Fika with Northvolt's outgoing Head of Press Erik Zsiga: "Keep calm and carry on is my motto!"

It’s been a bit of a week for you to say the least. What was it like to manage Northvolt’s press team during such a tricky period for the company?

"I feel sad for the employees, vendors and investors that are affected by what happened last week. But the entire period since I joined in October has been kind of special for the company. I experienced both extraordinary complexity and extraordinary commitment, and therefore it was five of the most interesting and developing work months I’ve had. The media interest was immense, both in Sweden and internationally. It took some thinking to handle."

Do you still have a job at Northvolt?

"I was a consultant, and at least for the moment I’m not working for Northvolt. The trustee (of the company) is deciding how to go forward."

You previously held senior roles in political communications and for the Swedish think tank Timbro, as well as corporate jobs at Electrolux and energy start-up Ingrid Capacity. Why did you decide to join Northvolt last October, when its future was so uncertain?

"For me it’s obvious that Northvolt had a long-term potential and would have been an important asset for both Europe’s strategic autonomy and its green transition. If you have belief in the mission, I don’t see a crisis as a reason for not joining, rather the opposite."

How do you feel about the decision now?

"It was definitely a good decision. I will use the experience when helping other companies in the future."

I will use the experience when helping other companies in the future

So what’s your plan? Do you think you’ll stay in the impact sector?

"To me, the massive withdrawal from diversity, equity and inclusion and climate ambitions we’ve seen from mainly American corporations in the last few months, is a much more symbolic setback for the impact sector than the end of Northvolt. But I’m a market liberal at heart. Regardless of the recent setbacks, I still believe businesses have the ability and rationale to be a stronger driver of positive change. So yeah, I would love to stay in the impact sector."

You had to handle a massive international media conference last week, and led many more during your time in politics. What are your top tips for managing stress levels at these sorts of events?

"When I was appointed head of media relations in Electrolux, my best friends gave me this coffee cup from London reading "Keep calm and carry on”. That has become my professional motto. Keeping cool and addressing communicative challenges reasonably and calmly is at least as important for a communicator as being creative, clear or knowledgeable. How to keep cool? Well, I don’t really know but taking a coffee and evaluating the situation is probably a good start."

'Keep calm and carry on' – that has become my professional motto

Was Northvolt’s bankruptcy announcement the most intense work day of your career? Or have you had worse?

"The 24 hours in November during which Northvolt filed for American reconstruction (Chapter 11) and changed leadership were probably more intense. I believe these were the most intense moments in my career, although I had a few ones also when working with Sweden’s Foreign Minister."

Many startups don’t prioritise having a crisis communication plan, because they’re so focussed on launching the business. Do you think more should?

"As the world and markets are changing so rapidly, plans have become largely outdated within corporate communication. Acting has become more important than strategising. So it depends on what you mean with a crisis communication plan. A strategic document filed somewhere and obsolete when needed is not worth preparing. But to have routines, priorities, contacts etc. detailed and regularly updated is probably necessary for any company given today’s hybrid threats."

When it comes to personal branding, you’re known for your red-framed glasses with tinted lenses. What’s that all about?

"Haha! At Electrolux I worked with an Italian in his sixties. He wore red glasses, and I thought: "Does it take an Italian gentleman to wear red glasses? No, it can’t be!” In Berlin I found some lovely ones. And I can tell you - once you start using red glasses you can’t stop. Before, I could go to parties and people I met many times before didn’t remember me. Now it’s the opposite, because most people remember a person with red glasses. For calmer days I also have green glasses (see picture)."

How do you relax or unwind after a major news day?

"It’s a bit weird, but probably I would browse the news flow."

You’re also an author of two non-fiction books. What do you personally read in your spare time?

"I have become an avid fan of streamed audiobooks. It has significantly increased the amount of books I consume. As a middle-aged man it’s probably not surprising that I consume a lot of history non-fiction. When Sweden and the world today stands in front of several challenges, it’s interesting to hear how politics, business and the public discourse have tackled challenges before. There are many learning points, because on most occasions it turned out positively."

What are your best and worst habits? Pick one of each.

"Best habit: My ability to stay positive and optimistic at most times. That’s important in interactions with reporters, colleagues and leaders. Worst habit: My tendency to do work at night. It’s out of fashion, but I’ve always been too much of a night owl."

If you could have a superpower, what would it be?

"Travel in time. I guess I would learn a lot, and it would be pretty cool."

What’s your favourite fika?

"I’m half-Hungarian, so a bigger fan of the Central European coffee houses than the Swedish cinnamon bun places. There are many grand cafés in Budapest, so it’s a tight race, but my favourite is probably to oldest one, Ruszwurm. There I would love to sip a coffee, eat a pogácsa (a salty pastry), read something and watch people. But unfortunately I don’t want to go there now because of the country's sad political developments."