Experienced Project Manager and Entrepreneur

With a background in sales and marketing Erik Frisk is an experienced project manager with a strong track record of innovation and results. Over the past ten years, Erik has developed his skills as a resourceful business developer in both multinational organisations as well as in start-ups. He has further applied and enhanced his skills as a project manager with a multilateral organization, UNICEF, successfully managing and developing the SMS-based citizen engagement platform U-Report. Under Erik’s leadership Uganda has gained a reputation as the most advanced U-Report programme in the world with Erik supporting the programmes global replication and expansion. Erik believes that clearly defined roles, accountability with room for failure and positive engagement and encouragement are all key to building a high performing and successful team. He’s proud that his team building strategy has led to great progress for his former supervisees to pursue international careers
Erik has shown his ability to optimize limited resources through strategic and innovative thinking both as a self-funded entrepreneur as well as within business and a donor funded organisation, and has solid experience conducting market analysis in challenging environments. Producing specific industry reports for the Swedish Trade Organisation in Myanmar and investigating market potential in eastern China for NEFAB he has shown his ability to adapt and his work contributed greatly to the respective organisational expansion. Erik is action-oriented and thrives in environments where he can see quick results of his work and explore new opportunities This drive and his willingness to take on new challenges (at times without prior experience) has allowed him to excel in a wide range of roles and sectors. As an example Erik managed to introduce the very first eBook reader to the Swedish market handling the entire value chain from the producer in Korea to the content provider. While starting a brand new magazine in Uganda, Erik further proved his sales abilities by ensuring enough advertisers to cover all costs from the very first issue.
He has successfully been part of starting a new school built on a new and innovative concept filling a gap in the market. Erik also started the first ever property search site in Myanmar. All these accomplishments were achieved in challenging and for him new environments. This speaks to Erik’s networking and relationship-building skills, as well as his ability to confidently make decisions and ensure delivery from the planning stage to execution. Erik is however not content with just execution. Creating sustainable and long-lasting change is one of his driving forces whether it’s for business or as in his current role supporting young Ugandans to be heard and supported. He has therefore in all his roles focused significantly on building systems and structures.