Singapore office. She plays a key role in expanding the firm’s services in the Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) risk space and works alongside clients to strengthen their in-house ESG processes. Ms Bhattacharya has significant experience in macro and sector-specific political risk assessments, public policy advisory, stakeholder mapping and engagement. She also advises clients on critical political and regulatory risks that may affect their operations and exposure to regulatory enforcement in Asia. She is a spokesperson for Control Risks in the Asia Pacific, speaking regularly at events and in the media and frequently writing on ESG, business and broader political-economic trends in APAC. She has advanced degrees in politics, media and business law.

SACC YP Melbourne Entrepreneurs Event 2 June

SACC YP Melbourne welcomed members and guests to an evening event on 2 June on – How to secure investment in Shark Tank and sell to the Kardashians and Pink

Guests listened to Melbourne based entrepreneurs Kate and Elad who told us about their success stories from very humble starts ups to now running multimillion dollar businesses.

KOJA sponsored lucky door prizes and handed out KOJA samples to all attendees.

About the speakers:

Kate started KOJA in 2013 because she was tired of seeing so many excessively processed foods that appeared healthy. KOJA is now the leading healthy snack brand in Australia stocked in over 2,000 stores. Kate worked two years in Stockholm and gained invaluable experience as the foundation for her business.

 

 

 

Elad and his wife started Huxbaby in 2014 after they were inspired to create high quality, minimalist childrenswear with an adult level of style. Huxbaby is one of the best-selling children’s clothing brands across Australia and is stocked in over 250 stores worldwide – including THE ICONIC, department stores David Jones, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdales in the US.  In setting up Huxbaby, inspiration has been drawn from Scandinavian simplicity and global fashion presence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SACC Perth Chapter networking event 17 May

On 17 May the SACC Perth Chapter organised a networking evening at the Beaufort in Perth in conjunction with the Deputy Head of Mission at the Swedish Embassy Per Linnér’s visit to Western Australia. It was a nice and exclusive event and the first one since the state opened its borders to the rest of Australia. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Executive Forum and Business Networking Event 12 May in Melbourne

 

 

 

The Melbourne Executive Forum and Networking Event took place 12 May at Tetra Pak. We were welcomed by Tetra Pak Oceania’s Managing Director, Andrew Pooch, and the President of SACC, Jan Gardberg. Guest speaker from Victoria State Government Department, Mr Hugh Moor, Executive Director, Business Investment and Engagement talked about innovation and sustainability initiatives that drive industry investment and collaboration opportunities. Later, at the evening event Dr Leif Lundin, Food Program Research Director, CSIRO Food Innovation Centre, spoke on how to approach innovation and industry collaboration. Thank you to all participants and special thanks to Tetra Pak for hosting us and sharing insight on their focus areas on the Australian Market. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Business Networking Event 10 May in Sydney with Guest of Honour, HE Henrik Cederin, Ambassador of Sweden to Australia

 

 

The SACC was delighted to provide members and guests with the opportunity to network with Guest of Honour, HE Henrik Cederin, Ambassador of Sweden to Australia at the SACC business event at Grant Thornton in Sydney on 10 May following the Executive Forum. President of SACC Jan Gardberg, welcomed all and introduced Ambassador Cederin, who held a speech as well as venue host Vincent Tropiano, Grant Thornton. New SACC Corporate Member and event sponsor Sinch was introduced to all guests by their Oceania General Manager, Hugh Haley.

