It is important to pull yourself together, disconnect and go outside

How do you combine work and free time in the best way? Henrik Dahlgren has the answer to that, Head of Investment Offering at SEB Pension & Försäkring, outdoor enthusiast and singer in the Kent Choir.

What do you do in your work? What does a normal working day look like?

“As head of the investment department at SEB Pension & Försäkring, I am responsible for investment offers, i.e. what our customers can invest in. Our main products are occupational pensions and endowment insurances. On a normal working day, I am often in contact with external fund companies and managers, look at investment opportunities and try to find good and interesting competitive offers for our customers. I also have contact with many different roles within the bank, such as IT, business development and sales.”

What do you like most about your work?

“It is very extensive. We are a team of 20 people with excellence in many different areas such as portfolio management, fund evaluation, analytical skills, and sustainability. Together, we create opportunities for customers to receive a good pension. It is both fun and important to find good solutions for customers, it is our responsibility to help them to a good pension. Our work feels important to make people understand their situation and the importance of taking care of their pension. Many people find it boring or scary, but that is when we can really show them that it is not, and that you can get a lot of help on the way.”

What do you prefer to do in your free time?

“I spend a lot of time with my family and in my country house. I was born and raised on a farm in the Östergötland archipelago, a few kilometers south of Valdemarsvik. It is important for me to be there, and for the whole family. Especially in the summer there is a lot of boat rides, nature, fishing, and house maintenance. I also like photography, I have been taking photos since my early teens. It is much easier today than it was back then, but it is just as fun!”

A bird has whispered in our ears that you are active in the Kent Choir, tell us about that!

“Well, it comes from the emptiness that arose after Kent's last concert at Tele2 Arena in December 2016. About a year later, the choir started, and it was difficult to get a spot. But in the beginning of 2019, I got a spot and at that time we were 120 members with mixed ages and backgrounds, with only Kent songs in the repertoire. It has been a bit quiet since the pandemic started, but it seems that we can kick off again now. We sing about two hours once a week, and the semesters end with 2-3 performances that are usually very popular.”

How do you combine work and leisure?

“I have always found it easy to disconnect from work and be free. Of course, it's a little harder to be constantly connected, but I rather think that the new technology is brilliant and makes life easier. I am happy to be included, I want to be available and updated. I think technology gives a lot of flexibility. For example, I can work a little later in the evening and instead take another time off if I need to. Then, of course, it depends on who you are and what conditions you have. But I think it is important that you sometimes pull yourself together, disconnect and go outside.”