Finding Your Inner Strength and Raising SEK 12 Billion While Doing So

Evelina Radgren – Head of Investor Relations at Infranode

No one is good at everything, but everyone is excellent at something – so why not focus on your strengths? This simple devise can take you far, and even more so if you work in the right organization.

It is now almost three years ago since I first heard about the Nordic infrastructure fund manager Infranode. I had just completed an exchange program at The University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business, and I was working on my Master of Science thesis in Accounting, Valuation and Financial Management at the Stockholm School of Economics. 

I didn’t know much about Infranode at that time but was intrigued from what I learned. Infranode is a long-term investor in essential Nordic infrastructure. Standing out, Infranode has had a strong focus on sustainability ever since the start in 2013. 

It was an easy decision. I joined Infranode in August 2019 as an Investment Analyst, and after a few months I grew into the role of an Investment Associate. That meant I was working with deal execution within Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark and in all of Infranode’s sectors – energy, transportation, social infrastructure and digital infrastructure. 

Joining Infranode was undoubtedly right for me. Above all, it gave me some insights.

First of all, being in an agile organization, like Infranode, enables you to build on your strengths rather than forcing improvements to your weaknesses. This insight might seem basic but opens doors and straightens curves in a way I could not foresee.

I am a people’s person who likes building relationships. In addition, I am a strong project manager. This was acknowledged by Infranode as well. As a result, I was given the responsibility to head our Investor Relations function, a position where these two strengths are crucial for success.

I was given a kick-start in my new role. When I was appointed at the back end of 2020, we already had an intense fundraising ongoing. I got involved in everything from introduction pitch meetings to continuous investor interaction with people in senior positions who all had a great interest in building a sustainable society. It was exciting to be one of the front runners of the fundraising together with two of our founders! 

Marketing our fund to European investors was a pleasure since I truly believe in our offering and strong focus on sustainability. The tremendous level of interest from investors resulted in that we landed at more than SEK 12 billion of commitments, significantly exceeding our target of SEK 10 billion. We more than doubled in size compared with our first fund. It makes me proud when I think about that I was heavily involved in this great achievement.

Looking back, I realize that a few but very important insights changed the course of my career. Thanks to the awareness of my strengths, I am now heading the Investor Relations function at Infranode, which means that I am working with something that truly interests me and where I can contribute a lot. 

I know that there are many ambitious members in the Business & Dreams community, and I hope that my story can inspire. What are your strengths? How can you utilize them the most? And since we are in a strong growth phase and seeking to add new talent, don’t hesitate to reach out to me on e.g. LinkedIn if you are interested in exploring joining us on the Infranode journey.

One of the largest solar parks in the Nordics, Vandel III, is part of the Infranode portfolio.