Hannah Nordenström joins Columbia Road

Hi Hannah, How did you get good at what you do?

By being curious. And acting on it. I think the secret to getting good at anything, especially in a rapidly changing field like marketing, is being curious about what you do. I did a double Bachelor at Stockholm university in marketing and in psychology. I wanted to study marketing theories directly as well as the behavioural science behind it in even more depth through psychology which for me is the essence of marketing: understanding your audience, what makes them tick and why.

Since then I’ve been working in ecommerce doing marketing in all the different areas that come with the territory of handling an online brand; branding, performance marketing, social media marketing, influencer marketing, affiliate marketing, event marketing and PR.

Where have you earned your spurs?

When I started out, straight out of uni, I had the privilege of working in a company where I got to try and take charge of all the different areas of marketing an online brand, which really allowed me to broaden my competencies and to really find out what I love the most about marketing.

I started in a small marketing team at an ecommerce that took care of three different brands, being solely responsible for the marketing of one of the brands. I got to follow all activities from the beginning until the end, from strategy and planning to producing, implementing, and then analysing the results. Seeing every process through from start to finish allowed me to gain a broad view of marketing practices in many different perspectives rather quickly. It was the best school I could have hoped for. I’m far from being an expert in anything, but that’s the exciting part. That was my stepping stone and now I’ll start walking the (Columbia) Road.

Why Columbia Road?

Columbia Road’s way of approaching business and their culture is what attracted me. I like that Columbia Road’s entire business ethos is about growing and evolving. It’s a breath of fresh air when many other companies get stuck in their ways and are afraid of change. The transparency and honesty of the company culture is also something that I really appreciate.

Sampo, what will make people love Hannah?

“Hannah is a very diverse marketing professional with experience in the different aspects of marketing and digital marketing. She’s a quick learner with an astonishing memory and a very determined attitude towards problem solving – give her a task and she will make it happen. Her meticulous attention to detail helps her to excel in planning and organising, which are essential tasks when it comes to conquering her vast array of responsibilities in marketing. Hannah’s relaxed attitude and great people skills help her to bond with people regardless of their personality,” says Sampo Hämäläinen, Managing Partner at Columbia Road.

What makes your heart beat a little faster?

“Traveling, weightlifting and fooood.

To me there is nothing better than traveling. If I could, I would spend my life traveling to feed my curiosity. I love learning about new cultures, seeing new places, trying new food and all the amazing things this globe has to offer.

Weightlifting is a stress reliever and something I love to do to push myself. When I’m weightlifting the world outside does not exist. I could easily spend 2 hours every night at the gym and forget about time,” says Hannah.