SACC-NY Executive Women’s Conference

On April 22, 2013, in Sweden, by Ambassador Brzezinski
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Reception for the 2013 SACC NY Executive Women's Conference

Last week I had the fortune to do something very special and close to my heart: celebrate and learn from successful female executives from both sides of the Atlantic!

The Swedish-American Executive Women’s conference is organized by the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce based in New York City. This year we commemorated the 10th anniversary of the dynamic women’s conference which this year saw tickets sell out months in advance. This is a testament to the work of the chamber’s first female President, Renee Lundholm, who has made SACC-NY into an effective vehicle for shared Swedish and American values and deepening people-to-people ties between our two nations through business.

The theme of this year’s conference was prescient and forward-thing: Making money in the 21st century. How do we evolve along with changing business models and shifting demographics to continue creating growth in our companies?

Several panels intermixed with individual speeches focused on “knowing and growing your value”, growth and leadership in a financially turbulent and constantly changing world, and even more detailed explanations of private equity versus conglomerate business models. Much of the discussions focused on trends and how to adapt those into growth. The co-existing trends of urbanization and digitalization, a quest for simplicity and essentiality, how the Internet is changing consumer behaviors and business models, and changing demographics, were topics of discussion.

Healthy renewal is central to any organization. I believe leadership and profitability in the future will rely largely in an ability to foresee challenges and adapt to change. This was the over-arching theme of my keynote remarks at the conference, which I was very honored to be able to deliver to such an amazing group of women.

My speech focused on how we can harness the unique values of the Millennial generation to create greater profitability. But beyond that, how can we use the values of openness, work-life balance and transparency to advance women’s leadership and create a more diverse, dynamic future workplace. In my opinion, there is a clear synchronicity between the values set of the young generation and women’s leadership.

I also believe that the United States and Sweden are ideal partners in promoting women’s empowerment. Lagom (work-life balance), consensus, transparency and even decentralized office spaces with the elimination of the “corner office” have been interwoven into Swedish society for several generations already. Our strong shared values and future goals for socially just societies bring us together with our Swedish friends on a very substantive level and make the possibilities for future partnership on gender equality and entrepreneurship, as well as a variety of other areas, endless.

I will end by imparting the advice that these successful women were willing to share with us in the audience on how to maximize their professional potential.

·         Build on our strengths, not fret continuously on our weaknesses
·         Women tend to say “no” more to opportunities, say “yes”!
·         Find a mentor, or better yet a sponsor, to support you over the long-term and explain the informal rules of an organization to you
·         Have passion for your job, but also for making your community better
·         Follow your gut instincts
·         Stay “employable”, always do the right thing and protect your personal brand, reputation is everything
·         Keep your pulse on how business is changing, find an area where you can be part of transformative change
·         Try out different roles and reinvent yourself, never stop learning
·         Women have something special of their own to bring to the table. Don’t feel that you need to bring the qualities a man would bring, being different is a plus!

Thank you Renee Lundholm, SACC-NY and the amazing women who participated in the conference for opening my eyes to new ways of thinking about growth and value and inspiring me to believe in myself and promote other women too!

For more pictures from the event, see our Flickr page!

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Dialogue with Professor Muhammad Yunus

On April 15, 2013, in Sweden, by Ambassador Brzezinski
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Professor Muhammad Yunus speaks with Ambassador and Mrs. Brzezinski

On Saturday, we were honored to host the father of social business and micro-finance, Professor Muhammad Yunus, for a two-hour dialogue on diversity, empowering women through entrepreneurship and helping society through financially-sustainable, long-term measures.

Professor Yunus’s visit to Stockholm was sponsored by the Postkod Lotteriet, and directly from here he was traveling on to Washington, D.C. where he would be receiving the Congressional Gold Medal. As a testament to his visionary status, he is only one of seven people in history to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and Congressional Gold medal.

Beyond titles and awards, Professor Yunus radiates positive energy and lights up a room. The moment our guests began to arrive, you could sense the way they were drawn to him and the joy he took in interacting with a dynamic array of guests from some of Sweden’s most successful entrepreneurs, CEO’s and venture capitalists to governmental development aid experts from SIDA or two teenage girls from Rinkeby (a suburb outside of Stockholm with a high population of immigrants and political refugees). Our two female students from Rinkeby Akademien, budding entrepreneurs in their own right, made such an impact on the event with the articulate manner they introduced themselves and engaged in the dialogue!

Around a large dining room table, Professor Yunus described the genesis of Grameen Bank and its goal of helping the poorest people lift themselves out of poverty by providing small loans and imparting basic financial principles. Much of Yunus’s work focused on empowering women, so much so that he has been named an honorary woman in Bangladesh, a fact he shared with us smiling gleefully!

Many of our guests had the chance to ask questions ranging from how the micro-finance model can be extended to entrepreneurs in the Islamic world to the digital future of using cell phones as ways to perform ultrasounds or test your eyes in the developing world where in many nations access to nurses and hospitals is sorely lacking. Time and again, Professor Yunus interjected a common theme: one person can make a lasting impact on any social challenge through creativity and sheer determination. When youth unemployment was mentioned, he mischievously looked many of us in the eye around the table and exclaimed: one of you can hire one person, just one, and make a difference!

At a time when social entrepreneurship is the buzzword of the moment, it can be stultifying that Professor Yunus catalyzed the concept and model more than 37 years ago. In fact, he told me that in 1987 he was called up by a Governor from a very poor state in America to try to solve the challenges of poverty through a business model. That man was Governor Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary, headed up the initiative. Yunus has had a long relationship with Clintons since then, and this is a shining example of the shared values between the U.S. and many of its global partners on the challenges we face today. For me, it was so special to host Professor Yunus in Stockholm because Sweden has such a rich legacy of generosity in development aid and strong core of social justice. What a wonderful evening we all spent being inspired by this great man!

You can see more photos from the event on the US Embassy Flickr page!

 

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Visiting IKEA headquarters

On March 20, 2013, in Sweden, by Ambassador Brzezinski
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Ten years ago while a first-year student at university, IKEA represented freedom, independence and a breadth of new opportunities to me. At that time in America, it had become a near requirement to purchase all of your university furnishings at the gleaming super-store.  Each piece of lightweight, streamlined furniture purchased represented one step closer to a new, exciting life!

Today the iconic brand symbolizes much more than just possibilities and potential for a fuller life. It symbolizes a core set of values— egalitarianism, sustainability and protection of the world’s resources, gender equality, social justice, philanthropy, diversity and inclusion, fiscal conservatism, a sense of community— which inform everything from its products’ “democratic design” to its style of informal, consensus-building leadership within the corporation’s management structure.

The short one-hour flight from Stockholm to Växjö, in the province of Småland, transported us to a serene, stony landscape dotted with leafless birch trees and known for its moose, and perhaps most of all, for IKEA and its founder Ingvar Kamprad who grew up there on a farm.

The land was notoriously hard to farm, thus instilling its people with a flinty hard work ethic and an aversion to waste. Kamprad brought the lessons he learned coming-of-age in a challenging setting to his vision for IKEA. A laser focus on efficiency is one of the reasons IKEA is able to provide its products at such low prices, explained CEO Mikael Ohlsson. Ensuring efficiency and strong partnerships with shared values along the entire supply chain is critical to IKEA’s success. The company has a “People & Planet Positive” goal for 2020 to make its stores, products and suppliers as sustainable as possible.

The focus on sustainable forestry is deeply impressive at a time when large timber tracts around the world are under intense pressure.  Great emphasis is placed on developing content alternatives other than just straight wood.

During our visit, we were able to see the production centers, scientific testing laboratories, design, the first-ever IKEA store and speak to designers in Älmhult. We even experienced a taste of home when we encountered an American supplier from Toledo, Ohio who was at IKEA headquarters with his wife for training and meet-and-greets, something IKEA does regularly to enhance partnerships and strengthened values transmission. When I asked Steve what he liked best about IKEA, he pointed to the strong focus on relationships.

One of the most personally exciting elements for me was their commitment to gender equality in the workplace. Many of the higher-level managers in the company started on the shop floor, and investing in employees’ productivity and development is paramount.

