Seamless

Appendix 1: A letter from Birgitta

Dear Anders,

I was so thrilled and happy when you asked me if I, your mother, as director and part owner of Georg Sörman, would be interested in being part of your Global Executive MBA!

We took long walks in the forest next to our home on Färingsö, the island we live on, twenty-five kilometres west of Stockholm, Sweden. We had long conversations, discussed and agreed. I remember how well prepared you were, as always, before our talks and was smitten by your convincing enthusiasm. You have always been a strong and shining leader; everyone in a room, friends or strangers, will look at you as you enter the premises. You love being in the limelight and thrive there, and you are the born leader and bright shining star! Other people like to be close to you. I was proud that you, at last at the age of 30-plus, wanted to take a real and professional interest in our business, Georg Sörman. (Georg Sörman being a menswear retail store with two shops: one in Kungsholmen, Stockholm, and one with knitwear in Old Town, Stockholm.)

During that first walk I told you that I, of course, was very happy supporting your decision to write your thesis about Georg Sörman, which my grandfather Georg Sörman started in 1916. But I also raised my doubts, and talked about some of the problems and difficulties I thought could arise. I already worked more than full-time in the business and would soon be sixty years old, so I was very clear with you that I did not want