My teams

On the last post I just mentioned how cool the conference and my elections were, but I didn’t mention the coolest part of it (save the best for the last): selecting my team.

To be really sincere, the selection was even better than my elections (even the moment of being elected, when the water spills on your head), because selecting my team is for sure my first important decision. This decision will affect me for one year at least and AIESEC Norway for sure more than that, at least 2 year.

So, one day after being elected, I engaged in a series of interviews, both phisically and by skype, to decide who would be the people that would be my vice-presidents. In other words, these 5 brilliant individuals who would come together so that we lead the AIESEC Norway for the term 2009-2010.

Fortunately, I didn’t do it alone. I had more 4 great people who helped me to make up my mind, giving inputs, asking questions, telling their experience. I am sure, without them, I would not be so confident in the outcome of the selection (or, if I would be, I would only not be aware of the possible dangers that I could face). I need to especially thank them, the selection committee:



First, Jan-Petter Westlie, from Horton International. This was a key man in selection committee, since he was the expert leader. He guided us so well that after a few moments with him it was just natural to trust his process. Without him and the support from Horton in the competencies assessment, the selection would take a lot more time and, I am sure, wouldn’t be so clear. Secondly I need to thank Camilla Nihuus (AIESEC alumni and member of the AIESEC Norway Board of Directors) and Prashant (President of AIESEC in BI) for the support, good questions and all their time. And, the last, but the most important, to Sonam, the current President of AIESEC Norway, who arranged with all these people before hand so that it would be as easy for me to select my team as it could be.

But, enough of that, let’s talk about these amazing people who I selected to work as the main strategic heads of AIESEC Norway:

Camilla Gullberg - she was elected to take care of the corporate relationship and sales (again), since that’s her current position on the current national board. It takes a lot of passion to run again to the same position in AIESEC, since it burns you out quite a lot, because of the super-fast-passed environment, pression for results, low pay, etc. I admire her for that. I believe she is the best for the position in AIESEC Norway.

Lyubov Byessonova - I don’t believe my luck, because Lyuba applying to this position is just too much luck to be true. She is Ukrainian and is current working in AIESEC Ukraine’s national board as the responsible for communication. For the ones who know AIESEC, knows the AIESEC Ukraine is doing very well in communication. So I couldn’t be more happy with her as our external relations and communication vice-president.



Mari-Anna Johansen - her current position is the equivalent of Camilla, but in University of Oslo local committee. She was running to the same position also as Camilla. How did she end up in the team then? During the interview, it was clear that she had a passion for finance (she is dealing with that currently in her bachelor) and also talent to that area. The final and best touch: she was passionate about AIESEC and flexible enough to assume as vice-president of finance, because she knows how much she can learn being in the national board, no matter which position. I am so grateful to have found this girl, without her, most probably I would have to end up with a non-norwegian finance person and that would bring a lot of problems to me.

Rolf Schmachtenberg - I consider Rolf one of my term’s achievement as VP Talent Management. Serious. Currently he is VPTM in the local committee of University of Oslo and I could see the amount of development this guy had. Of course he is only where he is because he himself is brilliant, willing to improve and that takes action by himself. I am very grateful to have his in the team and also very happy that he is my successor. I believe I could not find a best sucessor.



Us (well, Lyuba is not a piece of paper, but she was in Ukraine during the conference):


There’s one more person, just that I don’t know him/her yet. Since there was no one selected to VP Exchange, because I was not fully satisfied with the 4 candidates, we decided to open a 2d round. I can’t wait to know who will be the 6th brilliant element in the team.

But, just to not be ungrateful to my current team, here’s one of the nicest moments of 2009, us skiing together (me and Sonam for the first time):