Ekbladet 4/24

04/24

The Umeå School of Business, Economics and Statistics student association, HHUS is a volunteer association for all students at the Umeå School of Business, Economics and Statistics. We are a non-political party, non-union, and nonreligious association, with the purpose of handling and supporting our members’ interests. We work towards good contact between our members, our school, and businesses.

HHUS

HHUSMEDIA

HHUS

HHUS

HHUSINSPARK

CONTENTS EDITOR IN CHIEF COLUMN

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PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

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PRINCIPAL’S COLUMN

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LINNEA’S FOOD CHRONICLE

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RICKARD’S COLUMN

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HHUS MERCH

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HOME ALONE

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UNWRAPPING THE TRADITIONS OF CHRISTMAS Leisure read HECTOR’S COLUMN

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“LIFE AT UMEÅ UNIVERSITY”

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Explore the theme

Recipe

Scan QR

Trivia Q&A

Finance

ALUMNI 2021-23

U9

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FINSITTNING Pictures

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FANTABOLL

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Pictures

Mahi Chottani Editor in chief

Lisa Sånemyr President HHUS

Mats Bergman Dean USBE

Linnea Berneryd Head of Marketing HHUS

Rickard Lindberg Career center

Madison Quigley Vice Head of Education HHUS

Hector Rosenzweig

Head of Finance HHUS

Stefan Schaumberger Umea university Alumni 2021-23

Hillary Mondoñedo Head of Education HHUS

EDITOR IN CHIEF'S NOTE As the year ends and winter settles in, the spirit of festivity warms our hearts and homes. This time of year, is associated with holiday lights, cosy gatherings, and quiet moments of meditation.

People all over the world gather to celebrate traditions that offer light and joy to even the darkest days. Winter festivals, from Europe's bright Christmas markets to the quiet Hanukkah candlelighting ceremonies, serve as reminders of the value of community, thanks, and optimism.

Mahi Chottani Editor in Chief HHUS Ekbladet@hhus.se

Winter in India brings with it a plethora of vivid events. This season brilliantly showcases the country's diversity, with events such as Diwali (which often overlaps with late autumn), Christmas, and New Year's Eve. The Lohri festival in northern India commemorates the end of the winter solstice with bonfires, music, and dancing, whereas Makar Sankranti celebrates the harvest season with kite flying and traditional sweets.

Pongal, a four-day holiday in southern India, is widely celebrated to thank nature for a plentiful harvest. These winter customs highlight both India's cultural richness and its sense of togetherness in diversity.

Winter has its own special appeal in Sweden. The long nights and snowy landscapes may appear frightening at first, but they quickly become a canvas for beloved traditions such as fika by the fireplace, strolling through snow-covered Christmas markets, and participating in Lucia Day celebrations with ethereal candlelit processions. It's a season for learning to face the cold with open hearts and exploring the beauty of Swedish winters with friends from all over the world.

Winter holidays, regardless of where or how they are celebrated, have a magical way of drawing people together. As you enjoy the holiday season, we encourage you to reflect on the wonder of shared experiences and the memories built along the road. Here's to the end of a successful year and the start of new beginnings full of hope and potential. Warm wishes for a happy winter holiday season!

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Message HHUS Handelshögskolan i Umeå. Studentföreningen. @epuben @hhus.sports @hhus.finance @hhus.business linktr.ee/hhus

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PRESIDENT’S COLUMN As the year draws to a close, so does the mandate period of HHUS Management 2024.

Looking forward, an entirely new board and committees will proceed with the work that we have done this year, while contributing to the evolution of the association. I am convinced that next year will be the best one yet.

However, they will have their time! Let us focus on what has happened this year.

Lisa Sånemyr President HHUS president@hhus.se

I want to celebrate all of our actively engaged members for their dedication and hard work. The year has been lined with growth and development, introducing new events, new business partners, and so much more!

The contribution that this year's management has made to the association has led to a significant increase in active engagement. Interest in the board positions has doubled, committee applications have risen by 38%, and one of our masteries has seen an incredible 326% increase in applications! These accomplishments highlight the collective energy and commitment of our members, and I could not be more proud of everything we’ve achieved together. Thank you for your continued involvement and for making HHUS a community that grows stronger with each passing year.

