Niklas Adalberth and Victor Jacobsson , to initially launch Klarna in 2005 while he was still studying his degree and Msc in Economics and Business .
FAMILY LIFE During this time , he noticed a fellow student , Nina Sundén , who he would later go on to marry . Speaking of those early days , Siemiakowski recently said , “ She was this extremely good-looking , super-smart girl , and I felt like the biggest nerd in history , so I would never dare talk to her .”
But by the time he graduated in 2007 with a Master of Science degree , Siemiakowski ’ s startup was evolving swiftly . However , realising he needed broader industry experience , he joined a company called Djuice Uppsala as a sales manager and stayed there for eight years , rising to head of sales while crafting his skills and gaining experience in serving customers in the public space .
By 2010 , though , his involvement in Klarna ’ s growing space saw him take on the role of CEO - a position he still holds today some 12 years later .
A SKILLED BUSINESS NEGOTIATOR According to reports , one of Siemiatkowski ’ s key traits is his ability to manage large-scale negotiations . As part of Klarna ’ s scaling strategy , Siemiatkowski had to persuade more than 205,000 fee-paying retailers to sign up with his company to help consumers enjoy its seamless and flexible payment option for purchasing online goods .
Since then , Klarna has grown rapidly throughout Europe . One of its more recent expansions has included North America . Although Klarna was a financial startup that facilitated safe and seamless online payments , the company has received accreditation as a fully licensed bank and now has a consumer base of over 60 million with a merchant user base of 170,000 . Today , Klarna has a valuation of over US $ 46bn .
As a result of his contributions to the world of fintech - and the headway he has made in the BNPL space , Siemiatkowski was awarded the European Entrepreneur of the Year Award from Tech Tour . Adecco also named him Leader of the Year , and he was the 2015 global EY Entrepreneur of the Year award runner-up .
A FAMILY MAN Today , Siemiatkowski lives with his wife and three young children in a renovated property in the heart of Stockholm . He is , by all accounts , a dedicated father and husband who enjoys the perks of Stockholm life , but is happiest when with his family .
According to reports , the house was one his wife Nina had loved as a child - and she told Siemiatkowski it was her ‘ dream home ’ when they drove past in during their second date , while they were both still undergraduates . The property took them six years to restore and renovate .
Number of years working in the industry
20YRS
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£ 1MN