― Stratema is focused on team performance, with a culture based on trust and initiative

After high school, Kasper moved to the US on a tennis scholarship. At the University of Illinois at Chicago, he held a leading position on the varsity tennis team, while completing his business administration degree with top marks. Four and half years later, he was back in Stockholm, ready for a finance career.  

 

«My original plan was to stay in the US to practise finance after my studies. But the coronavirus pandemic meant that I had to return home earlier than planned. Back in Stockholm, I got a job as an analyst with a small investment bank that primarily raises capital for public and private technology growth companies. There I focused on analysing and evaluating companies, which was stimulating and thought me a lot about business fundamentals. After just over a year there, I was hired by Stratema. Now I’ve been here for 9 months and I’m really enjoying it! When I joined, I was rapidly integrated into the team through an impressive onboarding process that included four days at our Oslo office. I have been professionally tutored and followed up from day one, and there is no doubt that Stratema is committed to making its employees the best they can be.

At Stratema, you’ll be given a lot of responsibility right from the start. There’s no micromanagement, and you’re expected to take the initiative and think for yourself. There is a focus on team performance, a bit like on a sports team, which makes it easier to collaborate and ask questions. Stratema also emphasises cross-border collaboration and I’m in daily contact with my colleagues in Oslo. Working with Norwegians adds an interesting dimension to the job, and a positive contrast to working only with Swedes. I also think it makes us better at what we do, as we can see things from different perspectives and make decisions that reflect contrasting opinions.

I’m convinced that my tennis background is an asset in my professional life. I’m extremely competitive and always strive to be the best at what I do, whether it’s tennis, studies or work. Tennis is of course an individualistic sport, where you only have yourself to blame if you lose. It forces you to take responsibility for your own actions. You also learn to perform under pressure and to handle stressful situations, which is obviously valuable when things get really busy at work.

My duties as a Stratema analyst include market analyses, company presentations and pitches, as well as company screenings and valuations. I do of course aim to take on more responsibilities over time, including project management and client relationship management. Another strength of Stratema is its commitment to a good work-life balance. There will of course be a heavy workload at times, but no one will bat an eyelid if you leave work early every now and then.

Being a competitive person, I do a lot of sport in my spare time. I also try to read quite a few books. I find most topics interesting, but I have a penchant for biographies and also read a lot of psychology, history and economics. I’m also doing a programming course alongside my job. I don’t really have a specific goal in doing this course, other than getting some basic knowledge in this field, now that AI and digital transformation have become such crucial success factors across all industries.”