Today, IKEA has 42% female managers and has a short-term goal of 50%. One way they are attacking this challenge is through an initiative called “Battle of the Numbers” co-founded by Swedish media maven Eva Swartz Grimaldi  and Sofia Falk, that has received a one-year commitment from many of Sweden’s top companies (Ericsson, SEB Bank, H & M) to engage its top females in several seminars to discuss problems in gender equality within their corporation and find solutions. The solutions will later be presented to the CEO’s of all the companies to hopefully institute. IKEA’s assistant to the CEO, Fredrika Inger, an amazingly bright woman who helped guide and inform us through the visit, is directly involved in the initiative.

We ended this enlightening day in a very fitting place for Mark and me— the children’s section. Children, their development and their freedom to be and grow in every part of the home is a central value and driver for IKEA. The designers work with renowned children’s research centers to develop products that are first and foremost completely safe, even edible (as their markers are) but also lend to a child’s openness and creativity. Healthy eating and lifestyle are a key part of this message, and to underscore that we scanned reading books discussing gardening and squeezed plush toys shaped like carrots! Giving kids a healthy start is a passion and priority for our First Lady Michelle Obama and her path-breaking “Let’s Move” initiative, and many of IKEA’s values lined up perfectly with those of our President and many Americans.

Thank you Mikael Ohlsson and the IKEA family for an incredible visit! One that opened our eyes not only to IKEA, but allowed us to better understand the Swedish culture and what is important to Swedes.  Our visit places our shared values in an even stronger light!

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Empowering Women in the 21st Century: U.S. Ambassador at Large for Global Women’s Issues Melanne Verveer Visits U.S. Embassy Stockholm

On December 14, 2012, in Sweden, by Ambassador Brzezinski
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Ambassador Melanne Verveer, Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues

Women’s issues are not just about women anymore. As President Obama said in April, “They are family issues, they are economic issues, they are growth issues, they are issues about American competitiveness. They’re issues that impact all of us.”

We have a President and a Secretary of State who understand the interdependence between advancing economic opportunities for women and advancing the overall prosperity and condition in society. Promoting and empowering women in business and political leadership positions is not just good for women, it’s good for all of us. Countless studies conclude it’s better for share-holders returns, better for the bottom-line and better for the productivity of corporate boards when more women have a seat at the table. The most creative innovation comes from a diversity of ideas and voices.

Our leaders take this challenge so seriously that Secretary Clinton created a brand new role within the State Department to implement this vision. Melanne Verveer is the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues. The Secretary has charged Embassies worldwide to deliver on this “strategic and moral imperative” of women’s empowerment as a top priority.

Mark and I had the honor of hosting her this week here in Stockholm.

Ambassador Verveer often cites the unique “power to convene” as an effective tool for American Embassies around the world. Bringing a diverse set of people together around a common challenge and facilitating open, authentic dialogue can be a transformative experience that can be a catalyst for change.

On Tuesday, we did precisely that. Mark and I brought together a group of Sweden’s top female and male CEO’s and senior managers around key questions: What are the critical components necessary for an ideal ecosystem to empower women in senior business positions? What can we learn from different models elsewhere? And what lessons learned could these leading business people thatlive in a country that leads on gender equality share with us? Essentially, what really works ?

We began from an empirical framework and examined low-cost childcare, maternity/paternity leave benefits, access to capital, entrepreneurial training, mentorship programs, role models, mandatory quotas and the commitment of headhunters on this issue, as basic components that could possibly create “virtuous circles” (or low cost, high leverage cycles) of change.

Low-cost, high quality childcare is an example of this. When women have low-cost childcare available they have more capital and time to put into something productive for themselves and society, such as an entrepreneurial enterprise.

Through the dialogue, Ambassador Verveer helped frame the issue for us. Simply put, gender diversity at the top makes economic sense. She called on the private sector, and in particular CEO’s, to make a commitment to empowering women and pointed to specific examples of public-private partnerships she is familiar with, like Coke’s 5/20 program. This issue is in our collective self-interest, as Ambassador Verveer said, yet no country in the world has closed the gap yet.

