2021-12-01
Reading time 2 min
From Singapore to The Hague, to San Francisco to New York. Felicia Steen’s job as a Consultant at Business Sweden has taken her across the globe since she started her trainee program in 2019.
Felicia Steen currently works as a Consultant at Business Sweden’s office in New York City. Recently having moved to the east coast, she’s excited to begin exploring a city she’s only dreamt of getting to call home.
Felicia Steen
Titel: Consultant at Business Sweden
Utbildning: M.Sc. in Business and Economics at Jönköping’s International Business School. Exchange studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and University of South Carolina in South Carolina, USA. An additional year of international business studies/undergraduate studies at Piedmont University in Georgia, USA.
Can you describe the work culture at Business Sweden? – Working as an ex-pat is challenging, but since most of your Swedish colleagues are a long way from home, you become a small family and create a ‘home away from home’ together. The mix of local and Swedish employees has created a unique culture in itself – and it’s a very welcoming atmosphere at all the offices I’ve worked at. Everyone has an open mindset, is supportive, and you are constantly challenged to think creatively and outside the box.
– It has been great! I got to catch up with some old and new colleagues I’ve only previously met virtually. It’s an incredibly welcoming group of people who have great ambition and drive. We also have Arvid Nordquist coffee at the office, so I felt right at home having my first fika. New York City is also such a magical place during Christmas time, so I made sure to explore the city as much as possible. I strolled around Central Park, enjoyed some good food in the West Village, and touristed around Brooklyn Bridge and SoHo. You can’t get tired of these skyline views.
– I’ve always dreamt of an international career. Working with business development and becoming a bridge between Sweden and abroad was something I had my mindset on pretty early. During my last year of studies, I came across Business Sweden’s trainee program, applied, and got accepted. It felt right from the start. During my trainee program, I was first placed at our Singapore office and then relocated to The Hague in The Netherlands. After my year as a trainee in 2020, I was offered a position at our San Francisco office. Now, New York is next. It is a very stimulating organization to work in since I’ve gotten all these experiences from across the globe during such a short period of time.
– You are constantly challenged, both professionally and personally. Working in multiple cultural settings gives you a unique perspective. All the different colleagues I’ve had the honor to work with across the world have resulted in some of the most rewarding professional and personal exchanges in my life. In the short term, I look forward to continuing working in the U.S. organization towards the role as a project manager and continue supporting our Swedish pioneers within a variety of sectors, ranging from green energy to food tech. In the longer term, I’m looking forward to either head up one of our global offices around the world or explore opportunities in the private sector to lead an innovative and sustainable Swedish company in its global expansion. I am sure the diverse experiences that I have gained from working at Business Sweden will be valuable for my career going forward.
Business Sweden
