MONTHLY NEWS & UPDATES

March 2024

As our community continues to expand, we offer a heartfelt greeting to our new members: SAS - Scandinavian Airlines, Raquiyah Dunger and Kerri-Ann Griggs.

SACC GA is recruiting for 2 new Trainees.

We are currently on the search for 2 interns; Business Development and Marketing & Event for fall 2024. Make sure to spread this to possible interested students or recent graduates that are interested in this opportunity!

Global Atlanta is once again bringing together a slate of experts (some familiar faces & some new ones) to provide the latest insights on running a global team from our global city, interspersed with personal stories from expatriates who have made the jump to Atlanta. The resulting discussion will help you manage Expat Expectations as you onboard and integrate new team members across borders.

We are excited to announce that member companies Randek Inc. Tobias Svanström, Arnall, Golden, Gregory LLP Matthias Ohm and Aprio Shivam Malhotra will be key speakers at the event.

SACC Members receive $5 discount with

code: CHAMBER5.

On February 22nd, the Chamber had a great time volunteering with amazing middle school kids at the Junior Achievement Discovery Center, all thanks to the invite from our fantastic members, Accountants One.

A big thank you to the Junior Achievement of Georgia’s team for their incredible work. Explore volunteering opportunities – check out their page.

NEW Corporate Member

We are thrilled to welcome SAS as the newest corporate member of SACC Georgia!

Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), founded in 1946, is Scandinavia’s leading airline. SAS has more than 800 daily flights and fly 30 million passengers to 120 destinations in Europe, the US, Canada, and Asia. SAS operates nonstop flights from Atlanta (from June 2024), Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York (Newark), San Francisco, Toronto, and Washington DC (Dulles) to our hubs in Copenhagen, Oslo, and Stockholm. From these hubs, SAS serves cities throughout Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and the rest of Europe.

The great technological improvements of the fleet renewal and the new Airbus A350 and A321LR aircraft gives SAS a long-haul fleet that is top of class in the industry. The new fleet has strengthened SAS’ customer offering with regards to comfort, service, and efficiency. SAS is focused on significantly bringing down fuel consumption and are committed to be the industry leader regarding sustainable aviation and to reduce the emissions by 25% by 2025, and reaching net zero emissions by 2050.

SAS offers world-class comfort in all three service classes. The ultramodern cabin offers great comfort with new comfortable seats in all classes. To make time fly on board, a new entertainment system with large HD screens and Wi-Fi access is available at every seat. The seats in SAS Go and SAS Plus are designed with smart storage to create extra space. All seats in SAS Business can be folded flat for maximum comfort.

Visit their webpage.

Connect with them on Linkedin.

Warm welcome to our newest individual member!

Raquiyah Dunger, Associate Attorney at Garvish Immigration Law Group, LLC

Kerri-Ann Griggs, Partner at Alston & Bird, LLP

Upcoming Events

The purpose behind the YP-Network is to unite young ambitious professionals and students. We offer the unique opportunity to expand your network and to connect with established professionals in a wide variety of fields, under the SACC-GA umbrella. We meet in both formal and informal settings including networking mingles, cultural events, company visits, and work. Please note that the event is free of charge but food and drinks are at your own expense.

Early Registration for SACC Executive Forum

May 29-30, 2024.

House of Sweden, Washington D.C.

The annual Executive Forum in Washington, D.C. by the Swedish American Chambers of Commerce is the network's premier business development platform. It gathers our 20 regional chambers and offices, thought leaders, policymakers, senior executives, and other decisionmakers for a day of engaging TED-style talks, roundtables, and business introductions.

News From SACC GA Members

Navigating US Business in Your Language:

Member Spotlight Julia Müller Aprio

The chamber had the pleasure of interviewing Aprio's Julia Müller, a dedicated professional who climbed the ranks from intern to senior manager in eight and a half years. The interview not only unveils Aprio's commitment to employee success but also highlights the firm's global accounting expertise, diverse service portfolio, and a culture of inclusivity and client-centric growth, making it a must-read for those seeking insights into a thriving and adaptable financial organization.

READ FULL INTERVIEW WITH JULIA MULLER

AGG Upcoming Webinars

NYDFS 200, 504, and 500 Preparedness: Control Mapping and Evidence Collection to Ensure Success

If you are a regulated NYDFS entity, April is an important month for your compliance and cyber and information security departments. Please join Jacqueline Cooney​ and Erin Doyle, AGG Privacy & Cybersecurity attorneys, and Allison Raley, AGG regulatory compliance attorney and former executive subject to NYDFS supervision and enforcement, for a complimentary webinar discussing proper control mapping tied to the regulations, evidence collection, and evidence testing to ensure you are ready to attest on April 15, 2024.

AGG Podcast

AGG Talks: Cross-Border Business — Privacy & Cybersecurity Considerations for Non-U.S. Companies

In this episode, Mike Burke, AGG Corporate partner and co-leader of the firm’s international initiative, is joined by Jackie Cooney, AGG Privacy & Cybersecurity co-chair, to discuss privacy and cybersecurity issues impacting non-U.S. companies with regard to their operations in the U.S. 

AGG Webinar Recording

What Life Sciences Companies Need to Know About U.S. Privacy Laws (Hint: It’s Not All About HIPAA!)