Big Thank you to our event sponsors Sinch and Grant Thornton!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IKEA People and Planet Positive Event 20 April 2022

The Swedish Australian Chamber of Commerce (SACC) and IKEA North Lakes Brisbane welcomed members and guests to an evening event on 20 April

A night of live music and a sustainable menu to complement hearing how IKEA is working with an outlook of People & Planet Positive by focusing on 3 main change drivers of Healthy & Sustainable Living, Circular & Climate Positive, Fair & Inclusive. Members and guests of the SACC Queensland Chapter, enjoyed the exceptional hospitality of Renea Robson, Market Manager IKEA North Lakes and her team, whilst at the same time learning about IKEA’s People and Planet Positive strategy, presented by Melissa Hamilton, Country Sustainability Manager. Guests were treated to live music and a sustainable menu, all created based on the drivers behind IKEA’s sustainability commitment: Healthy & Sustainable Living, Circular & Climate Positive and Fair & Inclusive. Thanks to the IKEA North Lakes team for hosting this fantastic event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Talk with Mr Leon Wang, Executive Vice President, International & President AstraZeneca China – Swedish Chambers APAC Online Event 14 March 2022

For this Swedish Chambers APAC event, we welcomed Mr Leon Wang, Executive Vice President, International & President AstraZeneca China, who gave us an insight into AstraZeneca’s efforts to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, its focus on harnessing the power of science, digital innovation and partnership to build more resilient healthcare systems in a post-pandemic world, and their determination to improve health for as many people in as many countries as possible.

Mr Peter Ling-Vannerus​, Chief Representative, SEB Beijing​, will moderate the conversation with Mr Wang.

About the speaker:

Mr Leon Wang Executive Vice-President, International and President AstraZeneca China

He is responsible for overall strategy driving sustainable growth across the International region, which includes China. Leon joined AstraZeneca China in March 2013 and was promoted to become President, AstraZeneca China in 2014. Under Leon’s leadership, China has become AstraZeneca’s second largest market worldwide and AstraZeneca has become the largest pharmaceutical company in China. In January 2017, Leon was promoted to Executive Vice-President, Asia Pacific Region. Prior to joining AstraZeneca, Leon held positions of increasing responsibility in marketing and business leadership at Roche, where he was a Business Unit Vice-President. In addition, Leon holds several positions in local trade associations and other prominent organisations in China. Leon holds an EMBA from China Europe International Business School, and a Bachelor of Arts from Shanghai International Studies University.

AstraZeneca develops, manufactures and sells pharmaceuticals and biotechnology products to treat disorders in the oncology, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, infection, neuroscience, respiratory and inflammation areas. AstraZeneca has its corporate headquarters in Cambridge, United Kingdom, and its main research and development (R&D) centres are in Cambridge (UK), Gaithersburg (Maryland, US), Gothenburg (Sweden) and Warsaw (Poland).

 

Conversation with Mr Jonas Samuelson is the President and CEO of  Electrolux AB – Swedish Chambers APAC CEO Series 15 Feb 2022

Summary and recording

Electrolux​, one of Sweden’s multinational flagship companies, is at the forefront of the appliances industry, employing some 48,000 people globally and with operations throughout the APAC region. During the past decade, the empowered consumer, needs and demands, have transformed the appliance industry. These demands require manufacturing with increased pace and flexibility, which have in combination with an ever-changing business environment, provided unprecedented industry challenges – for Electrolux included.

We were proud to present Jonas Samuelson​, Electrolux Group CEO, as our guest at the launch of the new Swedish Chambers APAC CEO Series 2022. In this exclusive session, Mr Samuelson will share how he approaches the global challenges the world is facing today, and how Electrolux is committed to leading the way towards a more sustainable business model for its industry. Mr Samuelson will give us an insight into Electrolux company strategy, how it has evolved over the past decade and what the top priorities are going forward. We will also hear about his views on APAC how the region will develop over the coming decade and how Electrolux will leverage its current presence in APAC to accelerate growth and prosperity.

The conversation with Mr Samuelson was be led by Ms Reema Bhattacharya, Senior Political and Regulatory Risk Analyst APAC at Control Risks​.

