Up in the air
Hej SBC Member,
Maria Svedenhov, General Manager, Munters Europe, Middle East Branch
Who are you and what made you join Munters?
My name is Maria Svedenhov and I’m the General Manager for Munters Europe, Middle East Branch. Some might know that I’m running our family business here in Dubai, Viking Bageri, and a whole bunch of people would, hopefully, say that I’m a positive and social gal with a broad accent from the south of Sweden.
One thing that has made our adventures abroad so fruitful for me, is the fact that my job description has been renewed, modified and thrown me in different directions. Challenging, but so rewarding. Before joining Munters, I had spent a few years in Dubai learning a bit of Arabic, setting up the marketing department for Sheikh Khalifa Medical City in Ajman, and driving my own business helping small companies back home in Sweden with their marketing. When Munters called, I was ready for a new challenge. I must say, dehumidifiers are not very sexy, but I was curious about this huge global Swedish company with deep roots in the Swedish production industry. What was also appealing, was the fact that it was a part-time job with a boss back in Sweden who gave me free rein to put my mark on the local office. After a few years now with Munters, I can say that it is interesting to work with a product that is all around you and we create what is not visible, when it is mission critical. Our products reduce the carbon footprint for so many companies and I feel proud to be a part of Munters vision creating the perfect climate.
Maria (in the middle) and parts of her team attending the Expo Gulfood 2018, Dubai.
The ML23 desiccant dehumidifier with climatix control is designed to efficiently dehumidify in low moisture applications.
What are some of your greatest achievements within working at Munters?
1. Making the team work better together, despite cultural and geographical differences.
2. Marketing our products locally and reaching new customers.
What are some of the challenges / opportunities you see with working in the Middle East?
This country is quite unique since it’s a cultural melting pot. That means we have so many core values, religions and cultures to deal with and we might see the world from different perspectives. Challenging but at the same time, that’s one of the things that makes it interesting to be a part of. What is also extremely fascinating, is that so many things are happening so quickly here, 200 years of development in the western world are equivalent to 50 in the UAE.. Mind-blowing to think about where we are in this region in another 50 years.
As a General Manager of a Global Swedish Corporation what are some of the cultural aspects you see that can benefit the corporate culture here in the UAE?
My team here loves the Swedish model with a flat organisation, clear messages, salary on time, flexible work hours and the trust given from their managers. At the same time, the team also teaches us how to do business in the Middle East and see things from different perspectives.
One thing that I have learnt to appreciate is the courtesy visits that can go on for a while. During that time you get to know the other person on a more personal level and get to know their values. Those courtesy visits were very frustrating to me the first couple of years in this country since I just wanted to go in and talk business straight away, and then head to the next meeting. Now, it is something I value since it builds longer and stronger relationships with your customers.
What are your top 3 tips on working in the UAE?
1. Take a deep breath, have patience and learn how to work with the system and not against it. I.e. don't do the one thing all people that are new in the region do: Spend enormous amounts of energy being frustrated on bureaucracy that they can not change.
2. Use the cultural differences to your advantage. Learn from how other people see a problem/solution and go outside your own box.
3. Smile, and always treat others the way you want to be treated.