About Mundus International AB

ABOUT MUNDUS

Mundus – Latin for the world – was founded a decade ago. We think that the name says a lot. We provide insights to the Nordics for a global community eager to understand and trade with one of the world’s most dynamic economies.

Mundus International AB was founded by Jessica Nilsson Williams in 2012 to provide information and analysis to embassies accredited to Sweden. Today, we are a trusted Nordic partner for news, analysis and advice for embassies, NGOs, multinational corporations and institutions. Professionals and diplomats for whom knowledge is key and who rely upon us for accurate and nuanced reporting and advice.

Our strength is our ability to integrate political advisory, communications and media intelligence combined with an international network and a strong local presence.

We use a multi-disciplinary approach with deep subject matter expertise and wide networks. We are adept at researching and analysing the entire range of Nordic issues – in a national context and at EU and global levels.

We use a variety of digital solutions to augment our human expertise; our staff are former diplomats, industry experts, lawyers and post-doctoral researchers, helping you interpret and react to events at both the local and global level.

OUR VISION

Mundus International means that our focus is in interpreting events for an international audience, adding extra context for those new to the Nordics – or monitoring the Nordics – who are not aware of the historical background to everything and ensuring that we make explicit cultural assumptions that the locals may take for granted. We provide facts, analysis and interpretation –  pulling the whole story together for an international audience.

OUR VALUES

Over the last decade, we have built a reputation for excellence and innovation, offering unique and customised research services that meet the diverse needs of our clients.

We are proud to work with embassies and top executives in a range of different sectors. Our goal is to help them deliver their objectives by providing them with a deep understanding of the Nordic society and the Nordics on the global arena. We don’t take this responsibility lightly and are committed to ​quality​ and ​excellence​.

MULTI-LINGUAL AND MULTI-CULTURAL

Mundus’ speciality is in working with people from other cultures. All of our team has lived and worked in more than one country, which means that we naturally see things from more than the obvious Swedish perspective. And, as you would expect, we speak a wide array of languages, including English, the Nordic languages, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, and Russian. 

In addition to our language competence, our principals are also trained in intercultural competence. We have been involved in a number of Diversity and Inclusion initiatives in Sweden, and in 2020 are publishing a book looking at how cultures approach the corona crisis in different ways, seeking to identify what can be learned from others.

Meet the Mundus team

Mundus is headquartered in Danderyd outside Stockholm, Sweden, and runs a hybrid office with a team operating in six different countries. The Mundus team is made up of experienced and dedicated professionals with a deep understanding of the Nordic region.

  • Jessica Nilsson Williams

    Jessica Nilsson Williams

    CEO & Founder

    Jessica began her career as the political advisor at the U.S. Embassy in Stockholm, and then worked in the corporate- and NGOs sectors London and Singapore before returning to Stockholm. Back in Sweden, she headed the business intelligence unit for a risk- and security firm. In 2011 she took up a senior role at the New Zealand Embassy before founding Mundus International in 2012.

  • Sean Williams

    Sean Williams

    Commercial Director

    Sean began his career in the oil industry Australia. After working internationally in commercial roles with BP in South Africa, the UK and Singapore he moved to Sweden with his family in 2009. He worked in business development and then as the Strategy and Growth Director for NASDAQ Commodities from 2009 to 2015. Sean holds an engineering degree from Adelaide University and an MBA from the Darden Business School at the University of Virginia.

  • Charlotte Perlaky

    Charlotte Perlaky

    Head of Operations

    Charlotte has a MSc degree in Political Science with focus on Security and Crisis Management at the Swedish Defence University. She holds a BSc degree in Political Science from Lund University and has previously studied and worked in Vienna and London. Charlotte has a keen interest in security- and defence issues, with a strong commitment to geopolitics and the East Asian region.

  • Axel Berggren

    Axel Berggren

    Researcher

    Axel comes from an international background having lived in Egypt, Turkey, Sweden, Greece, Britain and Mexico. Axel holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations from the University of Leeds and a Master’s in Management from the Business School at Stockholm University. He has previously worked at political newspaper Altinget and is currently at Sveriges Radio.

  • Elliot Easton

    Elliot Easton

    Senor Writer

    Born in Sweden to Turkish and Scottish parents, Elliot has pursued an academic career in anthropology, receiving his BSc from St. Andrews University and an MSc from the University of Amsterdam (UvA). Alongside Mundus International, Elliot works as a freelance UX-researcher for a fintech start-up located in Stockholm. He speaks fluent English and Swedish, as well as being able to converse at an intermediate level in Portuguese, Spanish and Turkish

  • Eric Bergman

    Eric Bergman

    Senior Analyst and Writer

    Eric is a PhD candidate at the University of Helsinki with a background in international business, communications, and language editing. A Finnish American who was raised bilingually, he has first-hand experience of the planet as a global village.

  • Fredrik Schiller

    Fredrik Schiller

    Senior Analyst and Writer

    Fredrik is a senior political analyst and consultant educated at the London School of Economics with a long background as a Swedish diplomat and international official with UNDP and the OSCE. He is a security policy and conflict specialist with first-hand experience from wider Europe and Africa, as well as from the Middle East, Caucasus and Central Asia. He is strongly committed to innovative solutions of geo-strategic challenges and to smart, innovative sustainable entrepreneurship.

  • Ian Higham

    Ian Higham

    Senior Analyst and Writer

    Ian is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute for Futures Studies and Lecturer at Stockholm University. Prior to that, he worked as a research analyst at EIRIS and as a business researcher for The Boston Consulting Group. He holds a PhD in Political Science from Stockholm University and an MSc in Global Politics from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a BA in International Affairs from The George Washington University.

  • Jake Lowther

    Jake Lowther

    Editor

    Jake is a qualified lawyer who graduated with honours from the University of Notre Dame Australia. He began his legal career with an international corporate law firm in Perth, and has work experience from the Republic of Korea and from Germany, where he completed his LL.M. in International Dispute Resolution. He is a trainee at Magnusson law firm.

  • Kaisla Hannuksela

    Kaisla Hannuksela

    Writer

    Kaisla is interested in relationships between people, animals, and nature, as well as the reasons for human’s behaviour in society, especially during environmental crises. Also, social philosophy is close to her heart. Kaisla has been active in youth groups on societal involvement, and environment. She plans to specialise in economics.

  • Karen Staniscia

    Karen Staniscia

    Intern

    Karen is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Political Science at Stockholm University. She holds a bachelor degree in Political Science and International Relations from University of Bologna, Italy. She has previously lived and studied in Paraguay, Portugal and Hungary. Her interest in current affairs and global events is rooted in a deep fascination, she finds great pleasure in staying well-informed about the happenings both across the world and in Sweden.

  • Karoliina Rajala

    Karoliina Rajala

    Senior Analyst and Writer

    Karoliina is a Finnish double master (MSc in Economics and Business Administration and MA in European Interdisciplinary Studies) with a passion for security topics and specialisation background in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and EU affairs. Over recent years, Karoliina has accumulated experience from public administration, international organisations, security research as well as the humanitarian sector. Currently, she works with OSCE-affiliated matters.

  • Matthew C Thorn

    Matthew C Thorn

    Researcher

    Matthew is a qualified lawyer, holding a B.A. (International Relations); LL.B (Hons.); and Diploma of Languages (German) from Monash University in Australia. He has undertaken placements in government offices, law firms and think-tanks in Australia, Europe, the Middle East, Scandinavia and South-East Asia. Matthew is a Junior Associate at Magnusson law firm in Copenhagen.

  • Maria Torén

    Maria Torén

    CEO & Founder Stockholm-Campagnan

    Maria is a marketing executive and communication strategist with over 25 years of experience in a number of fields and countries. She is an expert in brand strategy, marketing, integrated communication and PR.

  • Miika Järvisaari

    Miika Järvisaari

    Senior Writer

    Miika is a student of Economics, Law and International Relations at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, South Korea. His passion lies in parliamentary debate, where he actively competes in tournaments and leads practice sessions at his university, discussing topics from politics to philosophy. He takes great interest in ethics, and is a big proponent of animal rights.

  • Nick Davenport

    Nick Davenport

    Project Manager

    Nick holds an MA in Philosophy from the University of Glasgow, post degree he worked in London for publications including the Guardian and AFK News. He also worked at Director level for a UK Property development firm for over a decade before moving to Stockholm with his partner and son. In Sweden he worked with a number of green startups before joining Mundus International in order to better focus on green issues Nordic wide.

  • Olivia Nordström

    Olivia Nordström

    Intern

    Olivia is originally from Finland but thrives in an international setting as she grew up in France, from where she went to study in the UK for three years before coming to Sweden for her master’s degree. She holds a BA in International Relations from the University of London – Royal Holloway, and a MSc in Global Studies from Lund University. Her main interests are human rights and diplomacy.

  • Ruby Forbes

    Ruby Forbes

    Senior Writer and Editor

    Ruby comes from the UK and has a bachelor's degree in History from the University of Edinburgh, complemented by further studies in Political Science and Human Rights here in Sweden. Ruby speaks English and Swedish and can speak conversational French

  • Venla Hannuksela

    Venla Hannuksela

    Senior Writer

    Venla holds a Master’s Degree in political science from Åbo Akademi University in Finland, having also studied public international law, intercultural communication, and philosophy. She started her career interning for the Embassy of Finland in Stockholm. Venla has held various positions of trust from the age of 16 and has a keen interest for politics, culture, human rights, and development issues. She has full professional proficiency in Finnish, Swedish, English, German, and Spanish.

  • Zen Holmgren

    Zen Holmgren

    Marketing Manager

    Zen runs marketing agency My Own Marketing Team and supports Mundus's growth and marketing strategy. Zen studied marketing up to PHD level, continuing with post-grad certifications and Certified Marketer status from the UK’s Chartered Institute of Marketing. She spent 10 years in the marketing departments of large finance businesses in London and the past 12 years in Stockholm, helping small businesses grow through her agency My Own Marketing Team.