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AdColonizedFredrikVikstromCompanyCulture

AdColonized: Getting to Know Fredrik Vikström

Posted Feb 17, 2021

Meet Fredrik Vikström, a Sales Manager working out of our Stockholm office! Besides working with his team to develop our LinkedIn presence, Fredrik enjoys spending time with his kids, using the Calm app to meditate and relax, and listening to all types of music. Get to know him better in this week’s AdColonized employee spotlight!

What exactly does a Sales Manager do at AdColony? What’s an average day like for you?

The most common image people have for a Sales Manager is around the responsibility of hitting our targets as a team, which is true of course, but there’s so much more, like making sure the team is working “as a team” and not as individuals, which is easy considering how amazing the team is. Other than that, it’s many day to day questions around invoices, budgets, strategy, client pitches, meetings, being a second pair of eyes on all sorts of stuff, performance reviews, collaborating with other teams, and much more.

Tell us a little about your experiences prior to joining AdColony and how they have prepared you for your role here.

I come from a Telco background as both sales rep and sales manager (5 years), and after that transitioned over to online sales for a company called hitta.se (7+ years), which can be compared with how the Yellow Pages operates their business. I didn’t start out as a Sales Manager at first when joining AdColony, I was one out of seven people hired to sell the AdColony products the company had 6+ years ago, and that was fairly new on the market here in Scandinavia. After about a year or so, I was asked to start up the marketing side of the LinkedIn business here in Sweden, and according to my old manager at that time, I was the most suitable candidate since I was the only one wearing a suit/jacket to work, which of course is one way to look at it. 😁 

After a while, I hired a colleague of mine since the interest for LinkedIn in Sweden was blooming, so I had to bring some help, and I think at the same time I kind of grew into the role of being a manager at AdColony as well. Almost six years later, together with my colleagues at the Stockholm office, I run one of the biggest LinkedIn teams globally when it comes to revenue.

What makes AdColony the right fit for you?

First of all, this is the first time I am working for an international company that doesn’t have all the vital functions such as HR, Finance, Marketing, etc. in the same country I work in. At first, it kind of bothered me a bit, being used to having all these functions around me, but after some time, I think that’s exactly why I grew to like AdColony as a company so much. It’s a company that has all sorts of nationalities, roles, business lines, and great people, the mix basically.

Just going to Istanbul as an example, without actually going there on holiday, was an amazing experience, not just the climate, but to meet other people within the business and become close friends. I would say that AdColony really takes care of their employees and wants them to feel “ at home.”

AdColony values employee development. How do you keep growing and learning in what you do?

I think a lot of what I’ve learned in the past 5-6 years is stuff that actually has occurred during our day to day work, which may not sound that exciting, but it’s learning by doing.

Since we’re such a small team here in Sweden and running LinkedIn exclusively, we try to give feedback to each other as much as possible to keep growing ourselves as individuals. 

How do you act as a resource for the rest of your team?

I hope that I carry a lot of knowledge with me that can be adapted to our day to day work, considering I’ve been in the LinkedIn business for almost six years now, so that would my take on this, but maybe it’s a question you should ask the team. 😁

Is there someone you turn to personally or professionally?

Personally, I talk a lot about work and personal stuff with my ex-girlfriend (I know, “let her go and move on Fred” 😁) since we’ve become really close friends, and we know each other really well. Apart from that, my colleagues are both my close friends and work colleagues, and we have become quite personal with each other as well.

Many global AdColony employees are still working from home. Do you have any work-from-home tips for success you can share?

That’s a tough one to answer. I think every individual needs to come up with their own recipe of success when WFH, but I can recommend to take breaks once in a while and not sit in front of the computer for hours and hours. I suggest playing some Playstation or going to the gym during the day, just to get that “break.” You’re going to be much more productive when feeling relaxed and not feeling pressure from work.

What are your hobbies or activities that you look forward to doing on the weekends or after work?

I have two kids on the mid-teenager spectrum, so a lot of my “free time” is dedicated to them— soccer practice, their friends coming over for dinner, and hanging out. Tic Tok videos are a huge part of my kids life at the moment. 😏 Other than that, I don’t think I’m that much different from other parents with kids— trying to spend as much time as possible at the gym, trying to deny my body the right to be older. Turning 40 is around the corner, so whatever helps me get my mind away from that is what I would be doing.

Which app is keeping you engaged lately? Why?

I’ve been using an app called Calm a lot in the last six months. I use the app for meditation and relaxation, especially in the evenings before going to bed. It’s a great way to unwind, and it really helps.

Tell us one or two fun facts about you.

I might be pushing 40, but I act like a child sometimes (quite often to be honest.) “You need to grow up,” were the words that the mother of my children told me before we separated. That, I find quite funny, and I stand for it as well, but I do have the ability to switch from personal “Fredrik” mode to work mode quite easily, which I’m thankful for.

What is your favorite moment you’ve had with the AdColony team so far?

The Istanbul trip back in 2019 (AdColony Intelligence Summit) without a doubt! It was an amazing experience that really made me understand how wonderful this company is.

What are you listening to lately (music, podcasts, etc.)?

Anything from Jazz, to HipHop, all depending on the mood I’m in.

What are you looking forward to most in the next 5 years?

Work: To build our Scandinavian LinkedIn business even bigger and stronger and to be the most important partner globally seen by LinkedIn.

Private: To see my kids go through their teenage years 🙈

About AdColonized
Each AdColonized feature shines a light on a different member of the AdColony team. From favorite apps and hobbies to fun facts, we cover it all! Who do you want to see on the next AdColonized? Tweet it to @AdColony. For the latest AdColony mobile news and updates, follow @AdColony on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or connect on LinkedIn.

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