One country that has made great strides is Sweden. In Sweden today, there are more female Cabinet Ministers than male, including a female Minister of Defense. There are 1.5 women for every man in tertiary education (a statistic reflected also in the United States). And yet in this realm there is so much more that can be done — less than 2% of Sweden’s top executives are women although they have the highest representation globally with 21 percent.

All these numbers tell us one thing: we still have a great deal of work to do to unleash the power of gender and facilitate women’s full economic participation. With aspirational leaders like President Obama, Secretary Clinton, and Ambassador Verveer, I have true faith that women of my generation and our daughter’s will have a greater voice in the workplace because of the trailblazers before us.

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Connecting with Youth on Questions of Identity

On November 1, 2012, in Sweden, by Ambassador Brzezinski
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Meeting with Swedish youth at the Embassy

“I thought diplomats were all older white men, it was so great to see women and young people today while visiting the Embassy.”

 
This comment by a young, female Somali student from Malmö, Sweden struck me as the core of the challenges for cross-cultural outreach: battling misconceptions and putting a compassionate human face on diplomacy.

The Embassy team has been working tirelessly and effectively to organize authentic meetings and discussions with young people from diverse backgrounds. The point is not to talk at them, but to listen and listen some more. Such an event was organized yesterday to open up the Embassy doors to Somali high school students, let them ask questions of the Ambassador, tour the Embassy, hear what diplomats do and just connect on an authentic, people-to-people level.

I attended the lunch portion of a half-day program, and was thrilled by the open level of communication, laughter and conversations going on. I sat with four sharp young women who told me of their dreams of becoming a nurse, how they wanted to go help people in the Horn of Africa or the things they both admired and disliked about images and pop culture coming out of America. I know that it’s not always easy to be frank with older “authority-type” figures especially in what can be an intimidating setting— a U.S. Embassy— but the Embassy team created such a warm, welcoming setting that made everyone feel comfortable and able to really share their views.

One recurring theme we picked up was a lack of role models. One young man told us that he had chosen vocational training to be a plumber although it’s not where his passion lies only because he had no one to go to for professional advice or any role models that “look like him” to give him motivation.

This topic blended into an evening discussion that same day by the nascent Embassy Youth Council, called “You Tell U.S.” The goal of this dynamic initiative is to bring a diverse set of young Swedes together and once again, to really listen. We gather roughly once a month over chips and soft drinks, and the theme of each evening is not set by the Embassy but by the young guests:
What does it mean to be Swedish? What is the relationship between national identity and cultural or religious identity? How can we make newcomers feel like they truly belong? Is it possible to compare Swedish and American models when it comes to integration, or are we coming from fundamentally different foundations?

These were a few of the fascinating questions that we debated with the help of Kadra,

a young Somali grass-roots community leader from Minneapolis, Minnesota who Mark had actually met with on his trip to visit the Swedish and Somali diaspora in Minnesota earlier this month. Kadra helped lead the discussions by describing the entrepreneurial spirit of the Somali community in Minnesota as well as the challenges for her organizational efforts, which included a lack of role models and a need for institutionalization.

What ensued was an incredibly vibrant discussion among a group of Swedish youth political leaders, entrepreneurs and activists both immigrants and non-immigrants that went on far beyond the two hours initially set aside for the evening. Toward the end, the conversation took an introspective turn as each of us discussed what it meant to be a Swede, or to be an American. Couldn’t people in a certain nation agree to be diverse but also agree to have shared national values, like democracy or individual freedom?

Despite both consensus and wide disagreements, the evening demonstrated that part of the answer lies in the discussion. And I look forward to learning more from these talented young people at the next “You Tell U.S.” evening.

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An American State and the US Embassy Working Together to Build American Jobs

On June 21, 2012, in Mark, by Ambassador Brzezinski
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From left to right: Sweden’s Ambassador to the USA Jonas Hafström, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell and US Ambassador to Sweden Mark Brzezinski. US Ambassador to Sweden Mark Brzezinski joins Sweden’s Ambassador to the USA Jonas Hafstrom in welcoming Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell to Sweden to promote trade and commerce.

