• Mats Andersson
    Executive Director SACC-SF/SV

Congrats to the new job, how does it feel?

“Thanks! I am super excited to take on this new role. I am looking forward to being able to support the connection between Swedish-American companies and, to be part of the special vibe there is here on the West Coast.” 

Could you give us some background on how you are?

“I grew up in Stockholm and focused the majority of my youth on becoming a professional athlete, but it didn’t work out as planned.”

“Started to work as a Software Engineer in Sweden in the late ’80s, and, in 1993, I moved to Luxembourg to work for Clearstream, an international clearinghouse.”

“Clearstream was acquired by the German stock exchange, Deutsche Boerse, and they decided to open a development center in Prague, Czech Republic, so I moved there and was part of building up the company from scratch to 450 people. I was the managing director for ten years.” 

“I came to California six months ago, my wife is originally from Northern California, and we decided to give California a chance. “

“I have three kids. I am a cycling fan, doing a couple of thousand kilometers every year and trying to meditate daily to find some balance in a buzzing head.” 

“In my free time, I host a Podcast, The Corporate Corner, where I share people’s stories from the Corporate World.”

Our community – in California and Sweden – has just started to recover from the COVID-19 crisis, what do you think the fall will look like for the Chamber?

“Starting to recover is the right word. I think there is a long way before things go back to normal if they ever do. The virus will be around for a while, and it has created an immense fear that will last. Business behavior is changing; the way we use technology is changing. There are a lot of adaptations.”

“The Chamber will be in a new situation with me just starting this new position, and our talented interns being back in Sweden, hopefully temporarily.” 

“It will be important to adapt to the new situation and the change in behavior of the business community. But, I hope that the Chamber will play an even more important role as a connector between Sweden and San Francisco / Silicon Valley during a time when people will travel less.”

 What will be on the top of your to-do list as the new director?

 “People are on top of my list. I want to find a good working relationship with our interns and talk to all board members to understand their expectations and connect to other chambers in the US to understand better a world that is new to me.”

“Of course, I would also have a close eye on all commitments and evaluate depending on the situation how they can be achieved.”

Should the members expect big changes now, when you are in charge?

“I don’t know, time will tell. I would love to hear from and get in touch with as many members as possible to hear their expectations in this new era of ours. Feel free to write to me at mats.andersson@sacc-sf.org.”