"Working with English people is like poetry. They are nice and skilled, and very dedicated to the philosophy of Valtech." - Marcus Nilsson

The use of expatriates in the Valtech organization has picked up quite a bit, showing that that Valtech is an established global company. We send colleagues across the Atlantic and among the regional offices in Europe, and we are now establishing our Indian organization using colleagues from Western offices.

The reason? As we have to solve increasingly bigger and more complex projects, local resources are often sparse. How then, do we as a company meet the expectations of our expat colleagues?

Marcus Nilsson, Project Manager, Valtech Sweden, is currently working with Valtech U.K. on the EDS-headed, CSR project for the British Government as part of a group of Swedish colleagues. "My first contract was for three months, but I have been here for nearly seven months, and I am getting kind of settled living in London," he says.

"I felt welcome when I arrived at Valtech in London. People were very open toward us. It was the first time they had received so many foreign people at the same time, and the introduction reflected that. However, we have addressed this and now a proper introduction process for new people is in place," Nilsson tells.

The value of using expatriates applies to the employee, as well as to the local organization. Nilsson is one of many of our colleagues assigned to different offices around the world. The common opinion among these expats is that it is both educational as well as motivational to exchange competencies across borders.

Nilsson says his overall experience as a Valtech expatriate has made a good impression on him. "I would recommend this to all Valtech employees. Being able to offer employees work abroad is one of Valtech's advantages over similar companies. You would be surprised by the many, unexpected positive experiences that go along with being an expat, both professionally and privately. It really is a fantastic thing to work with people of other origins and culture than your own. It expands one's view on a lot of things.

Valtech's U.K. organization set Nilsson up in an apartment in the nice area of Kensington, only a 10-minute walk to the nearest London "Tube" station. On a personal level, he says he finds the one-hour ride to and from work as the only downside. "Traveling one hour to work is not something I have to worry about in good old Sweden. People in London all know what signal problems mean," he adds.