I want to especially celebrate our beloved E-Puben. At the beginning of the year, the HHUS board chose to believe in E-Puben for another year, despite financial concerns suggesting otherwise. Looking back, it feels almost silly, considering how E-Puben has thrived and become a true point of pride for our members as the number one gathering place for business and economics students. Therefore, a huge thank you goes to the E-Puben Committee, all of our actively engaged members, and the broader community for collectively bringing E-Puben back to life.

Thank you to everyone for this year!

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PRINCIPAL’S COLUMN Mats Bergman Principal USBE 2024 mats.bergman@umu.se

För många studenter innebär slutet av året att tentamensperioden närmar sig. Även om de flesta hinner med både avkoppling och fest kring jul och nyår är det först i mitten av januari som höstterminen och tentorna är avklarade. Men för lärarna och förhoppningsvis också för många av våra studenter blir det ett par veckors välbehövlig återhämtning efter en intensiv termin. Så visst firar vi inom akademin att året är slut, men av tradition kommer det stora firandet först i början av sommaren.

Att vi firar mer när vårterminen tar slut än när höstterminen tar slut hänger förstås ihop med att det är då som det akademiska året (och skolåret) tar slut. Som så mycket annat har det akademiska året djupa rötter. Tidiga universitet, som de i Bologna och Paris, följde kyrkans kalendarium, där undervisning och studier ofta pausades under större religiösa högtider. Den långa sommarpausen sammanföll med lantbrukets krav, då många studenter och lärare behövde hjälpa till med skörden. De här traditionerna lever kvar vid svenska skolor och universitet. Exempelvis infaller Handelshögskolans största högtid, diplomeringen, vanligen kring månadsskiftet maj-juni (och år 2025 den 27 maj). Vid amerikanska universitet avslutas på samma sätt ofta vårterminen med en graduation ceremony eller en commencement. Ofta hålls då ett högtidligt tal, ett commencement speach, av en känd person och kanske av utbildningens valedictorian, alltså den student som presterat bäst i avgångsklassen.

Det akademiska firandet i slutet av kalenderåret är alltså vanligen mer stillsamt. Men med den typ av management och styrning som numera gäller för universitet blir det viktigt att redovisa sina resultat och framgångar. Här följer vi samhället i övrigt och mäter per kalenderår. Universitetets årsredovisning och Handelshögskolans verksamhetsberättelse blir ett tillfälle att lyfta fram det som gått bra under året. Här redovisas förstås intäkter och kostnader, eget kapital och resultat. (Fast inom staten kallar de två senare för myndighetskapital och kapitalförändring.)

Vi redovisar också hur många artiklar vi publicerat, hur ofta vi blivit citerade och hur mycket forskningsmedel vi dragit in, liksom hur många studenter som sökt våra utbildningar, hur många vi antagit och hur många vi examinerat. För enskilda lärare/forskare är ofta just citat och publiceringar guld värda eftersom de öppnar vägen för befordran till akademiska titlar. Det sades om en framgångsrik professor att han önskar få en display på gravstenen som visar hur antalet citeringar fortsätter att ticka uppåt. Någon sådan display har vi inte på Handelshögskolan men i början av nästa år kommer vi att redovisa att vi fortsätter att publicera fler artiklar, att vi i år haft stora framgångar med att få forskningsmedel från Vetenskapsrådet och att antalet nya programstudenter vid Handelshögskolan ökar kraftigt.

Men när detta år går mot sitt slut och ledigheterna närmar sig hoppas jag de flesta av oss får tänka mer avkopplande tankar än att räkna citeringar eller högskolepoäng. Med detta vill jag önska alla studenter och lärare en riktigt skön och avkopplande ledighet!

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Linnea’s Food Chronicle

Recipe Linnea Berneryd Head of Marketing HHIUS head.marketing@hhus.se

My most cherished memory from celebrating Christmas at home has always been the night before Christmas eve. Late in the evening, after my mom has done all of her Christmas food prep, my dad enters the kitchen and dusts off the old piece of paper in our cookbook cabinet. The paper holds my grandpa's handwritten recipe for Daim, a caramel bar covered in chocolate. My dad is honestly a great cook, but to this day he needs a few good tries before he is satisfied with the texture. However me and my two sisters did not mind since we got to eat the bad batches! I was never able to stay up until he reached perfection, but it is always worth the wait!

