Today we have the pleasure of interviewing Dan Radu, working in the sales and marketing department of ClimateWell, a swedish company producing an innovative indoor climate solution.

Today we’re interviewing Mr. Dan Radu, living and working in Sweden, originally from Romania, studied in Canada, and currently part of sales & marketing at ClimateWell.

Trad Online : My first question is always the same (I should get an imagination class one day), Dan, could you kindly tell our readers about your personal and professional background in a few words?

Dan Radu : I would describe myself personally as the curious type. Since early age I was always interested in learning and teaching myself different things. As a young computer savvy teenager I went to business school to study economics and commerce, so I can also understand a different discipline. In Canada I worked for one of the largest software companies in the world and after finishing my studies, I packed my stuff and went to work in Sweden for an international experience.

Trad Online : Let’s talk about your current company, ClimateWell. What does the company do and offer to its customers?
Dan Radu : At ClimateWell we commercialize and research energy efficient indoor climate solutions which offer energy and financial savings plus are environmentally friendly. Basically, our patented and award winning technology transforms heat into cooling without using electricity. We currently use the solar radiation to create cooling in buildings world wide, but exciting new applications such as truck cooling, ship cooling and boiler boosters are coming up.

Trad Online : What is your role in the company?

Dan Radu : My role is very broad because I get involved in various projects and I like it that way. For example, I help sales by creating case studies, references and doing some business development. I also research and analyze energy prices and government incentives for solar technology in various countries in order to identify where we can offer the most value. Finally, I work to clearly communicate our message to industry organizations, media and customers.

Trad Online : Being in the cleantech industry, I suppose your company isn’t too much affected by the economic crisis?
Dan Radu : The cleantech boom is expected to contribute to overcome the current economic crisis. We did experience a lot of growth in the past years by expanding our operations into new geographic markets such as India, Australia, Dubai and Italy. One of the biggest accomplishment this year was when we launched our first solar cooling production plant in Spain, which was actually inaugurated by His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.

Trad Online : What are you in this business for? Helping to save the planet? Making money? Because it’s very hype? All of the above?
Dan Radu : I think it is important to have an overall perspective of your work, as opposed to simply treating your role as a job and nothing else. Knowing that I am working towards a good cause is an important aspect of my profession.

Trad Online : Now let’s talk a little bit about Sweden. We’re interviewing people from around the world, and it’s always interesting to get people’s opinion on the country they’re living and working in. How do you see life and business in Sweden today?
Dan Radu : I certainly noticed many differences due to my international work experience.
First of all, in Sweden I found a management style where the leader engages the team members much more into decision making. As a team member, that gives you a good window to step up with new initiatives to help the overall objectives. It’s expected of you to bring your ideas to the table.
Secondly, Swedes are much more modest about their accomplishments than North Americans. I did not find people introducing themselves with their education, job title or other accomplishments as much as in North America.
Finally, the Swedish support for health initiatives such as jogging team bonding activities make a positive impact on the organization culture.

Trad Online : Any tips about doing business in Sweden? Any dos and don’ts?
Dan Radu : I found lunch to be a very important time of day in Sweden. My advice for people coming to Sweden is to always respect lunch time and make sure you eat a proper meal with the Swedes.

Trad Online : What about Canada and Russia where you’ve also have the chance to work?
Dan Radu : In Russia I had the opportunity to coach a conference. Connecting after work was an important part of team work. In a way I found it hard there to separate my professional side from my personal side. So in order to do deliver good work you have to make sure your personal character is also aligned.

Trad Online : My company is based in France mainly but also Italy and Spain. Have you already done business or had exchanges with people in France? If so, how did it go?
Dan Radu : My company has installations in France, but personally I did not get the chance to do any business with people in France. I did travel to France and found it very beautiful. The food was extremely tasty, so starting a business meeting with some croissants could lead to a win-win outcome.

Trad Online : We at Trad Online work in the translation industry, tell us your vision from outside this industry: what is your perception of translators, translation agencies, etc?
Dan Radu : I always admired translators because of their in-depth linguistic knowledge. Each translation job is in a different field and the translators must be familiar with the jargon. I know Trad Online has an excellent talent pool working among others with technical, legal, medical, IT and financial.

Trad Online : Now a few questions about another point of interest: blogging. What would you recommend to someone wishing to start a blog? Any tips on “good blogging”?
Dan Radu : My recommendation is to put a lot of thought into what they post and understand the flow of information. There are lots of insights, opinions and advices on the Internet and many people read and rely on this information. If a one blogger writes something faulty and a second blogger reproduces this information on his blog, then a reader finding this information in two different places might be inclined to believe the statement is true. This gives a lot of power to bloggers. They must use this power very carefully; it comes down to their responsibly spirit.

Trad Online : What made you initially want to start blogging?
Dan Radu : I simply wanted to share my hands-on experiences and professional knowledge gained in short and easy to understand posts. Some blogs available on the Internet are very long and take lots of time to read, but I wanted to keep mine short. I am the type of person who enjoys sharing what he learns with others.

Trad Online : What is the future of blogging according to you? What is at stake for companies and the business world?
Dan Radu : I am expecting some developments for the consumer’s protection. Bloggers who are paid to advertise products should state their affiliation in my opinion. Readers should be able to filter better through the credibility and information sources. The solution might be a legal requirement or even a technical feature.

Trad Online : How do you tell the world about the existence of your blog? Any tips on how to increase visibility, other than by providing great content to readers?
Dan Radu : Just like business, a happy customer will come back; you are definitely right when you said that great content is the key. Again, similar to business spamming is a bad idea; please do not spam but make it easily accessible for people to find your blog. Keep in mind your target audience. Find a niche topic, build your credibility and blog on it, so readers know you are the ‘go to’ person for information on that topic.

Trad Online : Merci beaucoup Dan ! Thanks very much Dan and all the best to you!