As part of the partnership between the Portuguese Diaspora Council and Jornal de Neg\u00f3cios, Manuel Maria Correia, Managing Director for the Nordic Region (Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland) at DXC Technology, shares insights into his professional journey in Sweden and his key recommendations for Portugal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1 \u2014 What led you to leave Portugal?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The decision to leave Portugal was very personal. I reached a point in my career where it made sense to look for new challenges. In this search, several paths emerged, but the most interesting from a professional point of view was this opportunity, although it implied leaving the country and having a significant impact on my personal life. Anyway, it was the right time in my life to do it, since, from a family point of view, the “kids” were almost all adults. In fact, one of them, by great coincidence, was already in Sweden studying!<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2 \u2014 What advantages or disadvantages did the fact that you are Portuguese bring you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I wouldn’t put it that way. To this day I have not felt that being Portuguese was, in itself, an advantage or a disadvantage. There were situations in which it was useful to me \u2014 for example, to relate to some clients where Portuguese people also occupy prominent places \u2014 and others in which it was not, namely when the language was a barrier. From the point of view of integration into society, I had no problem. In fact, the fact that we are in Europe is facilitating: European citizens are treated less and less as ‘foreigners’ in another country of the Union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3 \u2014 What obstacles did you have to overcome and how did you do it?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The obstacles were the normal ones for those who move from one country to another to a different culture. As has been repeatedly said by many, the adaptability of the Portuguese is, in general, high \u2014 and in my case it was no exception. I quickly learned to integrate and adapt to local rules and customs. Apart from some initial logistical obstacles, I had no great difficulty in establishing myself. The support of a local Portuguese community, which I contacted from the beginning, helped to overcome these small details. On the other hand, as I travel a lot in my current role, I end up not having a very fixed routine in one place. Still, I have established a base in Stockholm that allows me to enjoy other things that I enjoy when I have free time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4 \u2014 What do you admire most about the country where you are?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I must start by saying that Sweden is a spectacular country and that most Portuguese people have no idea \u2014 just as I didn’t \u2014 about the lifestyle and beauty of this country. It is, for example, the country in the world with the largest number of islands (more than 200,000!) and where everything revolves around nature, full of water. In fact, Stockholm itself is the result of a vast set of islands connected to each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then, two things stand out: firstly, the organization of society and respect for the other \u2014 everything works based on compliance with rules that everyone respects; secondly, the ambition and thinking at scale of those who create and manage businesses, which gives them a remarkable ability to build global companies with a strong presence in both the local and international markets (IKEA, Ericsson, Volvo, SKF, among others).<\/p>\n\n\n\n These two characteristics together are the basis for the success of the Swedish economy \u2014 and the Nordic countries in general, although they are all quite different from each other. Low level of corruption, mutual respect, organization and big thinking, combined with a high level of schooling and education, which is where it all begins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5 \u2014 What do you admire most about the company or organization where you are?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Firstly, the fact that it is a truly global company, which allows it to have very diverse professional experiences and to be exposed to different realities within the same organization. From the point of view of professional development, it is extremely rewarding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But I would especially highlight the way in which, in each region or country, the company adapts to the local culture, absorbs these values, combines them with its own and defines a strategy that is, at the same time, one of growth and ambition, and of positive impact on the society in which it operates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 6 \u2014 What recommendations would you give to Portugal and its entrepreneurs and managers?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The main recommendation would be precisely that they study the Swedish and Nordic model, to understand how global businesses are built from their genesis. In Portugal, we tend to start small and grow from there. The problem is that many businesses are born already limited in their design and are very difficult to scale. In short: start “thinking big”!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another recommendation would be to think about creating businesses where we can be more productive and generate more value. This is where the key to unlocking our economy and ensuring its future sustainability lies. Portugal has had a lot of success in recent years in recovering from a deep crisis and putting itself “on the map” in many areas. But now it is time to look at how we can be more productive, in order to pay better wages and, consequently, live better as a society. I do not hide that it is a long process \u2013 which begins in education \u2013 but that it is urgent to start as soon as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 7 \u2014 In which sectors of the country where you live could Portuguese companies find customers?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I would say in all of them, since there are many quality companies in all sectors, with global capacity, which generates opportunities for partnership with Portuguese companies in the most varied areas. If I had to highlight one, probably the industrial sector would be the most relevant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But from the perspective of those who want to export value, there are numerous services that we can provide to global companies such as those in Sweden, whether they are pure technology or specialized by sector. These bridges probably need to be created. To date, Portugal has not been seen as a knowledge market: we have successfully exported our climate and lifestyle, but we still need to take the next step. And for that you need organization and method \u2014 here, our typical “resourcefulness” will not work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 8 \u2014 In which sectors of Portugal could companies in the country where you live want to invest?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In Portugal we are competitive in some raw materials, and this can be a path. We will always have a volume challenge in certain sectors, but in the export of services there are no limits, as long as we continue our work of attracting investment. Sweden is, at the moment, a technological and innovation hub, but it still does not look at the Portuguese market from that perspective \u2014 it is more natural to turn to Eastern Europe. I therefore see a huge opportunity to connect these two markets in this area. Portugal has done a remarkable job in creating technological talent; now is the time to “think big”, to create resources that provide value-added services that are increasingly needed across Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 9 \u2014 What is the competitive advantage of the country in which you live that could be replicated in Portugal?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Here I will have to be critical of our culture. If our country, with the natural conditions it has, managed to make public services work \u2014 in particular justice and attractive taxation \u2014 as in Sweden, we would be able to significantly increase foreign investment. Anyone who comes to Sweden knows what they are counting on: they know that if they have a problem, it will be solved in weeks \u2014 not years, or never \u2014 and they know exactly what taxes they will pay. Which are also high, but with a very visible return for citizens!<\/p>\n\n\n\n 10 \u2014 Are you thinking of returning to Portugal? Why?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, that’s the plan. I really like Portugal and this “adventure” of mine is exclusively professional. One day I will return to enjoy retirement and our beautiful country.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As part of the partnership between the Portuguese Diaspora Council and Jornal de Neg\u00f3cios, Manuel Maria Correia, Managing Director for the Nordic Region (Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland) at DXC Technology, shares insights into his professional journey in Sweden and his key recommendations for Portugal. 1 \u2014 What led you to leave Portugal? 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