“I’m very likely to take on a challenge outside of my comfort zone”

He is the GC of Traction, a publicly listed investment company with ownership interests in listed and private companies. He is a polyglot, politician and probably one of the most intelligent dudes we met (and tested with logic analytic profiling). This week Bolagsjuristbloggen talked to Carl Östring to find out a bit more about him and his priorities for 2019.

Carl, you have an impressive background – lawyer, lawfirm MP, and now GC and investment manager of Traction, aside from having a political career as well. Tell us, what has brought you to where you are today?

I think I have made a living out of a natural curiosity and willingness to learn new things, in combination with a decent capacity to remember facts; the more experience I have earned, the more likely it is that I can add value. Compared to most people, I am much more likely to take on a new challenge which is not exactly in my comfort zone; I did bankruptcies for seven years, then worked for another law firm and headed a practise in Russia for five years, and now I have served as GC for eight years. A very experienced US GC once complimented me on my versatility – which was of course probably meant to flatter me and improve his bargaining position – but to some extent it might be the key.

What are your personal goals for 2019?

It was easier to set goals in the past; nowadays I am working in so many areas, why everything has become much more event driven. A reasonable goal is of course to make a difference in local politics where I am now on the City Council, City Council Board and the local Board of Education. Professionally, the listed companies where I serve on the board have had relatively good years recently, and it will be interesting to see if our strategies will stand the test of time – an expected increased nervousness for the financial outlook in the market, as well as the unclear outcome of Brexit and other events makes the future even more unpredictable than usual.

What are your team’s priorities for 2019?

I think that finding reasonable AI-solutions is on most people’s minds, but much of that is built on repeatability – and for an investment company surprisingly few things are repeated. My answer would thus have to be the standard response: to keep an eye out for relevant new game changing laws, to help guiding our companies to use the right level of effort with any legal matters, and to be prepared to re-prioritize as events unfolds.

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