By: Joshua Finley

Anthon Hollstein-Ivarsson’s career journey is evident as he is agile, quick on his feet, and effective in today’s dynamic world of commerce and innovation. Anthon has staked out a particular territory from an international business background and an evident fondness for interlacing technology with conventional organizational business models. His path as a creative mind starts in Sweden moves to the United States, and then goes through Europe and Asia, as he is eager to break new ground in everything he does at every new position he assumes.

Embracing Change: A Constant in Anthon’s Career

Holding onto change and accepting challenges seem to be some striking features of Anthon’s professional development. This mindset has enabled him to switch between industries and jobs, from Product Management in Norway to consulting at Accenture, managing technology at Maersk and Amazon, and playing a pivotal role at Belong, a San Francisco startup, from Series B to Series C.

Joining Maersk was a significant transition for Anthon, offering the opportunity to build the company’s first customer-facing application, including everything from the technology backend to operations and strategy. During this time, he also constructed a data science team. Maersk was the company that set him on a global trajectory in international business. He also benefited from this experience by developing an appreciation for the need for leveraging technology to transform the industry. “I built the first AI team at Maersk,” he explains, noting the significance of this move as a key that allowed the company to tackle digital transformation head-on.

His experience at Maersk also showed the importance of leadership in adopting new technologies. Anthon has strong opinions regarding the human aspect of business, specifically how managers create and manage their teams. “The human aspect of business is crucial—how you lead your teams and build people makes the difference,” he says. Just as Bill Campbell, the ‘Trillion Dollar Coach,’ emphasized the importance of people, trust, and genuine relationships, Anthon has built his leadership approach around these core values. He believes in empowering teams by creating an environment of transparency, accountability, and mutual respect. Anthon cites Campbell’s philosophy: “your title makes you a manager, but your people make you a leader.” This philosophy has guided Anthon throughout his career, from his early days before becoming a project manager to his current role in technology leadership.

The Power of Curiosity and Openness

Curiosity and openness are two qualities that Anthon attributes to his success in managing the challenges that global business entails. All these qualities forced him to seek new jobs and challenges, like coming to the U.S. when he was young or switching to the IT field later in his career. “Growth only happens when you are uncomfortable,”  Anthon says, smiling while pointing to the fact that he was ready to go out of his comfort zone time and again.

This mindset is well illustrated when Anthon decided to venture into the new field of technology sector. He had a good background in international business but noticed that technology was becoming increasingly influential in the development of industries on the global level. To fill the gaps between his current experiences and his desired future career goals, Anthon enrolled for an Executive MBA with concentrations in finance, private equity, and venture capital. This was a rather risky strategy, but it indicated his desire to keep on improving and evolving.

Building Genuine Connections: A Key to Success

Although Anthon might consider himself an introverted person, he has shown great skills in interpersonal relations, which has defined his career. He doesn’t maintain a large friend circle, but he is highly skilled at connecting with the people he works with. Rather than simply befriending them, he focuses on understanding their needs and finding the right ways to support them. “I like to have genuine connections,”  he says, adding that he is always willing to help others if he can. This has not only given him the respect and loyalty of his co-workers but has also given him several opportunities in his lifetime.

That is why Anthon has found many friends and opportunities in the network, which positively impacts his personal and career life. This behavior has changed dependence into a cycle where opportunities circle back through the relationships he fosters due to the good work he willingly offers. “If you do good work and help people, the opportunities will come to you,” he advises, stressing the need to create value for others each time.

From Startups to Private Equity: Looking Ahead

As Anthon embarks on the next chapter of his career, he remains committed and determined to use his wealth of experience to contribute positively to the private equity industry. While he has thrived in the dynamic startup environment, full of new and exciting challenges. Anthon is now transitioning into the private equity space, taking on CEO or COO roles where his strategic acumen and executional expertise will create substantial impact. “Private equity-backed companies as an executive–that’s where I see the greatest opportunity to make a difference,” he says, expressing his desire to leverage his extensive skills in strategy and execution to drive substantial value for these companies. However, Anthon isn’t leaving the startup world behind. He continues to stay involved with 3-4 startups, providing support, investing, and helping others succeed.

Anthon’s journey does not end here. As he fixes his vision toward the private equity field, he is geared toward handling other tasks with an equal mixture of international business, technological intervention, and leadership prowess. His story provides insights for those looking to navigate the ever-changing global business environment. Through curiosity and his ability to adapt and create real and lasting relationships, Anthon Hollstein-Ivarsson will continue to blaze the trail for the future, no matter which path he may take next.

For more insights from Anthon Hollstein-Ivarsson, you can connect with him on LinkedIn.

Published by: Holy Minoza