Marie Lindqvist
Senior Vice President Operations, Europe
ASM Global
Some individuals thrive during challenging times. Yet, some companies not just braved the pandemic, but actually grew their business.
ASM Global opened new venues, entered new markets and launched a wide variety of new innovations while the world of live was mostly shut down.
That enabled a strong comeback and, according to Marie Lindqvist, ASM Global’s senior vice president of operations in Europe, “All of that is down to having the right people working together. I am very proud of our team and I believe it is the perfect mix of experience and new young talent that consistently makes us challenge ourselves to do more and better.”
Expansion is also the MO going forward, she says. “We are expanding our footprint in new markets, most recently in Finland, and we have now opened our Italian office with many new venues in new and existing markets that I’m excited about.”
But it’s not just about new buildings. “Avicii Arena, Stockholm, Wembley Arena, London, and AO Arena in Manchester are all in different stages of massive redevelopments, where we are taking these legendary arenas into the future with huge investments and reimagining the customer experience,” she said.
While it is “difficult to foresee a world that is constantly changing,” Lindqvist thinks that “even with the challenges related to the economy and other uncertainties, live entertainment seems to be a priority (for people).”
When Lindqvist launched her career in venues 20 years ago, she used to be one of few women in the room.
That’s not the case anymore, which she says is encouraging although “it is still difficult for some young women, and men, to combine a career with family life. If we want to make it possible, it will require some changes from companies, and governments regarding policies and support around maternity/paternity leave, childcare, flexible working hours etc,” she said. “I was fortunate to raise a family in Sweden where there is a lot of support in this area and also a culture that acknowledges work life balance.