A chat with Madeleine

Today, we sat down with our Account Manager Madeleine Eriksson to learn more about her. 

What do you do at Swedbrand? What are your main tasks?

I am an Account Manager, so I do similar tasks as my colleagues Cornelia and Henar. I mainly handle the Scandinavian market but also have customers in our other markets. I am the contact person for all my clients and handle any inquiry they might have. As a customer care representative, I manage the orders and try to make the process as smooth as possible. I also conduct meetings with potential clients and manage design projects.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

What I enjoy most about the work is to be a part of a project from the start until end. It is fulfilling to manage a project starting from a simple inquiry all the way to delivering the final product. Each project has its own singularity, depending on the client’s demands, the design or manufacturing process used, how the production goes, etc ... I also enjoy the learning experience in every project; being able to face the potential challenges that might arise is a valuable professional enrichment.

You took over Johan’s accounts. How has the transition been for you?

I will be honest with you – I was quite nervous at the beginning. However, the transition went by very smoothly because Johan and I had time to sit down several times to help prepare it and he was able to answer all the questions I had along the way. And I really appreciated all the support I got from the rest of the team. I do enjoy all the extra work, being busy is fun!

What are your hobbies?

I love exercising, especially Crossfit. It is a combination of Olympic weight-lifting, gymnastics, running, rowing and more. I really enjoy this as it requires much endurance. I work out around 5 times per week, usually after work. I used to be a competitive swimmer back in Sweden where I’ve always had to push my body to its limit; I think that’s why I also got into Crossfit. I love discovering how far I can push my body and improve in different skills along the way.

What do you like about Shanghai?

Before moving to Shanghai I had lived in Mid-China for 6 months, in the Hunan province to be more precise, which is very unalike from my home country Sweden. I’ve also lived in the USA where I stayed close to NYC, and totally fell in love with that city. But what I like about big international cities such as Shanghai is that it mixes those 2 divergent worlds in an exciting way, it’s the great combination of the deep traditional China and the Western lifestyle. In Shanghai I have more choices and am able to switch atmospheres.

How is the Swedish community in Shanghai? What parts of Shanghai make you remember Sweden?

There is not much resemblance between the two but perhaps that’s why I love both places. There is quite a big Swedish community here in Shanghai. There are a lot of expat families, young expats and students in the city. It’s always fun to meet new Swedish people to see what brought them to Shanghai. The Swedish Chamber of Commerce regularly organizes fun events if you want to be in a Swedish atmosphere. And if I ever miss Sweden too much, a trip to IKEA always cheers me up!

Read more Swedbrand blog posts at swedbrand.com/blog, or visit our website at swedbrand.com.