This spring, our Stockholm and Amsterdam offices exchanged colleagues through the Svalner Atlas Secondment Programme.

Malin Månsby, from the Private Clients team in Stockholm, spent time with our colleagues in Amsterdam, while Maarten de Vries, from the Employment Tax team in Amsterdam, joined our colleagues in Stockholm.

The Svalner Atlas Secondment Programme offers a fantastic opportunity for professional development, knowledge sharing, expanding international networks, and strengthening cross-border collaboration.

We caught up with Malin and Maarten to hear about their experiences, the highlights of their secondments, and what they gained from the programme.

Malin: “Like a true local, I of course start the day by biking to the office. I’ve been very lucky with the weather since I arrived, so cycling along the canals in the sunshine has been a great to start the day.”

Maarten: “On Mondays, I start with an update call with the M&A team of the Amsterdam office. After that, I go to the sixth floor. There is the lunch room where I sometimes take breakfast, and a cup of coffee.”

Malin: “At the Amsterdam office, lunch is served every day, including fresh bread and a great salad buffet, which is amazing!”

Maarten: “I go out for lunch. Near the office there is a Bröd & Salt or I go to K25 where they have some very good Asian food!”

Malin: “The work week usually wraps up with a joint office AW, either at the office bar or out on the terrace.”

Maarten: “When the sun is out (which is quite a lot lately) I have a beer at the beautiful rooftop terrace with my colleagues at the Stockholm office, or I catch up with friends that come over for a weekend in the city.”

Malin: “I’ve spent a lot of time just walking and biking around the city, exploring different areas. One of the perks of being in Amsterdam is that a lot of friends have been keen to visit, which has meant plenty of restaurant visits and drinks – and of course ticking off a few of the must-do tourist activities.”

Maarten: “Lots of museums, Vasa Museet is my favourite. Or go to an island in the archipelago, such as Vaxholm.”

Malin: “Meeting all of our colleagues in Amsterdam, and also experiencing King’s Day, was definitely a fun and crazy experience!”

Maarten: “It’s hard to point out one thing: I think it’s the combination of learning about Swedish culture, getting to know my Swedish colleagues and exploring the city of Stockholm!”