Listen to the full online event here:

 

About the speakers

Mr Jonas Samuelson is the President and CEO of  Electrolux AB

Mr Jonas Samuelson is the President and CEO of  Electrolux AB (since 2016) and has been with Electrolux since 2008 where he has held various senior positions, including CFO of Electrolux AB, COO Global Operations Major Appliances and Head of Major Appliances EMEA. Mr Samuelson has been the Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of Munters AB. Furthermore, he has held various senior positions within General Motors, mainly in the U.S. and with Saab Automobile AB. He has an M.Sc. in Business Administration and Economics. Other assignments: Board Member of Axel Johnson AB and Volvo Car AB.

Ms Reema Bhattacharya, Senior Analyst at Control Risks

Ms Reema Bhattacharya is a Senior Analyst in Control Risks’ Singapore office. She plays a key role in expanding the firm’s services in the Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) risk space and works alongside clients to strengthen their in-house ESG processes. Ms Bhattacharya has significant experience in macro and sector-specific political risk assessments, public policy advisory, stakeholder mapping and engagement. She also advises clients on critical political, regulatory risks that may affect their operations and exposure to regulatory enforcement in Asia. She is a spokesperson for Control Risks in the Asia Pacific, speaking regularly at events and in the media and frequently writing on ESG, business and broader political-economic trends in APAC. She has advanced degrees in politics, media and business law.

Electrolux has for more than 100 years reinvented taste, care and wellbeing experiences for millions of people around the world. The company has invented and made many well-known products available and affordable to consumers, such as the cooker, the washing machine and the freezer, helping people to shape a better living. Founded on the idea of making vacuum cleaners more efficient and easier to use, Electrolux is today selling around 60 million household products a year in more than 120 markets. 

Working with Brand Sweden – Swedish Chambers APAC Webinar 9 December

Summary and recording

Sweden, a small country in northern Europe with only 0.13% of the world’s population, is one of the first nations in the world to have implemented an official nation branding strategy. As a result, Sweden benefits from a positive brand image abroad. Four profile areas have been identified to define the idea of a Brand Sweden strategy: Innovation, Creativity, Society and Sustainability. These are areas where Sweden is strong and positioned among leading nations in various global indexes of economic performance, social commitments, capacity for innovation, governance and sustainable commitments.

  • How can a positive view of Sweden as a brand benefit Swedish companies, especially when operating in markets far from Sweden and headquarters?
  • How can Sweden and Swedish companies join forces in co-branding?
  • How can nations and companies reflect each other’s assets and strengthen their positions?

For this SwedCham APAC event, we were delighted to have the following prominent guests with us:

Mr Simon Anholt is an independent policy advisor, author and expert in nation branding who for the past 21 years has worked with the Heads of State and Heads of Government of 63 nations to help them improve their economic, political and cultural engagements with the international community, and by raising their profiles enhance trade, tourism, diplomatic and cultural relations, major events, talent and investment attraction.

Ms Madeleine Sjöstedt,​ Director-General Swedish Institute​​, a public agency that promotes interest and trust in Sweden worldwide. The institute works in the fields of culture, education, science and business to strengthen international relations and development.

Ms Leonie Hoskin,  IKEA ​Retail Manager (Thailand, Vietnam) for Ikano Retail. IKEA is well-known globally for using brand Sweden actively and strategically by communicating Swedish cultural concepts, symbols, and values and exporting them worldwide.

The session was be moderated by Christian Ihre, Co-Founder of the Swedish management consultancy Lynxeye.