So here I give you the recipe to try for yourself!

1 tsk

Kakao

1 msk

Sirap

1 msk

Mjöl

1,5 msk Smör 0.75 dl

Socker (0,5 kopp)

Blanda allt i en stekpanna eller tjockbottnad kastrull. Koka upp.

Låt koka på svag värme i ca 4 min. Skär den i bitar. Doppa bitarna i smält blockchoklad.

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In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

With EY, you can make a meaningful impact, your way, and build a career as unique as you are. So, let’s take a look at what we do at EY! Kickstart your career with Assurance We help clients to enhance the reliability and quality of their financial reporting, internal controls, and risk management. Assurance builds trust in the capital markets and drives long-term value for organizations.

Some examples of assurance services are: Audit, Financial Accounting Advisory, Financial Reporting Services, Forensic & Integrity, Climate Change and Sustainability Shape The Future of Business with Consulting As part of Consulting, you’ll be helping our clients to transform their businesses, people, processes, and technologies, to achieve their strategic objectives and create long-term value.

Consulting covers a broad spectrum of services, such as Business, technology, Risk and People Consulting, Sustainability

Strategize and drive success with Strategy & Transactions By joining Strategy and Transactions, you can help our clients to make better, more informed decisions as they buy, sell, separate, integrate, reshape, restructure, or rethink their business strategy.

Some examples of our services are: Valuation, Modelling, and Economics, Transactions Due Diligence, Mergers and Acquisitions, Corporate Finance, Turnaround and Restructuring, Real Estate Advisory Master the complexity of Tax & Law Businesses can sometimes struggle to manage their taxes and legal obligations. They may lack the necessary knowledge or experience, and that’s when EY steps in to help.

We offer a variety of services in Tax, including: Business Tax, Indirect Tax, International Tax, Transaction Tax, Tax Controversy, Tax Policy, Tax Technology, Law

Meet some of us!

Anton Eckerbom

Service line: Consulting Internal Role: National Lead for EY’s Student Relations Team Education: BSc Business Administration, MSc Management, Stocholm’s University

Service line: Tax & Law Internal role: National Lead for EY’s Student Relations Team Education: Master of Laws (LLM), Lund’s University

This is the best thing about my job:

My best tip for new joiners:

The People! Everyday, I am surrounded by inspiring people, and I am keep on learning from them. As a plus, they are not just my colleagues but also became my close friends!

Be curious and dare to make mistakes! During the first years, the focus should be on learning, so try to work as broadly as possible with as many different colleagues as possible. Only when you have tried most things can you know what you want to do

Read more about EY and our career opportunities.

© 2024 Ernst & Young AB, Al Rights Reserved.

Boróka Jeney Vintersten

Rickard’s column Do we all live in “the shitthropocene” and how to avoid tumbling around in the repetitive 5 week cycle? (or caught in the ”vinkelvolt” as a saying based on a Swedish comedy sketch Galenskaparna, google it)

SHORT-TERMISM IN STUDENT LIFE I guess it is a somewhat rational behavior, but it nevertheless ends up irrational in the end. I am talking about being victim of the repetitive 5-week-cycle that constitutes a standard course. Once it has ended you start all over with a new cycle and on it goes until you suddenly realize graduation is around the corner and you “forgot” to deal with some of the issues that flickered by occasionally (…I might have had the same challenges when I was a student myself…) I have tried to highlight this issue in workshops and info sessions over the years but realize the majority still struggle with it. I would argue that it is a matter of mindset where some of you manage to work more parallel with your long term goals (or creating them) than the majority does.

Rickard Lindberg Career Center USBE Rickard.Lindberg@umu.se

Curiosity is another keyword I emphasize. It helps you discover and move forward. Perhaps one could paraphrase the famous quote from the movie Forrest Gump; “Life is like a box of chocolates” so it is just to start exploring the different tastes. A few ideas on that; -What happens if you proactively decide to be curious on professional aspects related to your studies but do that outside of the curriculum?

-What would happen if you defined your work week as 80% course work and 20% would be more on labor market research or adding new perspectives from news/webinars/networks etc?

-Shifting to digital calendar and scheduling yourself for more long-term issues could be one action to make it more structured.

I know you are bunch already doing much of this and I hope those of you agree that if often makes the education itself more rewarding since you can link in between the curriculum and the extra curricular nurturing both.

COMPETENCE GAPS TO TARGET IN THE LABOR MARKET Knowing the sweet spots to target in on as a fresh graduate would of course be a delicate feeling. Perhaps you have already zoomed in on a few towards your areas of interest. A recent insight to me was the apparent lack of “ordering competence (beställarkompetens) that seems to have sneaked itself into the marketing industry. In a recent article series in the magazine Resumé this was highlighted.

- “Today there are very few marketing managers who have experience in valuing and buying brand and communication concepts”.

According to several industry representatives, it is not just about a lack of time or resources, but a lack of understanding of both the target group and the media landscape.

Lurking in the background as possible explanations there seems to be a hunt for “effectiveness” and economic stress that drives a short sighted tactical focus leaving out strategic long term brand management.

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The industry further seems to have become too, in their own view, procurement driven so that essential resources are spent on briefs/pitches for which no funding is rewarded unless you end up winning.

This of course highlights the importance of understanding long term brand management, having skills in pitching but also perhaps knowledge in procurement.

Other aspects highlighted An apparent discrepancy between how and what to measure where excel sheets might be a bit limited in measuring human capital and creativity. investors and private equity are more prominent than before which is also stated as a reason why cost for marketing is more challenged than previously.

Marketers ability to manage the language of the CFO is important to succeed with initiatives and anchoring of ideas.

There seems to be a lot of data-driven work going on but it is not always insight-driven.

So a bunch of things dive into and improve when entering, in this case, brand management professions.

Welcome to the shitthropocene (the Age of Cheap Crap) Pop your popcorns and settle down in your sofa for 45 minutes of Patagonia insights.

Image: Courtesy of Patagonia

While putting done these words I have not yet seen it myself so I cannot give you my review. I can however give you a few thoughts from the marketing manager in Europe for the outdoor clothing company Patagonia, Tyler LaMotte, from an interview made;

-SHIFT YOUR MINDSET FROM "CONSUMER" TO "OWNER".

With an ownership perspective, you become much more inclined to take care of what you buy, to care for the product and repair it if necessary, and then perhaps to pass it on - all things that extend the life of the product.

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If you decide to make a purchase - choose quality, choose used, choose something that lasts, that can be repaired and donated or resold if needed, An honest question from me then is… How long can you/do you want to own a garment from Shein as a current example?

One challenge Tyler LaMotte believes today's marketers face is the younger generation's media consumption and ever-shorter attention spans. Getting young people to engage in longer narratives is difficult, he feels. The digital savvy lifestyle also for many means less contact with the natural world, raising questions marks for this group's ability to fully grasp the climate and ecological crisis happening. Your comments on that?

Wrapping it up we can throw in two more up-coming changes to monitor with your revived 20% of the week . Patagonia is closely following the development towards digital product passports (DDP), which should give consumers the opportunity to easily gain insight into a product's entire supply chain. This will be accompanied with the anti-greenwashing legislation, EU:s ”Green Claims Directive” in 2026.

😊

In summary of it all I phrase the MIT Sloan fall issue with your future contribution in mind; Leading to Empower: Inspire, Activate, and Trust Talent to Execute Strategy.

If you feel this text was to long you can now use NotebookLM and make this chronicle into a podcast instead.

I summarize this chronicle with a music tip as usual, some winter pulse this time in the shape of The Protomen with “Light up the night”.

As usual, keep an eye on emails from Career Center through information@usbe.umu.se and as always you are welcome to contact me at rickard.lindberg@umu.se when you want to discuss initiatives for activities, personal development opportunities, job considerations and the future labor market.

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HHUS Merch Buy Buy now now Scan the QR code and order Hoodies for 339 kr and Computers case for 139 kr 15

HOME ALONE TRIVIA Q &A 1. Q: In the movie Home Alone what were the two bad guys’ names?

2. Q: What type of arachnid did Marv try to smack off of Harry?

3. Q: Where did the McCallister’s go for Christmas in the 1st Home Alone?

4. Q: Which bad guy ended up looking like a chicken?

5. Q: What Christmas tree ornament did Kevin choose from the toy store in Home Alone 2?

6. Q: Finish this sentence, “You guys give up? Or are you _______ ___ ____?”

7. Q: Who said the famous line, “Harry, I’ve reached the top!”?

8. Q: What hit Marv and Harry while they were coming up the stairs?

9. Q: What were Marv and Harry’s two bandit names?

10. Q: Who stepped on glass ornaments, got a staple in the nose, and stepped on a nail?

11. Q: What is the name of the pizza place that delivers to the McCallister house?

12. Q: What song does Kevin lip-sync to while cleaning up the house?

13. Q: How does Kevin create the illusion of a party at his house to scare off the Wet Bandits?

14. Q: What is the name of Kevin’s neighbor who is initially rumored to be a murderer?

1. Marv and Harry, 2. Tarantula, 3. Paris, France, 4. Harry, 5. Two Turtledoves, 6. “Thirsty for more”, 7. Marv, 8. Swinging paint cans & Metal Pipe, 9. The Wet Bandits and The Sticky Bandits, 10. Marv, 11. Little Nero’s Pizza, 12. “White Christmas” by The Drifters, 13. Mannequins, cardboard cutouts, a train set, and music., 14. Old Man Marley

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“Unwrapping the traditions of Christmas”

by Madison Quigley In my family we celebrate Christmas. Christmas traditions have transformed over the years, some of these traditions have held on, and some have fizzled away as they do when children grow into adults. This is a time that is centered around family, festivity, joy, gratefulness, giving back, and an overall feeling of warmth. Homes have twinkling lights around their roofs, decorations in their yards, wreaths on the front doors. There are Christmas light decoration contests, and you can drive around town to see all the magnificent decorations, often paired with Christmas music on the radio. There are smells of cookies, cinnamon, hot chocolate, pine, and festive candles in the air. Families partake in different traditions and with many customs that get passed down from generations.

As I grew up, we would write letters to Santa Clause, and decorate Christmas cookies with our family friends. We would go to different Christmas tree lots to find the perfect tree. We would play Christmas music and decorate the Christmas tree as a family. We would reminisce as each year passed about the different ornaments, where they came from, the memories attached to them, and often laugh at our inside joke as we watched our mom move the ornaments to be perfectly spaced and thoughtfully placed. We would have Christmas music playing in the background, and dance and sing together. We also had a pickle ornament, and whoever found it first got to hide it in the tree. Then up until Christmas if you found it, you could move the ornament in the tree, whoever was the last person to hide it received bragging rights. We had an elf on the shelf from Germany that was a tradition passed down from my dad, but this elf was magic to us as children as it could move and hide itself in different parts of the house. Every Christmas Eve we would each open one designated present, often containing new festive pajamas. We would put these on, prepare hot chocolate, popcorn, and then watch the Polar Express together. We would lay our cookies and milk for Santa Clause, as well as carrots for his reindeers.

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On Christmas morning we would wake up early to find a letter from Santa, crumbs from the cookies, and carrots that found their way outside. We then would open presents and unveil the contents of our stockings, I especially looked forward to the stockings we made for our dogs, full of treats, and special toys. We then would go to my Grandparents house for her wonderful breakfast casserole, and cinnamon rolls, we would open presents together near the Christmas tree. We created a new tradition as we got a bit older that was focused on giving back to those in need. We received donations from family and friends, blankets, socks, essentials, food, clothing items, and a handwritten card from me for each gift. We would then drive around downtown to provide those in need with a care package. We then would go home, with both a full and a heavy heart, expressing our gratitude. We would change our clothes and go back to my Grandparents house for Christmas dinner, with the rest of our family on my mom’s side, and often a combination of friends. We sit around the table together and typically eat ham, cheesy potatoes, salad, various side dishes, followed by deserts reminiscing on Christmas in the past.

Traditions change throughout the years as we grow up, and as families change. But some things also stay the same, and there is nothing like smelling pine from a Christmas tree, seeing faces light up as you gift them something they have been wanting or needing, expressing love and gratitude to family, and watching sappy Christmas movies. The traditions my parents created in our family I want to continue in my life, and I always look forward to celebrating this time of year regardless of how it adapts or where I am in the world.

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God Jul och Gott Nytt År!

Vi på PwC Umeå vill önska alla studenter en riktigt härlig jul och ett framgångsrikt nytt år. Tack för ett gott samarbete under året som gått. Vi hoppas att ni får en välförtjänt ledighet och tid att ladda upp inför det kommande året. Är du redo för nya utmaningar och vill kickstartadin karriär? Besök vår karriärsida för att upptäcka spännande möjligheter som väntar på dig. Vi ser fram emot att välkomna dig till vårt team!

Varmaste julhälsningar, PwC

www.pwc.se/karriar

HECTOR’S REVIEW “CELEBRATING TWO DECADES OF GROWTH AT THE FINANCE GROUP” This year marks a special milestone for the Finance Group as we celebrate 20 years of managing investments and promoting the financial interests of all HHUS members. Reflecting on my tenure as Head of Finance, I am filled with pride at the progress and transformative changes we have achieved together.

One of our most significant steps forward this year was rebranding from “The Finance Mastery” to “The Finance Group”. This change reflects our commitment to enhancing the group’s reputation, creating a more inclusive and approachable identity, and increasing interest in our work across the HHUS association.

Hector Rosenzweig Head of Finance HHUS head.finance@hhus.se

We also made notable improvements in branding and communication, which includes introducing a logo and webpage. These updates, alongside a renewed focus on our image, have significantly boosted our visibility and engagement. Interest in the Finance Group has reached an all-time high, with a record number of applications to join our team. To everyone who applied, thank you! I highly encourage you to apply again next year.

Within the group, we concentrated on refining our operations, particularly in enhancing the quality of our equity analysis. While these efforts are ongoing, I am confident that the Finance Group is on track to becoming one of Sweden’s leading student-led finance organizations in regards to the quality of our analysis and high financial returns.

Beyond operational improvements, we achieved a remarkable 250% increase in assets under management. This growth includes the significant honor of managing the student union’s capital, a testament to the trust and confidence placed in the Finance Group.

As my year as Head of Finance comes to a close, I am profoundly grateful for the incredible team that has made these achievements possible. Every member of the Finance Group has played an essential role in our success, and it has been a privilege to lead such a dedicated and talented group of individuals.

Looking ahead, I extend my heartfelt thanks to all of you and my best wishes to the next Head of Finance. May they lead with the same passion that have brought us to this extraordinary 20th anniversary.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out on our Instagram @hhus.finance or through 20 email at Head.Finance@hhus.se.

Tillsammans med entreprenörföretag skapar vi framtiden

Kiruna

Luleå

Vill du veta mer? Besök karriar.grantthornton.se Våra mötesplatser i norr

Umeå Östersund

Sundsvall

“LIFE AT UMEÅ UNIVERSITY” Hej! I am Stefan Schaumberger and I am an alumni for Umeå university, where I studied Accounting at a Master’s degree between 2021 and 2023. My time in Umeå has been so positive and I cannot describe in words how much my life has changed, for the better. Personally, I really enjoyed my time that I spent in and around the university, which compared to other universities, felt so much more connected to my study buddies and friends, for example by studying together in the library, taking a coffee at Lindellhallen or talking about personal stuff.

Furthermore, I really loved to be a part of first the buddy program as a student and in my later semester be a buddy leader myself. Being a buddy leader means that you are responsible for a group of new students, you provide guidance, but also organize all kinds of fun activities outside university. Coming from a university in Austria, where a buddy program is non-existing, I was thrilled to meet new people with different cultural backgrounds and most of all I think it was fun to organize all sorts of activities (e.g. gatherings, movie nights or laser tag games). For anybody being hesitant or still thinking about joining the buddy program, do not be, it is a wonderful opportunity to meet new people, create memories and especially for me it helped me to get out of my shell and meet people. You only study once, so use your time wisely!

However, one thing that I definitely did not cope as good as I had hoped for as an international student coming to Sweden was the darkness of the north. Especially, during October and November, just before the first snow arrives, it was extremely hard to motivate myself to do anything next to my studies. For anybody having the same issues as I had faced, do not worry. Personally, for me it was firstly that my mind bounced back once the first snow had fallen and it started to be a bit lighter and secondly, exercising at IKSU, spending time with friends and enjoying this special time of the year made it easier to get over the darkness.

Being a non-swede in Sweden Moving from Austria to Sweden was a relatively easy transition for me personally. This is mostly because the Austrian and the Swedish culture are not too different. Even though, there are a few “quirks” that I found pretty interesting and that I had to get used to up in the north of Sweden. For example, in Austria, if you know a little bit of German, people usually talk to you instantly, greet you or start conversations. However, getting into a conversation with a Swede and especially with one from the north sometimes feels like talking to a wall or keeping the conversation going on your own. Even with professors from the north it was sometimes hard to communicate, but in a funny way. During one of my courses, I broke my arm. When I tried to ask the professor for guidance, which I got in the end, he did not really react or showed much concern, at least not in our conversation, which I still think is one of the funniest in my whole life (as it was pretty short on his end). Other than some quirks, I have found the people in the north to be extremely polite and unhinged.

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Transitioning from studies to work After my studies at Umeå university I tried to find a work close to Gothenburg. In the six months before I found a job, I applied to a lot of different job offers and got neglected or did not even make it into an interview. Even though, it was hard to accept that it took longer time, I also learned how valuable tips from university professors regarding applications can be and that broadening ones field of search can help. Finally, I got offered a job as a sustainability controller in Gothenburg. I was a little bit hesitant first, as leaving Accounting and Finance was a big decision for me, however, that was not necessarily the case as my previous experiences and expertise within Accounting and Finance is a really good help.

Coming back to my studies in Umeå, I believe that the time that I spent there, the people that I have met and the experiences that I have gained have changed me as a person and has laid out the path for me and my future.

What do I do as a Sustainability Controller?

I have taken over some tasks from my boss, who has previously managed the Health and Safety and Environmental reporting and I am mostly responsible for consolidating, automizing and taking care of the data that is being reported out. However, my main responsibility is to work towards the implementation of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) into our annual and sustainability report. To be able to be compliant with this new EU legislation, I have been leading workshops as part of the double materiality assessment project with all of our global functions in order to determine which of the environmental, social and governance topics we have to report on. It has been a busy year since I have started at Bulten, but I have enjoyed every day up until now, working so closely with people from various functions worldwide and learning along the way. Regarding skill set, I feel like my previous studies in Austria and Umeå have prepared me to some degree with the skills I need to work as a Sustainability Controller. If you are willing to dig deep and keep on building up knowledge upon this new topic of reporting, you will find that sustainability reporting is not too different from the financial reporting. I even believe that it is more attractive at the moment, as companies are looking for young people that come in with a fresh mind set to set up their compliance environment for this new legislation. Yes, I was not born a Sustainability Controller, but I feel like this is the place to be for me in my short to medium-term future and most of all I feel like that I am contributing to a better future and that the work that I do is meaningful.

If my story made you a bit curious on sustainability controlling, what could be your next step?

Here is some sources and podcasts that helped me to get introduced in to the topic of CSRD: What Is the CSRD? | IBM Podcast: ESG reporting update Keywords to look out for: Sustainability reporting, CSRD, Double materiality analysis

23

“U9”

by: Hillary Mondoñedo Head of Education HHUS December is filled with days full of holiday celebration and traditions. The president and I have been very lucky to start off our December by attending our last U9 in Gothenburg.

At U9 the unions and associations of the 9 biggest business schools come together to strategise and gain information from each other’s experiences. The conference has created its own traditions as well as uses the unions and associations’ own traditions to strengthen the bond and relationship we share. Each of the respective universities takes a turn hosting the U9 conference.

The first day is usually filled with activities with opportunities for members to bond and discuss matters in a more informal setting.

The second day is usually mostly filled with a conference and a sittning during the evening. One of the traditions during U9 is exchanging pins, with the logotype of the members’ respective union/association, and to complete the full collection. It is also during the sittning that we get to know more about the host university’s own traditions.

My personal experience during the conference has been very very positive. Through the traditions of U9 a safe environment was created where members can support each other with the responsibilities that they have on their shoulder. I’ve gotten to meet so many new friends through this wonderful conference!

It was an honour to have been able to represent HHUS during the various events. It was incredible being able to soak up the different ways of celebrations and traditions. I’m looking forward to how HHUS will present our own traditions and celebrations when it’s our time to host next year!

24

It was a sad day at the office.

Everyone knew it was over.

That no matter what they did, this was it.

But they kept at it.

They did their jobs.

Did it proudly.

And when it was time to say their goodbyes, they smiled at each other.

Because deep down they knew.

They would see each other again.

They would get the chance to work together again.

They would just have to wait.

Until Monday.

With great tech comes great team spirit

Choose your impact.

Connect at deloitte.se/student

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