Meet Susanne Blomberg, a creative, curious, and dedicated Executive Interim Manager within marketing and branding with over 20 years of experience across five industries: FMCG, home electronics, housing development, pharma, and electrical wholesale. With a strong customer focus, her career highlights include developing and implementing brand and communication strategies, creating business and marketing plans, and digitalising marketing and sales efforts. As a creative doer with a strategic mindset, she is an excellent fit for interim assignments.
In 2023, Susanne started her interim assignment as Brand Manager for Gigamedia at Rexel. Gigamedia is one of Rexel’s own brands in data networks, including solutions for smart buildings and camera surveillance.
You are now at Rexel as Interim Brand Manager for Gigamedia, can you tell us about your assignment?
”My task was to create a growth plan, including a review of the product portfolio, develop a marketing plan, analyse products and profitability, as well as manage the daily operations and drive the business forward. Since Gigamedia is a separate company within Rexel, I served as a link between Rexel in Sweden and Gigamedia in France. It’s a challenging but fun task finding growth in an industry that is struggling with increasing interest rates and costs. Now I am involved in setting up a new organization that can continue the work when I leave Rexel.”
You have experience in several different industries, can you tell us about your career?
”I was very career focused when I was younger, but increasingly felt that the most important thing is to have fun at work, it should give energy. The common thread in my career is customer insights and customer value, regardless of the industry. I started as a Management Trainee at Kraft Foods and later moved to Arla. After working for almost ten years in food and FMCG, I wanted a new challenge and moved to a role in product marketing for home appliances at LG, eventually becoming Nordic Marketing Director. An important question was how to make technical specifications interesting and understandable for consumers. How do you make a washing machine attractive?
I’m always curious to try new things, so the next step was to join the housing industry at SSM Bygg & Fastighets AB. It was exciting to go from a multinational company to a smaller Stockholm-based company with young people as the primary target group. The challenge here was to grow the business from a marketing and sales perspective. SSM did indeed enjoy strong growth, but when the property crisis hit, and with the new amortization requirements, the target group struggled to buy condominiums and the business had to be refocused.”
Why did you choose to start a career as an Executive Interim Manager?
”I have always been driven by seeking new challenges and developing myself, so after SSM, I decided to start my own business and try working as an Interim Manager. It suits me very well as I am not a maintainer; things need to happen. My first assignment was again in a new industry, pharmaceuticals, at GSK, just as Covid broke out. It was challenging to have my first interim assignment and not be able to meet my team in person. The most fun part is learning new things with each assignment and being able to transfer that to other organizations and clients. Whole new worlds open up!”
What is the best thing about being an Interim Manager?
”I get to constantly learn new things and it’s fun to contribute and be able to use my experience to help the organization achieve its goals. You have to be quick and deliver at once, which is a fun challenge. I find it really enjoyable to experience new industries and use my toolkit regardless of the product.”
When should a company bring in an Interim Manager?
”When you have a challenge and lack the competence and/or resources internally, it is a great idea to engage an Executive Interim Manager for a time-limited period. You get access to an experienced leader with the right knowledge who delivers quick results within a few weeks. An Executive Interim Manager has long experience and can, in addition to keeping the business afloat contribute to new business practices, highlighting things that the client didn’t even know could be managed more efficiently. Simply put he/she sees things with fresh eyes and can challenge old truths.”
What do you do in your spare time?
”I used to travel a lot but have become more environmentally conscious and try not to fly anymore. Now I enjoy exploring Sweden and being out in nature with our dog. Last year, we went to Bäckaskog Castle where ‘Stjärnorna på slottet’ was filmed; it’s very dog-friendly in a fantastic environment! To keep both mind and body healthy my training mix consists of running, strength, mobility and mindfulness. Singing in a choir; classical, pop, and folk songs is also something I love to do. I have always sung but have now changed voice part and am singing soprano, which is fun; I am always looking for new challenges!”