Karin has a solid academic background as a researcher. For most of her career, she has worked as a business-oriented leader. Read Karin's interesting perspective.
You combine a solid academic research background with business leadership. How do you do it, and what are your success factors?
The short answer is actually a genuine interest in both areas. If I were to elaborate a bit, it is very much about the fact that after I left my own research, I had the privilege of working with business development and sales to researchers in industry. Then I discovered that business and leadership were also really interesting and fun, and since then I have held positions that have both these components. It is important for me that there should be a scientific basis around the business itself, which means that I often end up in knowledge-intensive business areas where I benefit greatly from knowing how research is conducted, even though I am of course not a specialist in any research area nowadays. To succeed as a leader also requires a great deal of humility and a joy in being part of a larger context that contributes to something really good. Being open to change and daring to tread new ground have also been important success factors in my roles as a leader.

What can the business world learn from the research world, and vice versa?
The business world and the research world within universities have completely different conditions, which is also reflected in governance and leadership. But there are also some similarities, such as the importance of leaders being driven and persistent and believing in themselves. The clear organizational structure, target management and follow-up in the business world have their advantages and parts of this could be used more in the research world / universities. From a leadership perspective, it is exciting with the system applied in the universities with collegial appointments to certain leading positions that at best entail a strong anchoring and participation.

What are the biggest challenges of leading an ancient business like the Swedish Pharmacy Association?
The biggest challenge is to constantly ensure that we take advantage of the right things from our fantastic history and ensure that we develop these to be a relevant player with a range that is at the absolute forefront. It's a challenge, but the opportunities we have are many and it's very stimulating to be part of this and to see it pay off.