NEWS Four students from the Business and Economics program with a specialization in Trade and Logistics, together with Rickard Lindberg from the Career Center, had the opportunity to attend the Swedish Trade Federation’s annual meeting and the subsequent Career Forum. The day offered valuable opportunities for networking and lunch conversations with both senior representatives from retail companies and entrepreneurs within the trade sector.
Swedish Trade Federation’s annual meeting.
ImageRickard LindbergThe morning session provided an overview of the past year’s developments in Swedish trade, along with some interesting outlooks on the future. The afternoon Career Forum featured an inspiring talk by Erika Lyko, co-founder and product developer at Lyko. She shared the company’s journey—from its beginnings in Vansbro to becoming a publicly listed company—while maintaining a strong local presence as the largest employer in the area. A great example of how entrepreneurship can positively impact smaller communities.
The attending students also had the chance to hear from Marcus Hartmann, Head of Public Affairs & Sustainability at H&M for the Northern Europe region. Marcus offered insights into H&M’s sustainability efforts and emphasized the importance of maintaining momentum in the European sustainability reporting process (CSRD), so that companies that have already laid the groundwork can fully benefit from it. He also highlighted that transparency, while it may sometimes lead to media criticism, ultimately provides valuable input for improvement.
What are your thoughts as students on participating in this type of event—and what are your key takeaways from the day?
"It was truly inspiring to have the opportunity to attend the Swedish Trade Federation’s annual meeting and Career Forum, where the future of trade and its development were discussed. It provided new perspectives and a sense that what we study really matters and can lead to exciting opportunities ahead."
"It has been a pleasure to take part in such an interesting and educational event. I gained deeper insights into today’s trade landscape and the challenges companies are facing. It was also inspiring to hear from two passionate speakers and to have the chance to network with influential people in the retail industry!"
"It was incredibly rewarding to listen to a variety of representatives from the retail sector and hear their thoughts. It was also a great experience to have the opportunity to speak one-on-one with some of them—something that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise."