Skating to center rink – our new ambassador

 

At his debut appearance at the AmCham breakfast on September 9, incoming U.S. ambassador Matthew Barzun not only came across as a charming fellow, but showed that he is a quick learner with a genuine fondness for Sweden. He already loves the right sports, like sailing and skating, but won’t forget his favorite U.S. hockey team – the Boston Bruins. 

Barzun established his business reputation in a number of roles at CNET between 1993 and 2004, including Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer. He launched Download.Com, which grew to become CNET’s biggest site and he led the effort to build one of the first comparison shopping sites on the Internet, Shopper.Com.  He went on to co-lead all of CNET’s online properties including CNET.Com and News.Com.

Since leaving CNET in 2004, Barzun has advised and invested in start-up information-oriented internet companies, including MedTrackAlert and JiWire. In Louisville, Kentucky, Barzun served on the boards of many non-profits with a focus on education. 
                                                                              

Ambassador Barzun, Sture Lindmark, ISAK Information & Public Affairs, Richard Marston, MTG Academy

His time with CNET taught him how to listen to customers in real time, and how to link customers together. This served him well in his political role, as well. Barzun was among the first to join Barack Obama's National Finance Committee, where he produced the first $25 per-person fundraiser and helped teach Obama University for campaign volunteers.  

Ambassador Barzun is an internet pioneer who believes in a networked America with a knowledge-based economy – which fits well with his assignment in Sweden. “The 21^st century is not about getting to the top – it’s about getting to the center.” Something he believes may be related to the spirit of “lagom”, the Swedish concept of the balanced happy middle point. 





He announced that he has every intention of keeping up the U.S. Embassy’s support and momentum in the area of alternative energy.


Hans Enocson, GE, Börje Ekholm, Investor and Bengt Sjögren, Slack Barshinger 


Parallel with the serious topics, we were treated to Ambassador Barzun’s easy humor throughout the breakfast meeting, for example, when referring to the ambassadorial presentation of credentials as “doing the King thing”.

Barzun is enthusiastic about Sweden, as witnessed by his advice to the Swedish tourist industry on how to attract more U.S. visitors: focus on winter. His sources have told him that “Sweden does winter better than everybody. They don’t talk about it, because they’re trying to get through it.” We’ll ask him for his opinion again in late January.

 Written exclusively for AmCham by Robbin Battison, Battison & Partners

Photos by Rob Nelson