Bonnier Digital International to Hit Asia

Watch out world, Bonnier Digital International is on the way. The new unit, a part of Bonnier Digital, will establish the brand outside Sweden and the other home markets of Bonnier, with a clear focus on Asia. Jonas von Hedenberg, currently executive vice president at Bonnier Tidskrifter, will be starting up BDI with the help of recent Stockholm School of Economics graduate Ashley Sullivan.

"Bonnier is already well-established in the Nordic region, parts of Europe and the U.S. But with our new digital agenda we think it's time to seriously look toward Asia," says von Hedenberg. "China has today over 400 million Internet users - double what it was just a short time ago. Indonesia is the world's fourth most populous nation. No European country is as a big as Vietnam. The list goes on and it's clear that people in these countries will become 'digitalized' at a fast pace."

The first step for BDI will be to develop a presence in Asia - ultimately through acquisitions most likely. "This almost certainly means investing together with partners," says von Hedenberg. "Hopefully this will whet our appetites for further investments."

Von Hedenberg cautions that it will take time. "The advice I've gotten from many quarters is to be patient and try different things simultaneously," he says. "That will give us the chance that ultimately something will really succeed." He says that he hopes to have an established office, a network and maybe even a first investment within six months to a year. Officially he starts in his new position on June 20, although he will be visiting Asia already in May.

"I don't yet know what the biggest challenges will be, and that's probably a good thing," says von Hedenberg. "But I believe Bonnier has the right conditions for success. There should be plenty of opportunities in Asia for a 200-year-old family company with a documented long-term agenda. We need to be humble about the complexities and keep in mind that it will take time." 

Von Hedenberg has a long history within Bonnier, including the past six years at Bonnier Tidskrifter. He also worked on the startup of Bonnier Gaming, among other things. Outside Bonnier, he worked with London-based SBS New Media, which invested in new business models on the Internet for traditional media - everything from auctions and dating to games and job recruiting.

"We're very happy to have Jonas von Hedenberg on board," says Casten Almqvist, CEO for the Bonnier Digital business area. "He has the perfect background for the exciting challenge we're facing in Asia."