2020-08-20
Text: Gabrielle Akal
Foto: Business Sweden
I really wanted to study in Sweden and had some family heritage there and I knew about how innovative Sweden was, and the tech scene. I also wanted that international experience because I was studying international business, so completing my Master’s Programme at Stockholm School of Economics was the perfect match. After completing my Masters, it seemed like a great fit to still be able to be connected to Sweden but be back in my home market in the United States. Today I still get to work with Swedish companies while being back in the US and back with my family, so it’s been a really good mix between the two cultures. I wanted to bring those two worlds together and that’s why I wanted to join Business Sweden.
Abigail Richardson
Title: Associate
Education: M.Sc. International Business, Stockholm School of Economics and M.Sc. International Management, CEMS, Stockholm School of Economics and Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez
As an Associate in the San Francisco office, I provide strategic recommendations for our clients in the areas of market entry as well as expansion and establishment in the US market. I do various tasks withing business development, a few examples being market analysis, partner searches, and stakeholder management analysis depending on the client and their needs. Being on the ground in the local market provides unique local insight that you wouldn’t necessarily find in a Google search.
In addition to that, we also work in industry teams and develop market insights and support development for sales leads as well.
The cool thing about Business Sweden is that I work on all sorts of different projects. From small to big companies, from retail to tech and green tech, but I think one of the projects I really enjoyed working on was for a smaller retail company. They originally had the strategy to sell to stores directly. When we looked into it and did the market analysis we realized that an e-commerce strategy would be more fitting for the client. We presented that, and if you fast forward to now, they have more US sales via their e-commerce strategy than they do in Europe. Making companies comfortable and using the market analysis to show them this was a better strategy for them has helped them see success in the US market. We’ve kept up great relationships with them and worked on two projects with them since, so it’s really great and rewarding to see the clients succeed in the US.
We’re a very international company and even a very international office. We do projects across all our markets, from South America to Australia, so you’re constantly connecting and learning new things about the world and how business works globally. This means jumping on calls with people around the world and becoming almost an ambassador for the US in some sense as well.
Obviously, everybody says the people, which is definitely true. I’m very inspired by my colleagues and feel like I have great support. But I think the thing I enjoy the most is the diversity of working at Business Sweden. I’m constantly working on different projects across all different industries. I start my workday on Monday and never know what’s going to happen, what I’m going to learn, and what I’ll become an expert in that week. I recently started doing some mining projects which I never thought I’d be interested in, and I’ve found a new love for mining. You develop a newfound passion for whatever you’re working on that week. There’s never a dull moment and I love all the diversity that comes with the role. For my personal development too it’s been really great.
Business Sweden