 

President Obama and Secretary Clinton have been clear:  Economic Statecraft and commercial diplomacy are a priority for every section in our Embassy.  The overlay between the commercial context and the strategic context has never been closer.  It’s about building jobs and conveying American values.  Every single job we create is a step in the right direction.  This is why US Embassy Stockholm is so pleased to welcome Governor of Virginia Bob McDonnell to Sweden.

Ambassador Brzezinski and Governor McDonnell at the US Embassy reception for American and Swedish business leaders.

An American state’s CEO can be a deal closer, can convey better than most the unique combination that a state can offer in terms of infrastructure, tax benefits, public education and other qualities can combine to create a perfect opportunity for a Swedish investment in America.

 

Swedish Ambassador to the United States Jonas Hafström flew in for the Governor’s visit, and the Swedish Embassy in Washington collaborated in a highly effective fashion to make the case for Swedish investments in the United States.

US Embassy Stockholm’s commercial section (led by the able Frank Carrico) worked for months with the State of Virginia’s Economic Development office to develop a program whereby the Governor, his Secretary of Agriculture, and the state’s office for travel and tourism could meet with Swedish executives in banking, building and construction, infrastructure, agriculture (from wine to wood pellets), aerospace and defense, truck vehicles, industrial parts, logistics management, offshore windmills, biotech equipment, legal and accounting services, and travel and tourism operators to make a strong case for an investment in America. Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) in The Hague, along with AmCham Sweden and SACC-USA, also helped pull in decision-making executives with strong interest in Virginia. Very important for the Governor’s visit was the work of our Embassy Public Affairs Section in setting up an interview with Dagens Industri, the Wall Street Journal of Sweden. Results from the visit will be followed carefully by Embassy Stockholm.

With Virginia’s Finest: Ambassador stands with Sergeant Chris Clark (left) and Master Trooper Dave Johnson (right), both with the Virginia State Police Executive Protective Unit

Governor McDonnell and the First Lady of Virginia Maureen McDonnell met with business titans in Stockholm, including Jacob Wallenberg, a distant cousin of the famous Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg (who chose not to be indifferent during World  War II and saved thousands of Hungarian Jews).

The Governor also travelled to Western Sweden to the city of Gothenberg, where he met with Regional Governor Lars Bäckström and the Volvo Group CEO Olof Persson.

Building jobs and economic growth is a full time job – I was very pleased our Embassy’s Foreign Commercial Service (FCS) section worked so well with the Governor’s office and the Swedish Embassy in Washington to ferret out business leads.  We live in a globally interdependent economy, and building jobs and trade between countries can be advanced ably by state governors.

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Secretary Clinton’s Historic Visit to Sweden

On June 7, 2012, in Mark, by Ambassador Brzezinski
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Secretary of State Clinton being introduced to Embassy staff by Ambassador and Mrs. Brzezinski

Natalia and I have been in Sweden for less than seven months, but I honestly can not think of any other period of time in my life more packed with excitement than this first half-year in Stockholm.  We have had the time of our lives, and literally every day has been unforgettable.   But just when I thought it could not possibly get any better…the Secretary of State comes to visit!  What an incredible honor – and what an amazing recognition of the importance of our friendship with Sweden, and the high value our most important leaders place on this relationship.  This was the first visit to Sweden in more than 30 years by a U.S. Secretary of State, purely for the purpose of enhancing, deepening, and honoring the relationship between our two countries. And that’s what made it historic.

Swedish-American relations have never been stronger or warmer.  Literally as the Secretary landed on the coldest day in Sweden in decades, the warmth of Foreign Minister Bildt and his wife ,who joined Natalia and I in greeting the Secretary on the wet tarmac, was palpable and set the tone for the entire visit.
Sweden is in the very front ranks with us in direct engagement with the immediate global problems we all confront. Our Swedish hosts were both honored and very pleased the Secretary travelled to Stockholm. They welcomed Secretary Clinton with the same enthusiasm that the staff and families of US Embassy Stockholm did. We are so proud of our Secretary of State, and we are proud of the American – Swedish relationship which her visit deepened and honored.