Link to recording

Photo: Ola Ericson/imagebank.sweden.se

About the speakers:

Simon Anholt
Professor Simon Anholt is the world’s leading thinker, author, researcher and practitioner on national image. He devised the concept of nation brand in 1998, now a multi-billion-dollar global industry, and is the founder and publisher of the annual Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands Index and City Brands Index, two major surveys that use a panel of 60,000 people in 20 countries to monitor global perceptions of 60 countries and 50 cities. Professor Anholt was Vice-Chair of the UK Foreign Office’s Public Diplomacy Board between 2000 and 2009, and has worked with institutions including numerous agencies of the United Nations, the World Economic Forum, the World Bank, NATO, the European Union, the World Trade Organisation, the International Olympic Committee, the UK House of Lords, the Commonwealth of Nations, the International Security Assistance Force and the Nordic Council of Ministers. Professor Anholt holds an MA (Oxford University). International Relations and Security Studies (Royal College of Defence Studies, London). He is an honorary Professor, Political Science (University of East Anglia).
Books:
Another One Bites The Grass: Making Sense of International Advertising, 2001 (John Wiley & Sons, New York, USA).
Brand New Justice: The Upside of Global Branding, 1st Edition, 2003 (Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford, UK).
Brand New Justice: How Branding Places and Products can Help the Developing World, Revised Edition, 2005 (Elsevier, Oxford, UK).
Brand America: The Mother of All Brands, 2006 (Cyan, London, UK). Revised edition in 2010.
Competitive Identity: The New Brand Management for Nations, Regions and Cities, 2007 (Palgrave Macmillan, UK).
Places: Identity, Image, Reputation, 2010 (Palgrave Macmillan, London, UK).
The Good Country Equation, 2020 (Berrett-Koehler, San Francisco, CA).

Professor Göran Roos on the present state of the Economy and future outlook – 4 Nov 2021

Summary and Recording of the Event

With COVID 18 months and counting… Where are we? What is the economic impact on business, trade and investment? Where to from here? 

Once again we were pleased to welcome keynote speaker Professor Göran Roos who gave us an insight into the current state of the world economy and future outlook. The session was moderated by Jonas Lindholm.

      

“We are going to see economic growth but it will be hampered in the short term by supply chain problems (for example semiconductors) and in the medium term by a lack of raw materials and a lack of labour with the right competence”.

In a growing economic system, not only must energy be used to achieve growth, but energy must also be used to maintain the accumulated results of previous growth.

“The biggest transition is the transition to green. That is a fundamental necessity. There is a disconnect between on the one hand what we know scientifically and what we know business wise in terms of what this will take and what the challenges are and on the other hand what is visible in the public and political debate and decisions”.

“We are migrating from a dependency on petroleum to a dependency on metals. This is of course very good for Australia, but it also has some geopolitical consequences and in addition, we have insufficient supply of some of these metals”.

“It is impossible for example to transform all internal combustion engine vehicle production to the production of electric vehicles, using present technology, purely from a raw material standpoint.”

Professor Göran Roos

VIEW AND LISTEN THE ONLINE RECORDING HERE

About the speakers

Professor Göran Roos is a specialist in the field of intellectual capital and an expert in innovation management and strategy. He is an advisor to organisations and governments around the globe and holds visiting professorships in the Australia, UK and Norway.Göran is a CSIRO Affiliate and also a fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) and of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA). Göran is a specialist in the field of intellectual capital and an expert in innovation management and strategy. He is an advisor to organisations and governments around the globe and holds visiting professorships in the Australia, UK and Norway. Göran is a CSIRO Affiliate and also a fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) and of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA).

 

Jonas Lindholm is a serial entrepreneur with a big international network, a former Swedish Trade Commissioner and board member of SACC, who has supported +400 Swedish companies to establish & grow their business in Australia. Moved to Australia when employed by the Swedish government to work for the Trade commission in 2007 and was the Swedish Trade Commissioner to Australia & Oceania for over 4 years before starting KingHill in 2015. KingHill’s objective is to foster more international collaboration and trade by supporting companies with market evaluations, facilitating the right contacts locally (both private & governmental) and fast track their full sales process.

 

Keep your eyes on the SACC socials Linkedin and Facebook for further updates as announcements are made about future events, and check out the Recent Events and Webinars page on the SACC website for summaries and recordings of our recent presentations. Please contact us for questions and further information: sacc@swedishchamber.com.au.