?w=3840)
?w=3840)
RP Perspective: Lars Scholtyssyk
Lars Scholtyssyk, Director at Rud Pedersen Public Affairs in Berlin: “We are the friendly Viking army"
Rud Pedersen Public Affairs Berlin celebrates its 1 year anniversary with Viking helmets.
"We want to be the puzzle piece that connects the Nordic countries to the rest of Europe. Germany is a bridge builder when it comes to trade, culture and politics, says Lars Scholtyssyk, Director at the Rud Pedersen Public Affairs office in Berlin."
One year ago Lars Scholtyssyk and Hendrik Hagemann left their jobs at an American communication agency and opened the Rud Pedersen office in Berlin. By September this year, the team will have grown to about 15 employees. And the rented office space is already starting to be too small.
What is the reason for Rud Pedersen's rapid expansion in Berlin?
Starting a new Public Affairs brand in Berlin, especially during the pandemic, was everything but easy. Berlin is a highly fragmented market with lots of competition. So we had to find a way to stand out from the crowd, he says and makes a list of three things that will make Rud Pedersen unique.
-
Bridge the gap to continental Europe for Nordic companies.
-
Sell Scandinavian values of transparency or diversity of opinion in the political arena.
-
Hire excellent people that are looking for a new challenge.
Finally, Germany’s EU presidency and the upcoming federal elections are making the country a focus market for all industries.
How would you describe the Berlin office's role within the Rud Pedersen Group?
Germany’s role in Europe is as relevant as ever. The political relationship to Brussels is close on all levels as a market, Germany plays a major role for industry. In many regards, looking at Germany helps understand Brussels better.
What are the plans for the future?
We need to consolidate our success and prove that we deliver the same standard of excellence as other Rud Pedersen offices. We continuously look for gaps in the market that we can fill, for example by providing digital analysis or connecting PA with PR activities and reputation management. And we believe that we can play a role in the expansion of the group due to the close political and economic relationships between Germany and countries like France or Poland.
How have you celebrated reaching the one year mark?
It is safe to say that we do play a lot with Nordic clichés in our public image here in Berlin, in a nice and quirky way. For our 1 year anniversary we took photos of the team in viking helmets and sent postcards and little viking figures to all our competitors. A little battle cry from the friendly viking army.