Erik Zsiga

Erik has roughly 20 years of experience in politics, journalism and corporate communications – with a heavy international profile.

Erik’s expertise ranges from storytelling, positioning and visibility, crisis, media and stakeholder relations, strategic changes, policy analysis and international relations. He is also an experienced copywriter, media trainer, motivational speaker and moderator.

Erik has vast experience – both as an in-house and consultancy professional – in advising and managing a wide span of industries, opportunities and challenges related to communications and relations.

Prior to joining Kekst CNC, Erik worked in Sweden’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs, where he served as then-Foreign Minister Carl Bildt’s Press Secretary and Spokesperson. Before that, he was Global Head of Media Relations at Electrolux. He has also been Program Director and Editor at the think-tank Timbro, and a writer at the monthly Moderna Tider and the daily Svenska Dagbladet.

He is the author of books Popvänstern (2004) and Hejdå Östeuropa! (2007), along with many essays, reports and several hundred articles in different topics, mainly related to politics and culture. He is also a recurring columnist in the Swedish national daily Svenska Dagbladet.

Erik holds an MSc in Marketing from the Stockholm School of Economics, a BA in Ethnology from Stockholm University and has studied Law at Lund University.

Experience

Corporate Reputation and Positioning

• Advised in most niches of Corporate Reputation and Positioning, in international contexts and in many different industries for both in-house and consultant roles.
• Worked with C-suites to develop their leadership communications, all the way from storytelling and communications strategy to media and message training and drafting speeches and important texts.

Regulatory and Public Affairs

• As spokesperson and press secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Erik was responsible for planning the policy communication from Sweden’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
• Arranged press conferences in places like Kabul, Tehran, Tbilisi and Seoul, met with presidents and world leaders in the EU, UN and other policy hotspots, and taken place in a variety of peace negotiations and international summits.
• In the MFA, Erik was operational when Sweden took lead in public diplomacy by becoming the first nation in the world with all embassies on Twitter and Facebook.

Crisis Management and Preparedness

• Led several high profile, high risk and high complexity communication crises mandates, the longest and most public one being the mandate to support Volkswagen Group Sweden during Dieselgate.
• Regularly helps clients in outlining strategies to prevent communication crises and to be prepared for crisis situations.