Meet the team - Mats Eriksson

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Mats, I am 49 years old and I Iive with my partner Hans and our cat in Husum, in the countryside outside Örnsköldsvik, very close to both the forest and the sea. I am a very social person and have been a true nature-loving Northerner since I moved here from Gothenburg in 2017.

What led you to discover Your Brand Travel, and what motivated your decision to become a part of the team? Additionally, how long have you been involved with the team?

Tamer, our CEO, and I met while studying hospitality business development in Övik. Tamer called me up one day and told me about his ambition to start a business and how he envisioned development. He said he wanted me to be part of the team, so I gave it a thought, and found it all very exciting - if anything maybe a little scary too as SaaS, travel and experiences were whole new areas for me at the time. I ended up saying yes, and have been in the team for 2 years now.

What role do you currently hold at Your Brand Travel, and what aspects of this role do you find most fulfilling or enjoyable?

I work as a business developer and am also one of the founders of Your Brand Travel. I really enjoy reaching out to clients to sell the idea behind Your Brand Travel, looking for new brands and clients, and finding the key decision makers in each organization. I am also in charge of some of the administrative tasks such as accounting and contacts with authorities.

What do you think sets Your Brand Travel apart in the travel and experience industry?

Your Brand Travel stands out thanks to our purpose-built platform, we are first to market with this concept platform that enables us to fully customize experiences to reflect a brand’s values, identity and goals. This helps build loyalty, engagement and drive sales up, as a complement to their core business. We put clients at the center of everything we do, focusing on creating relevant, segmented experiences that strengthen brand-customer interactions and business in general.

Could you share some insights into your previous professional experiences and the types of projects or tasks you've been involved in before joining Your Brand Travel?

I have been working in the retail industry pretty much all my life. I bring 30 years of store experience in various roles and positions, in organizations such as Åhléns, HM, BR toys and Stena Line, starting as extra staff and moving up to vice store head, store head and store controller. I liked the contrast between practical, hands-on work in store and the more administrative side as well.

Along the years, I’ve learnt how to meet and deal with different kinds of persons, and how to stay calm in stressful situations.

Most of all, I really enjoyed teaming up with people and seeing them grow and evolve. I would often delegate and let others try things that were maybe a bit out of their standard role, in order to give them the chance to get a broader perspective and a better understanding of how it all worked.

Outside of work, how do you like to spend your free time? Any hobbies or activities that you're particularly passionate about?

I love being outside, doing work in the garden or meeting up with friends. I have a day cruiser motorboat that is perfect for the archipelago out here, I take it to Ulvön or Trysunda, some of my favorite places for sunbathing and taking a dip in the sea. I also own a mobile home, ideal for both short trips to Höga Kusten or longer rides to my family down on the West coast.

When in season, I take care of 2 beehives – that is about 100,000 bees in total – and produce my own honey. I’ve been doing this for 2 years now and get a good dozen honey jars each year.

Every week, I also meet up with an autistic man whom I am a contact person for. He needs to work on his social life so we often take walks together, sit down for a coffee or go to the movies.