Meet Jakob Lönnborg

When Jakob Lönnborg landed in Beijing at the beginning of September, he found things weren't as he remembered. "I was here ten and five years ago and have now returned to a completely different city," Lönnborg says. "You really need to live here for awhile to understand the pace in which China and Beijing are changing."

Lönnborg, who normally works at Bonnier Publications in Copenhagen with responsibility for marketing National Geographic and Världens Historia, is in Beijing as part of the GROW program as a vice president at Bonnier China. He was eager to take the chance the job offered, not only for the challenges related to the job itself, but also for traveling, meeting new people and experiencing life in China.

"I am developing my leadership skills a lot and feel that I am contributing plenty to Bonnier China as a company," says Lönnborg. "An exchange like this makes you realize that you have acquired more knowledge and experience than you think."

Outside the job, Lönnborg is also taking on plenty of challenges. "My family and I are making use of all free time, dining out, exploring this vast, lively city and traveling," he says. "No TV dinners here."

It isn't always simple, of course. "Although it is easy getting by in daily situations, the language barrier is still there, both on and off work," Lönnborg says. "Also, hailing a taxi during rush hour can be tricky."

But Lönnborg will be taking a lot back home with him to Denmark. "The great company, the new friends, the amazing food, the frenzy and the heavy smog will all be etched in my memory forever," he says.