Finding my pace in a new city and workplace

In this article series we welcome you to meet some of our esteemed colleagues. Meet Andrea Siaw, Sustainability Value Creation Manager at Altor.

After 10 years in London, it felt like it was time for a change. I grew up in Vienna with family and friends spread across Denmark and Mauritius and the UK. I reached a point where I wanted to lay down roots and build a longer-term base. As much as London has a unique buzz, I no longer drew the same energy from the intensity of a big city.

The choice fell on private equity

Work is a central part of life so finding the right fit was very important. I began my career in sustainability consulting, which provided a good foundation for fast paced learning across many sectors and challenges. I later shifted to private equity, where the structure and ownership model has a powerful opportunity to drive impact and change at pace.

“Altor stood out for its commitment to sustainability and long-term impact"

Finding the right match

What stood out about Altor was the broad investment scope and how bold ambition on sustainability. The strong commitment was clear from the outside, and even more so after joining. I really wanted to be a part of that journey.

We decided to move

It may sound dramatic, but life here feels truly different. Friends, family and colleagues have made settling into Copenhagen smoother than I could have imagined. Because of that, we quickly felt at home, spending weekends enjoying the city. The closeness to water brings a sense of calm, and we’ve taken up winter bathing and frequent sauna visits, especially at this time of year.

To begin with, the cliché is true: no day is the same. But a classic week at Altor often includes:

07:46 AM

Biking to and from the office is a nice way to start the day. I get to clear my head before and after work

10:00 AM

Weekly portfolio check-ins

We continually check in with the companies to see where attention is needed and how we can best support our companies. This includes value creation workshops, such as one coming up with Gunnebo, and regular touchpoints with companies like Trioworld, Multiwing and Permascand.

11:07 AM

We are always looking at new opportunities

Especially in the green transition space. We are working closely with deal teams to ensure a smooth due diligence process

1:15 PM

We see real value in bringing our community together

At our recent annual Sustainability Network event, the Sustainability Leads across the portfolio shared best practices on topics like living wages, regulations and identifying and managing climate risk

3:00 PM

We round off every week with our Friday morning meeting

Each function and team gets together in the Copenhagen office, investment professionals, value creation team (including Stephanie, Rune and myself), and support functions. We cover sourcing, leadership updates and portfolio news. It is a nice way to wrap up the week together

4:29 PM

Heading into the weekend

I enjoy spending time with friends and family, often while doing something active or over good food. Slowing down and unwinding is often on my weekend agenda

“Altor quickly showed itself as a place where you can bring your whole self to work. The honesty and openness in how people communicate made me feel truly welcome”

Discovering the upsides

I have found a lot of benefits in being part of a smaller office. There is a real sense of connection to our overall direction, there is a lot of openness which makes collaboration very easy. It gives us a chance to support sustainability topics from the outset, which is where value is created. I’m grateful for the journey so far, and I’m excited to see how both Copenhagen and Altor continue to shape the next chapter.