#OurFootprint — Role Models series — interview with Ambassador Åsa Webber, Deputy Permanent Representative of Sweden to the EU
PWI Brussels is dedicated to helping women grow and succeed and to accelerate gender balanced leadership. We recognise the importance of highlighting stories of successful women that can inspire others and be our role models.
Today, we are talking to Ambassador Åsa Webber, Deputy Permanent Representative of Sweden to the EU, about her career, the importance of having role models and sponsors along the way, as well as her involvement in supporting efforts to achieve greater gender equality, and her future professional plans.
PWI Bxl: You have spent almost all your professional career in the Swedish public sector. What has been your key inspiration and driver in dedicating all these years to serve your country?
Åsa: My key inspiration throughout my career has been a wish to contribute to the society and to the common good.
This is something I have always felt strongly about. You can, of course, do it in many different ways. Working in the public sector is one of them as it allows you to be part of the policy making process, which essentially builds a society.
PWI Bxl: When has your story with the European affairs started?
Åsa: I’ve always had a keen interest in international affairs, which we would always discuss at the dinner table at home. After my A levels, I went for a year to Paris, where I worked for the Swedish Ambassador. That is where i really got the drive that has kept me going since. Once you go out there — it’s hard to stop.
I’ve been at the Swedish Permanent Representation to the EU since 2005, which is quite unusual in the foreign service where people tend to change locations every four years or so. However, I have had three different posts here in Brussels and have always learnt a lot.
Working in Brussels has also allowed me to learn a lot about my own country. Probably much more than I would have learnt had I stayed in Sweden. I find it fascinating.
PWI Bxl: Throughout your career in the public sector, you have actually covered quite a wide range of policy areas. You have also worked both on the national level, in Stockholm, and in a multilateral environment, in Brussels. Is that a distinctive sign of your curious mind or a natural element of being a diplomat?
Åsa: I’ve always had a curious mind — trying to understand how the world works. My dad was a teacher so learning new things has since forever been part of who I am.
At the same time, Brussels is also quite a unique place, allowing you to absorb all these different cultures and to learn how to work with people coming from different countries. It teaches you to move around this world in a different manner than you would do in a more defined structure, back in the capital.
We have always had a lot of freedom in our work, as long as we achieve the key goal — to deliver for Sweden in the EU. And since Sweden also wants to the EU to be prosperous and successful, it all goes hand in hand.
That said, the diversity of topics I work on comes with the job, in a way. I am the Deputy Head of the Swedish Permanent Representation to the EU and my job is to represent my country on a wide variety of issues, so it naturally means working on many policy areas.
While, initially, this wasn’t something I set off to do when I came to Brussels, I now realise it has been one of the greatest privileges I could have ever experienced.
PWI Bxl: In today’s ever changing world, the ability to keep a curious mind and to move easily across a wide spectrum of topics is what we need to thrive. We change jobs and sectors much more frequently, and we have to keep learning throughout our lives.
Åsa: Indeed, and I think we are entering an age where life-long learning is more and more needed. We already live in a digital age, with transformative evolution happening so fast that we can’t tell what will happen in 5 years time.
Heading towards increased robotisation, automation and artificial intelligence, we need to be prepared for that shift.
It’s also about embracing change, rather than resisting it. We need to go into it with a positive attitude otherwise, we’ll be pushed into a reactive mode. That is valid whether you’re working in the private or public sector.
PWI Bxl: Constant learning should also happen across industries. The quadruple helix model is the basis for open innovation 2.0 — developing successful solutions to issues we as societies face today is possible only by bringing together experts from diverse backgrounds: academia, politics, civil society, activists, private sector, etc.
Åsa: Absolutely. This is also why we need diverse teams: people coming from different sectors and industries, greater gender and cultural diversity. It’s the basis of modern leadership — making sure that we are building teams which are stronger because of their diversity.
When talking to representatives of big international companies, I see they are on it already. We have some inspiring examples in Sweden, too.
PWI Bxl: I know you have been very supportive of initiatives aimed at promoting female empowerment. What role do you see for women in senior positions, be it in the public or in the private sector, to help advance greater gender balance?
Åsa: I definitely see a role for senior women there and I wish we could do more. We all need to consider how we can contribute and help advance gender balance in our societies, and just as with the climate issue, we should start by working in our immediate environment, as much as focusing on the bigger picture. Personally, I believe in doing both to the extent that it is possible.
It may sound pretentious to say we can do either but at least we need to be trying. Everyone can do something for someone and even small actions count and may have great impact. It’s like with the butterfly effect.
PWI Bxl: Throughout your professional journey, have you had any inspiring role models?
Åsa: I believe role models are really key but I don’t think I have had any, actually. I did have sponsors, however — people, surrounding me in my career, who have seen my potential and have helped me move up the ladder.
Having role models and sponsors is equally important. In my case, sponsors have been more instrumental in helping me take my career to the next level. I most probably wouldn’t have applied for my current job if my previous boss hadn’t encouraged me to do so.
I guess I am a classic example of how sometimes women, even thought they have it in them to succeed in a certain role, need to be encouraged a bit more to take that jump. That extra push also helps those who do not tend to put themselves forward. It reverses the dynamics from promoting oneself in view of a specific role, to positively responding to an external encouragement to step up.
PWI Bxl: If you could give one advice to young professionals starting their career, what would it be?
Åsa: Life and career is a journey to me, so more than focusing on anything specific, I would advise them to be authentic. This can take you very far.
I don’t believe in faking it till you make it. I believe you have to stay true to yourself to win in the long run.
My brother says I have a flow. I could, of course, say I am lucky I do. But it’s not just about luck, it’s also about proactively creating that flow and opportunities for the luck to come your way. This requires authenticity, too.
Another part of the successful mix is to build relationships with people that then become your sponsors — because of your behaviour in the workplace, the knowledge and expertise you bring.
PWI Bxl: Your current posting in Brussels is coming to an end in August 2019. This means exciting new chapter in your career. Is there any specific cause you may want to focus on in your next role?
Åsa: I remain completely open to new ideas. I am now in a reflective process as to what my next steps will be, as I believe it is important to reflect on where I can bring added value and make a difference. I need to feel that I have a purpose.
On the policy side of things, it is clear that I have a drive for gender-related issues. At the same time, it’s very interesting to be pushed into thinking out of the box about what I can do next.
I would be keen to build on my experience and expertise in building bridges across different industries and different issues, being able to see the bigger picture. A skillset that I am convinced is useful in today’s ever more connected and digitalised world.
However, I also realise that my current environment and role are quite unique. That is why I stay curious and keep an open mind as to where my professional path will take me.
