One of the privileges of being a board President of Church of Sweden, SF, is that you get to meet and know so many remarkable people who have found a home in our church. A month ago we had a delegation from Sweden visiting led by Crown Princess Victoria who gave a personal speech addressing about 80 leaders of the Swedish organizations, emphasizing the role of the church as a meeting place for all Swedes longing for a home while living and working abroad.
Last Saturday we had almost full house for the Easter service in Los Altos including many families with children that had come for the egg hunt and games in collaboration with SWEA SF. We meet there once a month in the Lutheran Church Hall with a playground, a little ampitheater, spacious parking lot and a versatile all purpose hall with a stage, kitchen, bar desk and coffee tables where we can feast on home baked bread and cookies.
One of the regulars here is Anna Vissers who lives in Los Altos and works at Oracle. Having spoken with her a few times I had become curious and asked her a few questions and here are her answers. Her story made me feel very humble as I have worked 35 years in the US tech industry. With her solid foundation anchored in her wealth of experience she has become a respected leader in a company like Oracle. This is one of the leading software companies in the world with more than 160,000 employees, a market cap of $346 B and revenues of $50 B in 2023.
Where were you born, and did you grow up? Tell us about your family.
I grew up in Skinnskatteberg, located in beautiful Bergslagen, Västmanland with my Mom, Dad and younger sister Karin. It is one of the smallest municipalities in Sweden, and while we didn't have a ton of organized activities - unless you were into sports - it was a very wholesome and happy place to grow up in. Three of my best friends today are my childhood friends from Skinnskatteberg.
How did you become an exchange student in Dublin, Ireland? How did you end up with Symantec there and later in Silicon Valley? How long have you been with Oracle? How many companies have helped integrate?
As part of my degree in Political Science in Uppsala, I applied to be an exchange student in Derry/Londonderry in Northern Ireland to study Peace and Conflict and Irish History. This was back in 1994 during one of the ceasefires, so there was a lot of optimism at the time that this could turn into lasting peace. I fell in love with Ireland and the Irish way of life, so after I finished my degree in Uppsala, I decided to move back to Ireland and start a temporary job at an IT firm, Symantec, who had established their European headquarters in Dublin. This "temporary" job turned into a 17-year career. I met my now ex-husband at Symantec, and we both received job offers at the headquarters in Cupertino in 2004. We planned to stay in California for 2 years, and then move back to Europe, but here I am 20+ years later, blessed with 2 amazing children, Stella (19) and Max (16).
I started to work in Corporate Development at Oracle in 2016, and I now lead Oracle's M&A integration practice. I count myself as very lucky to have such an interesting job, where I get to work with smart and dedicated professionals and solve interesting problems. I learn something new every day. Between Oracle and Symantec, I have worked on integrating more than 30 companies.
How do you cope with stress prevention in a growing organization with many M & A Activities? Tell us more about change management, how to grow a culture where everybody feels trusted and relaxed, ready to give their best. What's the role of fitness, healthy living and balance between work and life outside work?
It can be difficult to maintain a balanced life, especially in the midst of busy projects. During stressful times, I find that self-management becomes extra important. For me that means staying quite disciplined and making sure I take breaks, go to my yoga classes, spend time in nature, eat well and enjoy time with friends and family. I also remind myself and my team that this is a marathon, not a sprint. It is important that the pace is sustainable and also to have time to recharge.
Change can be hard. It is a process and I need time to internalize and work through what the change will mean for me. Over the years I have learned to trust that I will find a path through change, but it can take time.
At work, I have to be able to paint a vision to lead people through the change. I truly believe that the vast majority come from a position of wanting to do well and do the right thing, so communication and investing the time to talk through what it will mean, are all important aspects of change management.
Tell us about your family and your volunteering work in the schools.
I took a career break between Symantec and Oracle, and I was lucky to have the opportunity to be a stay-at-home Mom for 18 months. During this time, I got involved with my children's local elementary school, and led the annual fundraising event. One of the many things I appreciate about living here, is the strong sense of community, service and giving back. No one can do everything, but everyone can help in some way.
For the last 2 years, I serve on the board of a local chapter of a non-profit called Young Men's Service League (YMSL). Members of YMSL are moms and their teenage sons who volunteer together to serve their local communities during four years of high school. It is a great program, which has a direct and tangible impact in the community, and it also gives me plenty of opportunity to spend time with my 16-year-old son when we serve together.
When and how did you discover Church of Sweden in SF/ Bay Area? You are a regular in Los Altos and participates in our book group in SF.
Many of my Swedish friends I met when I first came to the Bay Area 2004 moved away over a few years, and I was really missing them and the connection to Sweden. So, I was excited to learn about the monthly Church service in Los Altos. It is such a great community with lovely people. The church coffee served with home-baked goodies is the best. I also joined the Swedish Book Club. We meet at the church in San Fransisco every month to 6 weeks and talk about a book we jointly decide to read. I like it so much, and it really helps me get back into reading Swedish books again. Right now, we are reading Andrev Waldens "Jävla karlar" (which is a fantastic read). Last year I thoroughly enjoyed two books about Swedes immigrating to the US: Wilhelm Moberg's Invandrarna and Swede Hollow by Ola Larsmo - both excellent books and a good reminder that life was not better or easier back then.
What can we do to attract young people and better serve our members?
I do think many people are not aware of the Swedish church program and community, so it is a good idea to do joint events with other Swedish organizations, such as SWEA. We had amazing turnout last Saturday in Los Altos, and it was so fun to see so many new families and young children join in.