There are more than a dozen states that have passed comprehensive privacy laws. Further, states like Nevada and Washington have passed laws specifically regulating the collection and processing of consumer health data. While these laws may not apply to HIPAA data, they do apply to other types of consumer health data. AGG Privacy & Cybersecurity attorneys Jackie Cooney and Erin Doyle provide an overview of challenges and solutions for companies that are subject to non-HIPAA privacy laws in the U.S. Jackie and Erin explore how life sciences companies may be subject to many of these laws and how they can comply. AGG Food & Drug co-chair Alan Minsk serves as moderator.

A Message From Gunilla Girardo That Helps Scandinavian Companies Flourish in the U.S. Market

"These conditions make the U.S. market very attractive, something my Scandinavian clients are taking full advantage of—they are investing massively in the U.S."

The soft landing of the U.S. economy seems to be holding. Falling inflation and rising growth give the U.S. the world’s best economic recovery. Despite lingering consumer angst over inflation, the surprisingly strong U.S. economy outperforms all its major trading partners. The European economy has slowed down significantly. China is struggling, and Japan continues to disappoint.

"Finland, Denmark, and Sweden are among the top 10 fastest-growing sources of Foreign Direct Investment in the U.S."

As an international recruiter with YER USA, I assist Scandinavian companies as they invest and create jobs here in the U.S. When the Danish plush toy company Nature Planet located their U.S. headquarters to Atlanta, I facilitated the hiring of their U.S. General Manager and Finance Director and we are now working on a Sr. Demand Manager. Kamstrup, a Danish supplier of smart water metering solutions located in Cumming, Georgia, has been a client of mine for many years. And I look forward to working with SACC GA member Evolabel, a Swedish company in the automatic labeling industry, as they ramp up their U.S. activities, based out of Atlanta.

"From the Swedish business community in Atlanta, I am proud to have added talent to Sinch, Qmatic, and Scanfil’s teams."

The SACC network is near and dear to my heart. Next week, I am heading to California to meet with SACC San Francisco & Silicon Valley. I am also looking forward to get to know the many Scandinavian technology start-ups attending BiFrost 2024, an event held at Nordic Innovation House in Palo Alto to mix Nordic genius with Silicon Valley drive. Scandinavian companies have so much to offer the American market and there are such incredible business opportunities here.

"I love seeing Scandinavian companies flourish in the U.S. market and I welcome hearing from members of SACC Georgia."

I bring long experience as a business facilitator, and I can explain crucial differences in culture and business practices to both sides of the Swedish American business community.

Gunilla Girardo, YER USA

gunillagirardo@yer.com

Trainee Program

We offer you access to highly qualified Nordic talent, international exposure, and handling of all administrative processes through our time-efficient and cost-effective service. Through the program, we place over 100 interns yearly and have since 2006 worked with over 400 host companies to bring talent across the borders of Sweden and the U.S.

If your company is interested in hiring a highly qualified trainee for the fall semester please reach out to hibo@sacc-georgia

SIREUS RESEARCH Forum: Better Communications Drives Startup Success 

Monday, March 4^th,

16.30-17.30 CET/ 10.30-11.30 EST 

with Otto Pohl

moderated by Nicole (Forsberg) Sheppard   

Join this webinar to learn how to effectively communicate your research and your startup in a way that accelerates growth and

success. 

Otto Pohl is a former New York Times journalist, serial entrepreneur, and head of communications. Today, Otto coaches research-based

startups around the world on how to effectively communicate their message to raise venture capital, generate business, and attract the best employees.

In this jam-packed webinar Otto will cover topics including: 

• 
  
• The two crucial mindset shifts required to transition from academia to business 
• 
  
• How to structure the perfect startup website 
• 
  
• Practical advice for driving maximum benefit from public relations 
• 
  
• How a communications strategy influences business success 
• 
  
• How to adapt your communications strategy to the United States.  

We strongly recommend all technology transfer office personnel and their startup portfolio companies attend, as well as researchers

that are interested in commercialization. This is also an excellent opportunity for business owners and professionals in the SACC network to take advantage of Otto’s incredible expertise in the area. 

SIREUS Entrepreneurs Forum

on March 18-22

Welcome to the SIREUS Entrepreneurs Forum in Colorado, taking place on the 18th-22nd of March! The Entrepreneurs Forum in Colorado showcases a group of companies that have moved beyond the initial ideation stage but are still in the early to mid-stage of development. These companies boast a well-defined business model, product, or technology, and often have received some level of market validation.

The SIREUS Entrepreneurs forum presents a fantastic opportunity for these startups to establish connections with local organizations, potential partners, investors, and mentors. It serves as a hub for innovation offices to gain insights into the best practices in innovation and entrepreneurship support from their U.S. counterparts.

We are thrilled to announce that several startup companies from Stockholm University, Uppsala University, and Lund University will be joining the forum

NEW Corporate Member

Aprio Wealth Management Releases 2024 Wealth Management Economic Outlook

The report emphasizes the continued global economic normalization and urges caution in investment strategies. While predicting bright spots, the Outlook warns of an uneven recovery, with factors like slowing growth in the Services sector, weakening lower-income consumer, Fed's Quantitative Tightening, and the emerging refinancing wall in commercial real estate impacting the U.S. economy. The report highlights multi-year investment themes, such as manufacturing returning to the U.S. and the residential home building renaissance, and suggests fixed income as a haven in the face of market uncertainty. It also anticipates ongoing focus on commercial real estate and highlights the potential of private capital markets.