The Road to Recovery in Southeast Asia

Mr Krister Nilsson is the State Secretary to Anna Hallberg, Minister for Foreign Trade
and Nordic Affairs. Mr Nilsson has a long career in politics both in Sweden and the EU with a wide range of experience with positions such as State Secretary, Ministry of the Environment, Project Manager, Olof Palme International Centre, and Political Adviser, Social Democratic Delegation, European Parliament, Brussels.

Mr Nilsson has 10 years plus experience in the private sector, working for Prime PR both as consultant and partner as well as being the Deputy CEO.

HE Harald Fries is Sweden’s Ambassador to the Philippines. Prior to this post, Mr Fries has held several diplomatic positions such as Minister, Permanent Mission of Sweden to the UN, New York, Director, Head of UN Section, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Director, Head of Development Bank Section, Ministry for Foreign Affairs and First Secretary, Permanent Mission of Sweden to the UN, Geneva.

Prior to his diplomatic positions, Mr Fries was working for Ericsson, Research Institute of Industrial Economics, Stockholm and IBM Sweden. He holds a Master of Arts (Economics) from University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Arts from Stockholm School of Economics.

HE Nicklas Kvarnström is Sweden’s Ambassador to Singapore. Prior to this post, Mr Kvarnström was Director in the Department for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Mr Kvarnström was previously the Campaign Manager for Sweden’s successful candidature to the UN Security Council for the period 2017-18, as well as Advisor to the Wallenberg family, a premier Nordic industrial and financial group. In the diplomatic service, he had served at Sweden’s Permanent Mission to the UN in New York and its Embassy in Beijing. Mr Kvarnström also worked three years in investment banking with Goldman Sachs, in London and New York.

Mr Kvarnström graduated from the Oxford University with an MA and BA in Chinese with a Special Subject in Economics. He also studied at the Taiwan National Normal University in Taipei. He is married with four children.

The Government of Sweden appointed Emil Akander as the inaugural Trade Commissioner to Singapore in 2015. Business Sweden in Singapore oversees the market area for Southeast Asia meaning its six Trade Offices responsible for ten markets. During 2013-2015, Emil was the Country Manager for Business Sweden in Singapore.

Prior, Emil was based in Brussels and The Hague as the Head of EU Affairs at Business Sweden Benelux. With extensive knowledge of International Trade and International Business Development, his primary focus areas include the Government Sector, Transport Infrastructure and Health Care.

Prior to Business Sweden, Emil worked at the Cabinet of the former First Vice President Margot Wallström of the European Commission. Before the Commission, he was posted in Beijing for Business Sweden.

Emil Akander holds a Degree of Master of Laws, LL M, from Stockholm University. Emil is a Board Member of the Nordic Innovation House in Singapore and the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Singapore.

Mr Ulf Wennblom, Country Manager Business Sweden Philippines has a long experience of doing business in Asia, and is currently heading up operations for Business Sweden in the Philippines.
Over the past six years, Mr Wennblom has been guiding and advising Swedish companies in Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, and most recently in the Philippines. His key competencies are setting up and scaling businesses, market entry strategy, project management, recruitment and talent search.

Prior to his role at Business Sweden Mr Wennblom worked as a management consultant for PwC.

Ms Ghia Yuson has been with Business Sweden in Manila, the Philippines, since 2018 and is currently holding the postion as Project Manager. Prior to this Ms Yuson has experience working within Investmen Management, Financial Services and Strategy.

Ms Yuson has a B.A. Humanities and a M.S. Industrial Economics from University of Asia and the Pacific

Ms Lisa Ferraton is the General Manager at SwedCham Singapore since May 2019. Prior to this, Ms Ferraton has many years of experience working in management consultancy within the telecommunications and high tech industries.

Ms Ferraton holds a Master of Science in International Business (French and English).