ERIK BERGMAN

Chief Strategy Officer & Co-Founder
Catena Media

Why and since when have you been based in Malta?

From the beginning we ended up in Malta almost by accident. We wanted to move out of Sweden and Malta felt like as good of a choice as any. Malta was tempting since it was English speaking, sunny, already had a lot of Scandinavian companies and wasn’t that far away from Sweden.

We actually first came here in 2010 and then left the island for Gibraltar in 2012. In 2013 we decided to move back to Malta as the quality of life was a lot better here and there was less bureaucracy.

What things are there about Malta that make you operate here?

The great thing is the climate and the English language combined with the fact that it is part of EU. There are no other countries that tick all those boxes. This combined with that a lot of our clients are based here, the fact that it is easy for staff to find apartments and a company friendly environment makes Malta a great place for us.

The fact that so many i-Gaming companies have gathered here makes it a lot easier to be close to our clients and that is thanks to the current Maltese set-up.

Any good things about Malta that you don’t think are often spoken of?

I think the expat community is worth mentioning. The Scandinavians living in Malta are very different from the ones staying in the north of Europe. Most of the people here are a lot more optimistic, open to new challenges and relationships. It feels like Malta manages to attract the most interesting Scandinavians and create a very nice atmosphere down here.

What is your best experience of Malta on a business level?

On a business level my best experience in Malta is the general networking opportunities and the fact that no one acts like they are too good for someone else. The customer support agents hang out in the same places as the CEO’s which makes everyone very easy to reach. Thanks to this I have managed to get to know a lot of very experienced people that have helped me out a lot in my career.

And on a personal level?

On a personal level I think the general quality of life is my best experience. The fact that it is walking distance everywhere, the climate and the closeness to the sea. It’s not a specific experience that stands out; rather everything combined.

Can you give me a snapshot of your working day?

These days my working days are mainly about networking and dealing with M&A so they are very different from before. Most of the time I’m travelling and attending different conferences around the world.

What’s your favourite part of Malta and why?

My favourite part of Malta is Sliema. Mainly because of the promenade and that everything I need and everyone I usually spend my days with is here. You can always walk along the beach and you can take a swim whenever you like. By far Sliema is where I spend by the most time on the island.