Portrait: Roger Grönborg
Roger Grönborg is a Director at Interim Search. He is also a committed climate campaigner who vacations by train and eats entirely plant-based.
How would your loved ones describe you as a person?
A winner who is stubborn, spontaneous, sensitive and easy to laugh with.
Tell us about a passion you have.
My whole family and I are very climate conscious. We have made several decisions to be kind to the climate. We sold the car three years ago and instead bought good bikes for the whole family, including an electric cargo bike that we can load with 125 kg. Another decision we have made is not to fly within Europe, but then it is the train that applies to travel destinations. Furthermore, we have been eating only plant-based food for six years. I could mention many more examples, but I can say that living climate-consciously does not make life more boring; on the contrary, it is an exciting adventure.
What does a perfect Sunday look like?
On a perfect Sunday, I like to spend time in nature with my family. Or it's as simple as a day when everyone in the family is feeling good and it's calm and quiet.
When was the last time you tried something new?
Skydiving on Gotland.
Tell us about a person you look up to.
I would like to highlight two people: Greta Thunberg for her unfailing efforts on behalf of the climate, and Volodymyr Zelenskyj, the President of Ukraine, who had the opportunity to safely flee the war in Ukraine, but instead chose to stand up for the Ukrainian people. As a role model, he has been instrumental in keeping up Ukraine's morale and will to resist. As the old quote goes, ”you do as others do, not as others say”.
What keeps you motivated?
When things are going well, it's the success that keeps me going and gives me new strength. When things are not going so well, it is all the lessons learned that keep me going. As Nelson Mandela said ”I never lose. I either win or learn”.
What is the most beautiful place you know?
The Salar de Uyuni salt desert in Bolivia is like a fairytale land. Magically beautiful!
What would you like to have more time for?
More work with charity, but we contribute as best we can. We have an open home for new arrivals, and have had a resident from Uganda for a year. At the moment, we have a dentist couple from Ukraine who fled the terrible war and will be staying with us indefinitely.
Age: 57 years old (though much younger in thought)
Raised: Stockholm
Family: Wife from Bolivia, four adult children aged between 19 and 28. The family also has two dogs (Eurasier breed) who are seven years old
In the headphones: Coldplay's album New Generation and, at the moment, a lot of ABBA to prepare for the concert with the ABBAtars in London this summer (which we will of course take the train to)
On the bookshelf: The bridge builders by Jan Guillou I am reading right now. Highly recommend the book The beautiful mystery by Louise Penny. A thrilling murder story set in a remote monastery.
Recommend: To live here and now and not wait. Or as John Lennon said ”Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans”
Life motto: ”Every second of negative emotion means a second of lost joy”
