1. Dear Antoine, please introduce yourself to us!
My name is Antoine Adam and I have been at Leyton for 14 years. Originally, I’m from France, from Orleans. About five years ago, I was given the chance to build up Leyton Nordic as a CEO in the Stockholm office. So, my wife, our four children, and I have been calling Sweden our home for the past few years. It’s been an exhilarating journey full of challenges and triumphs, and we’ve enjoyed every moment of it.
Before being appointed CEO for Leyton Nordic, I worked in various management positions for Leyton in France, the most recent one as Director of the South-West region of France.
What many people don’t know is that I studied law both in France and Sweden, obtaining a master’s degree in international business law. My career at Leyton, however, began as a business developer at Leyton in Toulouse. It has been quite a journey for me since then! Now, I am excited to embark on a new adventure in Germany. Regarding me personally, I am a driven person, and I like to challenge myself. I also love to work together with others, because I genuinely believe that the journey is more interesting when we travel in good company.
2. You have a background in law, then you started at Leyton as a business developer: How come?
I agree that it does seem surprising. But it is less surprising when we consider the values of Leyton. Leyton is the kind of company that opens doors and gives you the chance to prove yourself, irrespective of where you initially come from. This philosophy caught my attention right from the beginning. In fact, these values of trust and opportunity resonated deeply with me. On top of this, I have always been someone who seizes the opportunity to push my boundaries. Starting as a business developer at Leyton allowed me to improve my skills in communication, negotiation and strategy – areas I was eager to master. Knowing this, Leyton was an obvious choice for me.
3. You have successfully built Leyton Sweden. What were the key challenges? And what do you think was your key to success?
I think that when you start a business, every single day can be challenging. However, for Sweden, I would say the two main challenges were, on the one hand, the difficulties with the tax administration and, on the other hand, the cultural differences at work. The tax administration has a very strict approach of the R&D tax credit and understanding what they were expecting was challenging. I was prepared for the cultural differences, especially that lived previously in Sweden but when it comes to work we have I was not expecting such differences; it became obvious when with the team we were using the same words, but with different meanings.
I am happy and proud to say that we have now a great team at Leyton Nordic that has allowed us to achieve a great standing on the Swedish market and will bring us even further!
4. What do you value about Leyton the most?
To break it down, I would say that I value two aspects the most. First of all, the service itself: Fostering innovation is crucial for progress, and this is our mission at Leyton: We enable companies to finance their R&D activities, and therefore, we contribute to the growth and development of innovative companies.
I am proud that we strengthen transformation and innovation in the world, because only by this, we will grow as individuals and a society. Secondly, it’s the values of the company. Leyton stands for ambition, meritocracy and most importantly, its people. By enabling our talents, we are achieving major milestones as a company.
5. You have seen many Leyton offices all over the world. If you had to choose: Which is your favorite location and why?
This is a very tricky question. All Leyton offices have their unique charm! Among the ones I’m most familiar with, France is the country that gave me the initial opportunity to start my journey with Leyton. After that, Sweden is a location I built from the ground up with our remarkable Swedish team, so there’s a special bond there. And it is Germany where I see myself in the future. All in all, to me the best office is where you have the right people around to work with and then it doesn’t matter where in the world you are. It’s Leyton that makes it special.
6. Looking into the future and your involvement as a CEO for Leyton Germany: What are you looking forward to the most?
When I look at Germany, I see immense strengths and opportunities in its people, market, and services. Hence, my ambition is clear: I want to make Leyton Germany the largest entity of the Leyton group. Leyton France has existed for 28 years, but I am motivated to rise to the challenge and grow our team in Germany to match and even surpass that legacy. It’s an ambitious goal, but I am very optimistic that we can reach it. I am looking forward to work more closely with every colleague at Leyton Germany, fostering a relation that it is based on trust, communication and appreciation.
7. Where do you feel your expertise will have the most significant positive effect?
I think the most important thing is that I know Leyton very well: not only from a strategic point of view, but operationally. Working as a business developer, I’ve been “on the field” myself. I know the pain points and challenges of our customers at first hand. Also, having been at Leyton for 14 years, I do not only have strong ties to our colleagues in France and Sweden, but also good connections with all other entities of the Group. We benefit from each other by sharing best practices and exchanging ideas and insights. And of course, having built up Leyton Nordic has helped me to gain valuable lessons in establishing a strong presence in a new market. Now I am eager to bring Leyton Germany to the next level.
8. You will be moving from Sweden to Germany. What are your thoughts about this?
Yes, I will move to Düsseldorf with my whole family, and we are very excited about this. For us, of course this means adjusting to a new country, a new city and a new language, but I wouldn’t want to have it any other way. To grow Leyton Germany means, I believe I need to be physically present at our headquarters, where most of our talents are located as well, and to work together with them strategically. Not being here wouldn’t match the ambitions that I have for Germany. It’s a move filled with enthusiasm and excitement for what lies ahead.