A Powerful Global Partnership Based on Shared Values

As Secretary Clinton said, Sweden is – and has long been – one of America’s top partners and one of our oldest friends.  Importantly, Sweden brings its diplomatic heft and its development expertise to nearly every corner of the globe.  When it comes to global priorities, whether it is Afghanistan, Iran, counter-terrorism, global economic reform, humanitarian assistance, the Swedes are right by our side.  It is a relationship based on shared and deeply cherished values, values which we and Sweden are both committed to protecting.

At the recent NATO Summit in Chicago, the U.S. warmly welcomed Sweden as one of NATO’s strongest partners, standing with us in Afghanistan as we begin the transition to full Afghan responsibility for security by 2014, as well as working for the betterment of the Afghan people into the future.  In addition, Sweden offered NATO the use of its Nordic Center for Gender in Military Operations, which further demonstrates the strong and positive relationship between Sweden and NATO.  Secretary Clinton recognized this important offer in her remarks in Stockholm with the Swedish Prime Minister Frederick Reinfeldt and Foreign Minister Carl Bildt.

Working Together To Keep The Internet Free

The Secretary also noted the close cooperation we share with the Swedes when it comes to protecting Internet Freedom.  She applauded Sweden’s leadership on Internet Freedom issues, stressing that those rights belong in the Internet as much as they do in the “real” world.  She also commended our Embassy for maximizing our social media platforms, and in particular for our our work in reaching out to Swedish bloggers.  As we all know, Foreign Minister Carl Bildt is a prolific blogger himself.  So when he

complimented our embassy’s use of social media as a model for his own ministry to follow, it was high praise indeed! And when it comes to all of the large challenges that know no boundaries, such as climate change, or gender equality, or Internet freedom, it is true that Sweden is not just on the front lines, but leading.  And I am greatly appreciative for all of that work, and look forward to enhancing it in the months and years ahead.

Dealing With Climate Change Together

Personally, I’m delighted that Secretary Clinton also chose to focus on climate and the environment during her visit. Sweden and the U.S. have a strong partnership in this area — both countries are initiators of a global coalition to address short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs). Secretary Clinton joined Sweden’s Environment Minister Lena Ek and H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria at an event launching the coalition’s global awareness-raising efforts, and in her remarks she said: “Few people actually know about the impact we could have on global warming if we aggressively target short-lived climate pollutants.  And fewer still know that many cost-effective solutions already exist and are just waiting to be broadly implemented.”

To bolster the efforts led by Sweden and the U.S. to raise awareness about SLCPs, Secretary Clinton announced a global contest to find the most creative ideas for raising awareness of short-lived climate pollutants and the work that must be done to stop them. You can find details on the contest at www.unep.org/ccac.

It was so terrific to have the Secretary visit Stockholm and to spend some time with our Embassy team and their families.  Our Meet and Greet with Embassy staff and families was warm and uplifting, and reflected the respect and admiration our Secretary of State has for public service.  That she took time for photos with our Marines, our Embassy’s kids and all of us will long be remembered.  As the father of a young daughter with a wife joining me in a commitment to women’s empowerment, it was inspiring to have Secretary Clinton visit Sweden, as she is a global leader on this and many other issues.  In Sweden she finds a willing and capable partner which shares our values, as Sweden’s government today has more women ministers than men, including a female Minister of Defense.  Tack så mycket (“Thank you so much” in Swedish) Madame Secretary!!!!

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Global Symposium on Women’s Entrepreneurship

On June 1, 2012, in Natalia, by Ambassador Brzezinski
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(From left to right) United Arab Emirates Ambassador to Sweden Sheikha Najla Alqassimi, Professor Mary Barrett from the University of Wollonkong, K. Shelly Porges, Senior Advisor leading the State Department’s Global Women’s Initiative and Mrs. Natalia Brzezinski

This morning I had the privilege of moderating a fascinating panel on women’s entrepreneurship. The dynamic speakers included K. Shelly Porges, Senior Advisor leading the State Department’s Global Women’s Initiative, the United Arab Emirates Ambassador to Sweden Sheikha Najla Alqassimi, and Professor Mary Barrett from the University of Wollonkong.

The global symposium was organized by the Swedish non-profit organization, ESBRI, and served as the inaugural event for the coming year’s work aimed at creating a global knowledge and action network for enhancing women’s entrepreneurship with a theme of women’s entrepreneurship as both an economic force and a societal force to change society and contribute to sustainable growth.

