In the spotlight: Lotten Svensson
November 20, 2012
– To be honest, after the first meeting I thought: “What have I promised to solve“? It felt pretty huge and so much to catch up.
That was the reaction of Swede Lotten Svensson, when she received a proposal to lead the Comfort in Living project. Now she is happy for making the decision, which has given her a lot of useful experience.
Challenge – to keep the same speed
Before starting to lead this project Lotten has worked as a consultant with business development especially in the marketing area in SMEs in Sweden for almost 20 years. Also being a licentiate of business administration, she has been working as a lecturer of marketing and business development in the university in Skövde, where she lives. Now she does PhD studies at the University of Gothenburg.
Lotten got involved in Comfort in Living when the CEO at IDC West Sweden AB contacted her and asked to take over the project lead. It wasn’t the first international experience: she has been working in such projects since 2004, when she started with business matchmaking from the area of Skaraborg in Sweden and the area of Vilnius and Ukmerge in Lithuania.
– In this project there are more partners totally, so it is bigger and has a different budget structure. Before I was used to have the project owner in control of the whole budget, now it is placed out in different countries and work packages, which requires good communication and organization. The biggest challenge in this project is to manage all involved partners to keep the same speed and the same understanding, says the leader of Comfort in Living.
From cultural differences to friendship
The best experience in this project for Lotten was to see that it is possible to work transnationally and create something together although it can be problematic with language, distance and cultural differences.
– For example, there are differences on how to run projects, understand quality, competition, market economy, how to plan meetings, eat and drink. Most differences I see between former east and west countries. Mostly it is a positive experience since we can learn from each other and understand how to proceed and be strong together.
Also the project gives an opportunity to meet a lot of interesting people and make friendship.
– I enjoy communicating with the project leaders in the group, from different countries with different views and ideas for the future. If I should name one single person that I’ve gotten in contact with thanks to the project it is Professor James Reardon, who will participate in our Signal Session – his ideas and view of marketing is something that I haven’t experienced before, – says Lotten.
The best day in the project for Lotten was when she and her colleague Ann Widing sent in the first report.
– Then I felt the feeling of good team work after the common meetings. It’s good to realize that we can build a big and important project with cross border activities all over the Baltic Sea Region. To understand how a complex project always consists of people, and that people all over the world have almost the same things they like and dislike – and that makes everything easier. I have a much broader look now on how to work in the Baltic Sea Region with those kinds of projects, summarizes the project leader.
Behind the project borders: massage, guitar and…
When she closes the door to her office, Lotten returns to her big family home.
– I have two globetrotters as kids since they also need to know other countries and people – my daughter Zaga and my son Viking. I have my sisters and mother and father close by. I also have a small Yorkshire terrier, Emma. I am what we call särbo in Sweden, together but each of us lives in own house, with Johan and he is a calm and wise carpenter with his own company, – tells Lotten.
She is a very busy person, but she is able to catch time for her hobbies – making massage and playing guitar. Usually she plays at home or some parties, but she promises that she will sing when she finishes her thesis.