NordCham: Bringing Businesses from Northern Europe to the Philippines

The Nordic Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (NordCham Philippines) is an organization that aims to promote and strengthen trade, investment, and economic relations between the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) and the Philippines. It serves as a platform for Nordic companies and Filipino businesses to connect, collaborate, and explore opportunities for growth and partnership. NordCham Philippines facilitates networking events, business forums, and seminars to foster meaningful connections and exchange valuable insights among its members. The chamber also engages in advocacy efforts, representing the interests of Nordic businesses in the Philippines and advocating for a conducive business environment. With that, why don’t you join me in learning more about NordCham with its Executive Director, Jesper Svenningsen.

How has your career led you to being the Executive Director of the Nordic Chamber of Commerce? What sparked your interest in this field?

I first started as an engineer in supply chain management. That was many years ago in Denmark. I then worked for one of the biggest companies in Denmark and they sent me to Thailand 15 years ago. Here, I got exposed to other cultures. I needed to build networks. For the last 15 years, my career has led me from several jobs and allowed me to learn that one of the most important things is really having connections. In 2018, I moved to the Philippines with my Filipina wife. During this time, I was still managing and I'm actually still managing my own company in Thailand. But then 3.5 years ago, the board of directors from the Chamber approached me and asked if I would be interested in taking up the role as Executive Director of the Nordic Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines. After reviewing what the Nordic Chamber was doing, and some discussions with the board of directors, I could see a very interesting job and a role wherein I could really help shape the Philippines. By this, I mean helping the Philippines grow and develop and of course, also help the Nordic countries and Nordic companies on doing business here. I happily joined NordCham in 2020-Q1.

Can you tell us about the mission and vision of the Nordic Chamber of Commerce and its role in promoting trade and cooperation among Nordic countries and the Philippines? What makes it unique from other Chambers? 

The role and the mission and vision of the Nordic Chamber is to help our members grow. That is at the core of what we do, but we do it with a focus on Nordic values and areas where the Nordic countries and companies are globally leading. An example of this is sustainability where the five Nordic countries, namely: Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Iceland are in the top seven countries in the world when it comes to sustainability. These are the unique value propositions that we have. But I would say that the core of the Chamber is to create strong connections by introducing our members to the right business partners. This helps them grow and promotes their businesses to these countries. We do this with networking events. This year, we are expecting to reach 65 events. Back in 2020, we actually did more than 160 events.

What specific programs or initiatives has the chamber implemented to empower local businesses in the Philippines and foster partnerships with Nordic companies?

Sustainability is rapidly growing in the Philippines. We have a sustainability committee that meets once a month for anybody with a sustainability mindset. It’s open and free of charge to join. We really want to enable as many people as possible to learn more about sustainability. This is a key program that we have. We also have a sustainability awards night, named “the Nordic Sustainability Awards night”. Earlier this year in May, we had more than 200 participants and we are now reaching a critical mass of people who understand sustainability and appreciate how NordCham promotes it. We had the Group Heads of Sustainability as speakers from the largest corporations in the Philippines for the Sustainability Awards Night; Aboitiz, Ayala, Gokongwei, Jollibee and SM Group. Jollibee, for example, heard about our sustainability committee meeting. So they decided to send over their sustainability manager and the person liked what we did during the meeting. Afterwards, they sent the sustainability director. At the next meeting, they sent the SVP, the highest position for sustainability. After this they joined NordCham as a member, because they have started their journey on sustainability and wanted to learn best practices from our members. This is what we do. We inspire people and give them new perspectives to grow their businesses and grow the mindset of their employees.

What achievements or success stories can you share where the Nordic Chamber of Commerce has made a significant impact on strengthening economic ties between the Nordic countries and the Philippines?

As a Chamber of commerce, we facilitate trade. However, we are not doing it alone. We work closely with the Nordic embassies, and we partner with other key organizations. A significant example is that we helped IKEA to establish their first store here in the Philippines. This is actually the largest IKEA store in the world. They did the hard work, but we helped them with the right connections. We also have a few manufacturing companies that we helped with introductions to PEZA and other manufacturing companies. We also have quite a lot of BPO companies that we try to help as well in their journey and their growth. We focus on different types of industries. There have been a lot of companies over the last four or five years that have been coming to the Philippines. An example of this would be on agriculture, helping in modernizing and upgrading the agriculture sector in the Philippines. The country should not continue importing the majority of food in the Philippines. Nordic companies also play a key role in many areas, especially in electrification. Smart cities are also something that we highly focus on. We also focus on the maritime sector as well.

Going forward, what are the chamber's strategic priorities and future plans to further enhance trade, investment, and cooperation between the Nordic countries and the Philippines?

Moving forward, the strategic plans and future priorities are still centered around the same core value. We need to help companies grow their business. We need more Nordic companies to enter the Philippines. A part of what we work on strategically is helping provide perspectives to the government and advocate for some ease of doing business especially in law making. There have been a lot of new laws that were implemented that make it easier for foreign businesses to do business here in the Philippines. But we need some more to be better than the current main go to countries like Vietnam and Indonesia. That is a big part of what we do, advocating for dialogue with top level governmental officials. But of course, we also want to get even closer to our members. That's also something we are working on. How to get even closer to our members, how to understand their needs, and how to engage with them in the right way. We will also continue the high focus on sustainability. 

Of course, I can't really talk about the future, not just for the chamber but also for the Philippines without talking a little bit about renewable energy. Windmills, for instance, were really made commercial in Denmark many years ago and still some of the biggest windmill manufacturers have Danish or Nordic roots. There have been a lot of activities that have been started already where we see more renewable energy coming to the Philippines from the Nordic countries. This is also going to be a focus area. It’s something that we have started working more strategically on, ensuring that we have access and an understanding of who the key players are, local players in renewable energy, and making sure that we can create the right connections for that.

Jesper Svenningsen is the Executive Director of the Nordic Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines. In his pivotal role, Jesper’s primary mission is to lead and oversee the overall operations, strategic direction, and day-to-day activities of the Chamber and the 4 employees. With fervor and dedication, he plays a crucial role in advancing the Chamber's mission, promoting trade and economic cooperation between the Nordic countries and the Philippines, and supporting the interests of its members.

Visit www.techshake.asia if you would like to know and connect more with the Nordic Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines.