While no day is the same, this article series tries to capture what goes on in the lives of some of our esteemed colleagues. The decision to pack up my desk and move to Zurich with my family for 7 months was both a personal and professional decision. I was keen to support the team down there and work closer towards the DACH market. It forces you to grow and take in new perspectives. A Secondment felt like a perfect mix of moving abroad while also having a clear end-date.
While we miss our friends that used to be our dinner dates, we have met so many new friends — which I have realized becomes increasingly rare as you turn 30 and stay in your hometown. Somehow, life back home easily falls into auto pilot and you stay within your comfort zone. Moving to a new city and for a limited time, pushed us to fully embrace everything Zurich has to offer and to spend more quality time as a family. Our 1-year old son has been to the mountains almost every weekend during ski season, which I, sadly, doubt will ever happen in his or our lives again….
Twice a week, either digitally or physically. Every two weeks we gather the team to look at the sourcing pipeline. What is the latest? What is our next move? These meetings help us to have a finger on the pulse. Naturally there is a lot of prepping of materials for the first meeting where we both should make a good impression and introduce Altor.
I try to be home before my son falls asleep. The formula is the same regardless of what country my desk is in. We recently travelled to New York with the tech team to meet with some of the leaders in our sectors, challenge our ideas and make new connections. We also made sure to visit the team at our portfolio company Meltwater. The biggest difference when it comes to sourcing is that the market is SO big here.
In a smaller country like Sweden, that is seldom the case. There is an endless flow of opportunities. I hope I can bring new perspectives to the million-dollar question we have to answer at the end — is this a company we want to own? Probably more late nights than usual, but by far the most exciting part of my job.