Secretary Clinton has said: “talent is universal, opportunity is not.” This is the guiding principle behind the Global Women’s Business Initiative and a way of leveling the playing field to create opportunity for women around the world in entrepreneurship. This office utilizes policy and public-private partnerships to educate women on how to start a business, create programs to monitor their progress and facilitate support networks. See more information on the Global Entrepreneurship Program here.

The theme of the panel was deciphering a global outlook on different forms of entrepreneurship occurring around the world and how to maximize that potential. Cultural norms are critical to implementing these policies, and the challenges that women face in the Arab world are incredibly different that those in Africa or Australia. This is why having such a disparate group of women provided a very rich context for those of us listening. I found it fascinating hearing Ambassador Alqassimi discuss the burgeoning movement toward enterprise by middle class women with a lifetime’s worth of meticulous savings who want to join the marketplace, or the young generation of Emirati women who are increasingly more educated than me and craving a professional life. Professor Barrett’s assessments of Australia having equal numbers of men and women participating in entrepreneurship were also eye-opening.

However, one universal problem seemed to be a lack of confidence among women in every nation. According to statistics from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2010 Women’s Report less than half–47.7 percent–of women believe they are capable of starting a business, while well over half–62.1 percent–of men believe they are capable. One thing is crystal clear: if you don’t believe in yourself and your own ideas, no one else will.

It is essential to provide women with role models who can describe their varied journeys to success and show other women that their dreams too can become reality. I passionately believe this is the moment for women to finally break through the glass ceiling, partly because of the incredible global leadership promoting this issue by women like Secretary Hillary Clinton, but also because people, in particular the young generation, are sick of the “old way of doing business” and are demanding equal opportunities for all.

The full participation of women in the global economy is vital to prosperity, political stability and sustainable development. With female leaders like the ones mentioned in this blog, as well as male leaders such as Magnus Aronsson, the President of ESBRI, I am confident the new generation will be the women’s generation.

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Global Award for Entrepreneurship

On May 17, 2012, in Natalia, by Ambassador Brzezinski
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Yesterday Mark and I attended an interesting luncheon held for the winner of this year’s International Award for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Research, Professor Kathleen M. Eisenhardt from Stanford University.

Professor Eisenhardt was celebrated for her prescient and extensive research in corporate entrepreneurship, primarily identifying factors that keep entrepreneurial ventures innovative and successful in varying and rapidly changing markets.

In her fascinating keynote speech, Professor Eisenhardt determined that swift decision-making based on an analysis of 3-4 alternatives and an ability to be nimble and adapt to change quickly are critical for a thriving entrepreneurial enterprise. Another interesting point she made was that the best businesses learn to operate on the “edge of chaos”— incorporating a solid structure of rules but not being too rigid— a concept she compared to “being the parent of a teenager” who has to be closely watched but not overly regulated.

According to Eisenhardt, the most effective management teams are very diverse, with a mix of genders, ages and ethnic backgrounds. This is very much in line with Secretary Clinton’s focus on promoting more women in business leadership.

Studies done by the World Bank and United Nations report that strong market growth among European companies is most likely to occur where there is a higher proportion of women on senior management teams. According to research by Forbes Magazine, firms with more women on their boards outperform their rivals with a 42% higher return on sales, 66% higher return on invested capital and 53% higher return on equity.

In addition to the luncheon, Professor Eisenhardt has spent the past several days discussing her findings with students, policymakers and government officials in order to promote goals of innovation and enterprise within Sweden.

The award is sponsored by the Swedish Foundation for Small Business Research (FSF) and the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth (Nutek). In 2008 the Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN) joined FSF and Nutek to become the third partner in awarding the Prize.

We were so proud that an American woman won the prize this year, and it was such a privilege meeting her. Congratulations Professor Kathleen Eisenhardt! Go Stanford!

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To a great 2012!

On January 11, 2012, in Mark, by Ambassador Brzezinski
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As the new U.S. Ambassador in Sweden, I can’t tell you how enthusiastic I am about the coming year.  I want to share with you some of the events the Embassy is organizing, but first an anecdote.

