Business woman Barbro Ehnbom has become renowned for her valuable networks and her successful business-generating activities, for example through the female network Barbro’s Best & Brightest, the Female Economist of the Year award and within life sciences is perhaps best known as the founder of SALSS, the Swedish-American Life Science Summit.

Over the years she has answered many questions about networking and how to build a successful career. Her own career however was more of a coincidence than a strategic plan she says when we meet during one of the very first rainy autumn days at biotech company Vironova’s office in Stockholm. She has been in town for a few weeks, not least because of the happy occasion of her son’s wedding, and she chit-chats a little with the others at the office before serving herself a cup of coffee. “But a fortunate coincidence,” she adds when we sit down at a table in one of the modern conference rooms.

Barbro is smart and quick-witted, but she is also curious and she makes people feel relaxed and noticed. She likes to discuss US politics and who will win this year’s Nobel Prize and during our interview she suggested at least ten different successful women I should speak to.

It is harder to get her to speak about herself, but Barbro elaborates on her thoughts about her own career and adds that her choices have also been born from expectations from home and from herself to achieve an academic degree and also a strong sense and determination to make it on her own and earn her own money.

The academic world

Barbro grew up in Stockholm as the youngest of five siblings. Her father was the head of the Swedish National Audit Office and was very involved in his legal career.

The person who influenced her the most, however, was her mother, Astrid. “My mother looked like a fragile butterfly but she was strong as a lion,” says Barbro with warmth in her voice.

“She had an amazing spirit. She was working full time and took care of all of us kids, but she also staged musicals and was a director. When she became ill with rheumatism she studied and received a PhD about Russian icons. So I have definitely been inspired by my mother and I have grown up with a strong interest for the academic world. Education and culture have always been important.”

As a child Barbro dreamt about becoming a poet or a veterinarian. Her interest in nature and animals probably came from the summers she spent at a homestead in Södermanland, a province in the south-east of Sweden. There she had the opportunity to take care of the animals, weed the turnip patch and wander around in the beautiful enchanted forests.

“But I was advised not to become a veterinarian, partly because it would mean very high costs for a young woman at that time,” she says. “I was also interested in becoming a diplomat but my sister Karin beat me to it. So my choice became the Stockholm School of Economics, and I am very happy about that.”

Day & Night

In her program on the Swedish radio show “Sommar i P1” two years ago Barbro described how she, dressed in black and white from head to toe (even her nails where black and white), with a 1960´s cap on her head and high boots, entered the prestigious Stockholm School of Economics. Almost immediately she was told that “the secretary course is in the evenings, sweetie.”

At that time only ten percent at the school were women, but Barbro was not discouraged and she lived by the motto “good girl during the days and party princess during the nights.” She was a top student and at the same time very committed to the school’s students’ union where she arranged notorious parties.

During our interview Barbro emphasized several times how much the Stockholm School of Economics has meant to her through the years and how the friends she met there are still important to her.

One year later she was working as a law teacher at the same school and had, together with some friends, started a company that arranged board dinners “perhaps Sweden’s first party planning company” and the perfect way for a young student to meet valuable contacts.

“Early on I took care of myself; I founded my own companies and made my own money. For every goal I achieved my self-confidence grew,” she says.

Working mom

Barbro also founded a company in New York during the 1980s – again, one of the first females’ in such a role. With her cosmetics company Swedish Secret, appointed Best Newcomer, she worked hard and a lot, so much so that only three days after her son was born she was back in the office.

“He had a nanny and he was well taken care of. It was harder for me,” she says. “But I was lucky; I had my own company and could bring both my son and my dog to the office.”

Women should think carefully about where they want to be working the day they have kids, she advises. “At a large company you will have a lot more security but in a smaller company maybe it is more ok to work from home.”

Having a career in New York meant always acting professionally and in Sweden it is hard to understand the business culture there, she says.

“You can’t just work a 40 hour week. In New York there are no safety nets and most people use a majority of their salaries to cover their living accommodation. A lot of people are only 2-3 months away from being homeless.”

She describes for example how she lost almost everything she had in a fire, but nevertheless she went to work the day after – in borrowed clothes. Another time during a business meeting high up in a skyscraper the fire alarm went off but nobody moved, they just continued their discussions.

But being professional and dutiful has also been an important aspect in her success, Barbro believes.

“If I set a goal I reach it, and I felt that way even when I was young.”

With diversity comes innovation

Despite her own journey Barbro thinks that in order for women today to reach top positions a greater flexibility is needed at workplaces.

“Sweden is at the top when it comes to equality between men and women, but unfortunately it is still not ok or financially possible to hire help with childcare or household duties. Foremost we need to create an environment adapted to female executives that will work long-term.”

Barbro adds that efforts should also be put into changing the workplace culture, companies need to step up their game and involve and include women, and frankly ‘men need to grow up‘. Barbro Dahlman Hall’s books on the subject of leadership with a gender perspective were an eye opener, she says.

When it comes to affirmative action in favor of women (a quota policy) Barbro has changed her opinion. Previously she was against it but today she is for it, but thinks that it should be called something else, something more positive.

“It is needed and it does not have to be such a big deal. Affirmative actions in favor of women have proven not only to increase the number of women but also the skill level in board rooms. An increasing diversity is a positive spiral, people are becoming more comfortable with each other’s differences, comfortable with change, and are daring to choose partners on the basis of competence and suitability for the job. With diversity comes innovation.”

For the same reasons as she believes women and men and different ethnicity adds value to companies, she also believes different ages do too.

“Instead of pensioner it should be called senior advisor. The older generations have so much experience and knowledge to share. Start by speaking to your mother-in-law, your uncle or your grandfather.”

Mentor and promotor

Barbro has been a pioneer and the first woman in so many positions; as a student at the Stockholm School of Economics, as executive leader in the pharma industry, as executive analyst on Wall Street, as entrepreneur and as the only woman among 69 men in the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce in New York. Throughout her whole career she has been a woman in surroundings dominated by men, and Barbro has also come to work more actively and strategically to promote and help other women in their careers.

A concrete action was the foundation of the Female Economist of the Year (FEOY) award. She wanted to give back to her former school and since 2001 the award has promoted future female leaders in the financial world.

“During my years working in M&A [mergers and acquisitions] I never met any women in leadership positions, and I wanted to change that,” says Barbro.

The winner, a female student from the school, receives a scholarship and Barbro herself is mentor and promotor. Susanna Francke Rodau, today Head of Healthcare Development at Roche Diagnostics Scandinavia, received the 2005 award, including a tailor-made trainee program at Pfizer.

“Besides the fact that it was a great honor, it was also FEOY who opened the door into the life science industry for me, where I have had a challenging and rewarding career for the past 14 years. In addition the scholarship gave me an extensive network of both other scholarship holders and other people connected to the Stockholm School of Economics, Barbro Ehnbom and the scholarship, which still gives me great joy and benefit,” Susanna Francke Rodau says.

For those who don’t get this type of opportunity, Barbro advises women and men aiming for a leadership role to target the traditional male-dominated work environments, not the HR department.

She also advises creating a strong network and maybe a mentor who believes in you and can help promote you.

“Become committed to something outside your work environment, perhaps a charity or something cultural. It also enriches your life. Seek out new networks by yourself, not together with your closest friends; this will broaden your network,” she says.

Barbro herself has been very involved in cultural activities and exchange between Sweden and the US. She has for example been Director of the Northern Lights Theatre and she is a member of the board at the Jussi Björling Society and the Taube Society.