Q: Tell us a little about your professional experience prior to joining the firm and how it helped shape your career.

A: Going way back, I worked in the hotel and restaurant industry, and I believe that experience has shaped me a lot. What I learned early on in that business is that when you deal with hotel or restaurant guests, you need to give a bit more than the client or customer expects. There’s a sort of exponential return in doing so. This can take many different forms, but in that industry, it’s all about providing an experience - an experience that goes beyond expectations. I've carried that lesson with me throughout my career: always aim to give a little more than expected. I know that this is appreciated and is also a good way to build and maintain relationships, whether in a commercial context or otherwise. So, that experience has been a foundational part of how I approach things.

Q: What was the next step for you?

A: After completing my studies in strategic management, I pursued a master's in business administration, and then took a job in the pharmaceutical industry. The main reason for that was my desire to work with people and drive business. In that role, I was a sales representative for a pharmaceutical company, and throughout that experience, I maintained my core mantra of always giving a little extra. I had a desire to help others perform better, and this mindset has kept me motivated throughout my career as a guiding principle. From my time in the sales position, I also learned how to drive conversations through questions - getting to the core of the problem and helping both the client and myself quickly agree on what the actual issue is. Clarifying and aligning on the problem statement and ensuring that everyone agrees on the solution has been a key skill I’ve used throughout my career. It’s not always about having the right answers; often, it’s about asking the right questions. It’s also important not to waste people's time by circling around issues, and instead, focusing on getting to the core. If there is a misalignment on the problem statement or if it becomes clear that continuing isn’t productive, it’s better to stop and reassess rather than push forward unnecessarily.

Q: After the experience at the pharmaceutical company you went into consulting.

A: Back in 2008, there was a significant push in the IT industry, and I was intrigued. I’ve always been interested in technology, so I decided to pursue that path. I started working at IBM, and if I look back in hindsight, there’s a common thread through my career that continues to this day. I began at a large IT integrator, working directly with clients for three years, before receiving a call from another consultancy. They asked if I would be interested in working directly for the client, supporting towards the IT integrators and alike. I thought that made sense because I understood how they operated, and working in a more client-facing support role felt inspiring, so I took that opportunity. I spent about seven or eight years in that space across two different companies. Throughout, I’ve always focused on delivery, but also working in sales within a consultancy environment. Eventually, I wanted to shift more toward the sales side, so I took on a role as Head of Pre-Sales for a major consultancy in the Nordics. After about three years in that role, I realized that I wanted to do more than just generate revenue for others, which led me to Northvolt, a battery manufacturing startup in Sweden with a laser-sharp purpose, where I took on the role of IT Director. There I had the opportunity to build an excellent team and the IT business solutions from a very fundamental level, which was exciting – to create something new and build it the “right way” based on the accumulated learnings over the years.

Q: Then came the idea of transitioning into executive search.

A: I was approached by another executive search company about transitioning into the search industry, and initially I was a bit puzzled as I hadn’t considered it myself. However, as I explored the industry further, it started to make perfect sense. What I’ve always done is help others improve, and this presented a new, exciting angle. One aspect of executive search is articulating the problem statement - defining what a new leader should be capable of doing or identifying the challenges the company is facing. Previously, I would do this by providing solutions in IT, processes, transformative roadmaps or other areas. Now, it’s about people, and that shift was both intriguing and exciting for me. I came in contact with AMROP, and we had a very good energy and strong alignment in how we see things.

Q: Your focus at Amrop is now the digital and technology sectors. Can you tell me a bit about the types of clients you’ve been working with before and ones you’re working with now? What’s your experience working with the companies in the tech sector?

A: Currently, I am involved in a number of projects which are not with purely tech companies, but they all involve a technical function or have technology tendencies within the organization. For example, I’m recruiting a CIO for a government company, a Head of Enterprise Architecture for a logistics company, and the Business Area Manager for another government organization.

Q: What, in your view, are the qualities which are essential for leadership positions in the digital sector? Do tech leaders always need to have previous experience in the sector or can that be learned on the job - and perhaps there are more important factors?

A: I believe that every leader needs to have curiosity. Of course, you also need to be alert, as the world and its developments are moving so rapidly. If you only look inward and focus on your immediate problems, you might be able to solve them in the short term, but you also need to keep your eyes open the horizon - there are many opportunities and challenges around you. I think it's important to be outward-looking and engaged. It probably goes without saying, but you need to have a genuine interest in technology, but equally important, however, is having a real interest in people, because we’re still not managing robots controlling other robots. We’re still humans trying to make the best use of the technology available. Today, more than perhaps in the past, I believe leaders need to be willing to take risks. You have to accept that failure is possible, but view it as a learning opportunity. Of course, managing the risk of exposure depends on the size of the potential failure, but I see modern leadership as being about supporting and creating an environment where people are willing to take risks, try new things, and learn from many failures. That collective learning from failure is a hallmark of contemporary leadership.

Q: Do you think tech savviness is more or less important than before? Considering the ongoing discussions around AI and other technologies, which might make some of the steps less technical, what’s your perspective?

A: It’s always relative to what the baseline of tech savviness is, but I believe it goes hand in hand with curiosity. It’s about how you build your overall understanding - you need to be aware that being tech-savvy is important. If you have some level of it yourself, that's great, but you also need to ensure that your team around you possesses similar or differentiated tech awareness. Furthermore, your external partners and the ecosystem you work with should also have that level of familiarity and competence. Building that ecosystem and support is crucial.

Q: You are a member of Amrop's Global Digital Practice Team which brings together specialists from Amrop’s offices around the globe with deep technology and digital knowledge and sector experience. Can you tell me what the main benefits are of being part of the Global Digital Practice?

A: Yes, and I can probably relate to what I mentioned earlier. You can either focus inward on your current problems or situation, or you can take an external view. I’m very glad we have the Global Digital Practice because it allows us to challenge ourselves, draw inspiration from each other, share insights and collaborate. While the world is large, it’s also quite small in many ways. The more perspectives we have on challenges, roles, or candidates, and the more we support each other, the more successful we become. I think it’s a great way to share experiences, learn from one another, and grow.

To find out more, reach out to Christian Axberg or the Global Digital Practice members in your country.