 
After I was confirmed by the Senate to be Ambassador to Sweden, I had the opportunity to ask former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright for her advice on what makes a good Ambassador.  Her wise response was illuminating:

First, good ambassadors “don’t take themselves too seriously” [Good advice, and not just for Ambassadors!]

Second, she said, the way America is viewed around the world is changing and can be shaped positively by a dynamic embassy team that listens and learns and engages in a humble and inclusive way with the people and government of the country in which they are posted.

As Ambassador, I take that advice to heart, and as I plan our agenda for 2012 I am working with my embassy team to engage with the government and people of Sweden in way that helpfully interprets American priorities, policies and perspectives.  And a great agenda is beginning to materialize.
In 2012, Sweden will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Raoul Wallenberg, a diplomat whose efforts to save Hungarian Jews from the Holocaust clearly demonstrate the importance of not being indifferent.  He paid with his life for that commitment.  It will be our mission at U.S. Embassy Sweden to advance the American – Swedish relationship in a way that honors that legacy.

 

At the U.S. Embassy, we have formed an internal cluster to think how best to celebrate the basic values Raoul Wallenberg stood for.  One excellent recommendation that emerged from our team – and that we will implement in 2012 at an appropriate time for planting – is to plant a horse chestnut tree in honor of Raoul Wallenberg.  That strain of tree is famous from the legacy of Anne Frank, as it was a horse chestnut in the center of Amsterdam which she mentioned in her diary.  The tree will be endowed with a Raoul Wallenberg plaque.  It will serve as a living symbol of Wallenberg’s legacy that we hope will inspire future generations of both Americans and Swedes to protect basic values as a universal imperative.

 
Sweden now holds the rotating chairmanship of the Arctic Council.  Since the United States is a member of that Council, we at U.S. Embassy Sweden are enthusiastically working with Sweden to advance our common goals of protecting the environment and conserving the Arctic’s biological resources while promoting economic cooperation.  At the end of January I will travel to Jokkmokk in the northern Norbotten province of Sweden to attend and speak at the Jokkmokk Winter Conference.  It will be my goal to convey at the conference my deep personal passion for protecting the environment and biodiversity, and to listen and learn from other attendees on how we can work together to address climate change and its effects in the Arctic that are threatening the future of the North.

 
In 2012, we will be working hard to tactically implement Secretary of State Clinton’s vision of Economic Statecraft.  The Secretary has been eloquent in articulating the overlay between the commercial context and the strategic context.  Deputy Secretary of State Tom Nides also crystallized it when he said “We are living at a moment when economics is at the heart of what it means to lead in this world.”  I and the Embassy team will focus on a multi-pronged strategy when it comes to Economic Statecraft:  promoting public-private partnerships especially when it comes to socially responsible causes, and bringing in U.S. trade missions to promote business to business relationships.  In the coming year, our embassy will also work on a variety of initiatives designed to partner with Sweden to promote anti-bribery and anti-corruption overseas.  With the Arab spring, the timing has never been more ripe for engaging young people and women in entrepreneurship, sharing best practices and transferring American and Swedish values of openness and transparency.

 
Also on our agenda early in 2012 we are focusing on military ties as a top priority, because Sweden is a role model for what it is to be a helpful NATO partner.  The United States salutes the valuable contributions of Sweden in Afghanistan (where Sweden has over 500 troops) and in Libya, where as part of the coalition the Swedes deployed eight aircraft for reconnaissance purposes.  I am very pleased to say that in January we will welcome former Deputy Secretary of Defense Bill Lynn to Stockholm.  Our embassy is partnering with the Swedish think tank “Folk och Försvar” to host a lecture series, and Mr. Lynn will be presenting a lecture discussing cybersecurity and defense restructuring.  As Mr. Lynn wrote in a 2011 article in Foreign Affairs, “cyber technologies now exist that are capable of destroying critical networks, causing physical damage, or altering the performance of key systems. In the twenty-first century, bits and bytes are as threatening as bullets and bombs.”  It promises to be a fascinating discussion.

 
So we are just thrilled with the beginning of 2012 – and hope you are too — as they say here in Sweden “Gott Nytt År!” – Happy New Year!

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