INVERTO Offices Copenhagen & Stockholm - A strong course for the North

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Thomas Abel Brask and Tobias Antefelt, our Managing Directors in Copenhagen and Stockholm are providing new impetus to our Nordics team this year. In this interview, the two experienced procurement consultants talk about their ambitions and the growth plans for INVERTO in their markets.

Can you briefly describe your background and how it led you to INVERTO?

Tobias: I have a background in industrial engineering, but prior to INVERTO I worked in a local Swedish consulting firm for over ten years. I joined INVERTO in 2019 and I am delighted to now be able to help drive our strategy for the Nordics as Managing Director.

Thomas: Unlike Tobias, I am new to INVERTO this year. Before that, I spent 15 years managing procurement and supply chain organizations in various industries and working in a strategy consulting firm. The opportunity to use this experience to support other companies in successful procurement transformation projects was very appealing to me.

Why did you choose INVERTO?

Thomas: INVERTO is a unique brand with a strong corporate purpose and value proposition, and the BCG affiliation provided an added plus. However, INVERTO not only has an impressive track record in client projects but, above all, a good reputation as an employer. And I was not disappointed: the warm welcome and the unique team spirit really impressed me and made the start very easy.

Tobias: It’s really great to hear that our efforts are working so well. Because being able to be there from the beginning and build a new office with a great team was my motivation to join INVERTO at the time. In addition, the focus on procurement and supply chains and a long, close partnership with clients appealed to me.

What are your focus areas that you would like to push?

Tobias: I want to continue to invest heavily in our teams, especially with a focus on diversity. For example, expanding the proportion of female employees and achieving a long-term work-life balance are very important to me. In addition, it is my task to drive the practice area footprints in the Nordics, for

myself mainly related to the Healthcare and PIPE practice areas, where I am part of the core teams. In general, it is important to me to further advance INVERTO’s positioning and offering in Nordic countries. I think we are doing really exciting things in our projects that we can leverage even further.
Thomas: I would agree with that. To raise our profile in the Nordics and position ourselves as the preferred partner for procurement and SCM in the Nordics, we also need to communicate our unique offering even more strongly than before. Our main task is to ensure that INVERTO can continue on its growth path in the Nordics. It is therefore essential that we continue to develop our portfolio of offerings and attract first-class talent from all sectors. The efforts we make to build high-performing teams while proactively investing in the wellbeing of our employees is a real differentiator.

And what topics are currently particularly high on the agenda for your clients?

Thomas: The struggle with inflationary pressures, and related to this, the development of effective strategies, poses major challenges for companies. The goal is to proactively manage macroeconomic fluctuations and instability, for example, by building resilience and flexibility

in supply chains while maintaining competitive cost levels. However, business model transformation is also currently playing a major role for my clients, whether to benefit from macroeconomic and technological trends such as AI or to achieve sustainability goals.
Tobias: Sustainability is certainly one of the greatest challenges of our time, and many of my clients are currently in the process of reviewing their product portfolios, supply chains and processes from a sustainability perspective and in some cases, completely rethinking them. Many companies are also currently thinking about relocating supply chains and production from China to Europe. And with reference to the mentioned inflationary pressure, it is not only about combating this, but also about effectively using improving market conditions.

Are there differences in collaboration between your countries and others?

Tobias: The corporate culture is generally more relaxed and less formal than in some other European countries. And to live up to the Swedish stereotype, there is certainly more “fika” in our office than in the other INVERTO offices and köttbullar from IKEA right next door.

Thomas: Danish culture is also characterized by a strong sense of community. This is due to the historical origins of the Danish welfare state and our historical position as one of the smallest countries in Europe.

How do you typically spend your free time?

Thomas: Family time comes first. When I’m relaxing, it also helps to go for a long hike or read a good book. I also try to travel a lot throughout the year, my particular passion is skiing in the Alps.

Tobias: Skiing is also one of my favorite activities. And as a family man, I spend most of my free time with my children. In addition, I am a passionate soccer fan. My brothers, my father and I support IFK Göteborg, from my hometown, but the kids gravitate towards rival clubs from Stockholm.

When we visit your home town, what should definitely be on our “bucket list”?

Tobias: There I have to take up the “fika” topic again: come and join us for a coffee at the new INVERTO office. Apart from that, Stockholm is a good city to walk around and many of the touristy things are really nice, like the city hall, the castle, the old town, the Vasa ship, …

Thomas: Copenhagen can easily keep up. A walk through the city to see the historic architecture and the old harbor “Nyhavn” is always worthwhile. Copenhagen’s hippest shopping street “Strøget” is also worth a visit. Culturally, the city also has a lot to offer: visit the Royal Theater, the ballet or the opera.

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