 With not many days left of 2008 and 2009 only a few days away; we asked some of our members what their expectations are for next year and how they will celebrate New Years.
Thomas Bergström, Chairman and CEO Inter IKEA Systems
1. What is new in your company 2009, and what are the expectations for next year?
"Our buildings are ready, IKEA Concept Center and the Hotel. Now we have the base for learning, training, testing, developing and transferring the knowledge of the IKEA Concept. Next year will be challenging to all of us, but together and with good cooperation with all IKEA Retailers, we will be a bit better.....again!"
2. How will you celebrate New Year?
"I will celebrate New Years with parts of the family. My family is spread; one daughter is in Chicago and one son is in Holland the rest of the family will be together in Ramundbergen with skiing and hopefully lots of snow."
3. Do you have any New Years resolution?
"It is pretty boring but I do not have any New Years resolution this year. Perhaps I will have one before New Years, but now it is far too early."
 Håkan Borglund, General Manager SAS Nederland
1.What is new in your Company 2009, and what is the expectations for next year?
"We focus on improving our customer services towards our corporate clients and travel agents. A new Support Center will be introduced February the first 2009. The travel industry as total is suffering from the financial crises and we see an overall decline in bookings. However there is still a strong demand of travel from the Netherlands to the Nordic region."
2. How will you celebrate New Year?
"Since my wife is Japanese we will celebrate New Years with friends and family in Japan. The New Years dinner will consist of lots of special small dishes, it is very tasty and has a lot of tradition. Christmas we celebrate the Swedish way with all the usual ingridients."
3. Do you have a new years resolution is your New Years resolution?
"I will run the ING Amsterdam Marathon in 2009."
 Kees van Oosten, Attorney and Partner TeekensKarstens
1. What is new in your company 2009, and what are the expectations for next year?
"What will be new in TeekensKarstens Law Firm and what is very relevant to the Swe-Cham members is the launch of the brand TK Nordic. It's a one stop facility for Nordic companies of all sizes to find access to trustworthy, adequate and professional help not only for legal matters, but also for tax, financial and consultancy matters.
We are sure that some branches will experience major difficulties and others will have unexpected chances. This, I'm sure, will be reflected in our law practice. No super-optimistic take-overs, but I do think parties will tend to find each other's strength to get over difficult times. Or move across the borders because of opportunities created by the new economical balance. So yes: plenty of transactions. Also, plenty of reorganisations: our employment law department is already very busy and will become all the busier. Real estate might be a branch to slow down in the course of next year. Intellectual Property will go steady and so will Public Purchasing, Family Law and so on. TeekensKarstens Law Firm in the meantime will continue to move further up in the top 50 of Dutch law firms."
2. How will you celebrate New Year?
I will celebrate New Year in Sweden, at our fritidshus in Skåne near the Småland border, with my family and some friends.
3. Do you have any New Years resolution?
New year's resolutions tend to come and go, but I intend to keep using my bicycle to go to work as much as I can, to keep speedskating at Uithof in The Hague once a week.
Mr. Guido Van Den Brande, Managing Director The Royal Bank of Scotland 
1. What is new in you company 2009, and what is the expectations for next year?
"With the Current credit crisis, the recession, and the integration of the ABN AMRO Wholesale Business into RBS, 2009 will be a challenging year but also a year with new opportunities and a lot of experience to gain. In these times everyone will findout how important it is to have good relationships with your in- and external clients and get eachother through this crisis."
2. How will you celebrate New Year?
"With my familiy in a vactionhome in Vrouwenpolder (Zeeland), 5 minutes from the beach and very quit, this should give us time to reflect on 2008 and look ahead to 2009."
3. Do you have a New Years resolution?
"Off coures all the usual stuff like "eat less and more excercise" but also spend morer quality time with the familiy."
|
