From handball dreams to scoring big deals: meet Retail Account Manager Anna

Growing up, Anna Engstam thought she'd either become a professional handball player or work at McDonald's. Life had other plans 😊

Four years after joining Wolt as one of the very first people in Sweden's retail business, Anna now manages some of the country's largest retail partners. Along the way, she's helped build the business almost from scratch, grown alongside it, and discovered that the best part of sales isn't closing deals, it's helping partners succeed.

We sat down with Anna to hear about her journey, how retail at Wolt has evolved, and why no two days ever look the same.

Hi 👋 Tell us a little bit about yourself.

"I'm Anna, based in Stockholm, and I've been with Wolt for four years now as part of our Retail team.

I studied business at university, but before joining Wolt I worked in retail stores, including helping open a luxury store here in Stockholm. After about a year, I felt ready for something that matched my studies more closely and would give me room to grow.

I found Wolt through LinkedIn. At the time, retail was still very new in Sweden. Wolt was mostly known for food delivery, but during COVID I had a feeling there would be huge growth opportunities as businesses adapted to new ways of serving customers. 

I honestly wasn't even sure I'd get an interview. The first step was recording a video introduction, and afterwards I remember thinking it had gone terribly! Luckily, I was invited to continue the process. 

When I visited the office for the first time, I got a really good feeling straight away. Things were happening incredibly fast, people were eager to learn, and everyone seemed focused on solving problems together. Four years later, that hasn't changed.

And when I’m not working, I like working out, spending time with family and friends, trying new restaurants, and going dancing. I also played handball for many years growing up, and I think that's one of the reasons I enjoy being part of a team so much."

Building Wolt Retail from the beginning

When Anna joined Wolt, retail in Sweden looked very different from today.

"There were only three of us in the team," she says.

Retail consisted of around 50 convenience stores and bakeries, and because the team was so small, everyone did a bit of everything. "We did everything, from uploading assortment files to onboarding partners."

Today, the business has grown significantly, and so has Anna's role. She now manages the partnership of one of Sweden's largest supermarket chains, covering more than 160 stores, alongside one of the country's biggest candy brands. Her days revolve around helping partners grow on the platform, whether that's launching new products like Wolt Drive, Storefront or Fire Deals, planning campaigns, reviewing business performance, or exploring new growth opportunities.

"I would say no two days are the same."

Although most of her work happens from Stockholm, she tries to spend as much time as possible visiting partners around Sweden. "I'd actually like to spend even more time meeting customers in person. That's where you build the strongest relationships."

Helping retailers grow

One thing Anna enjoys most about the role is helping partners discover new opportunities.

"We're trying to help our merchants grow," she explains.

Retail has developed rapidly over the past four years, but there's still an educational element to the role. "If you'd asked me four years ago, retailers didn't really understand what Wolt could do for them." Today, that conversation has changed. Retailers increasingly see Wolt as an important sales channel and understand that many customers simply expect fast delivery.

Still, every retailer is different: "Some store managers are incredibly engaged, while others don't really see fast retail as part of their business yet."

Helping partners see that opportunity, and supporting them along the way, is one of Anna's favourite parts of the job.

Fast pace, real responsibility

Retail also brings its own unique challenges. Unlike restaurants, supermarkets can have campaigns involving hundreds of products, weight-based pricing, and large assortments that constantly change.

One moment Anna might be planning a long-term strategy with a partner. Next, she's solving an urgent issue affecting hundreds of products.

"There can be campaigns with more than 500 items. That's something you don't really see on the restaurant side." That variety is exactly what keeps the role interesting.

One project Anna is especially proud of was launching a completely new supermarket chain with 85 stores. "I coordinated everything from beginning to end and collaborated with almost every team in the office. The launch was intense, but incredibly rewarding.”

"And now the real work starts, making sure the partner becomes successful on the platform."

Growing alongside Wolt

When asked why she's stayed for four years, Anna doesn't point to one thing. 

"It's a combination of everything. The colleagues, the environment, the opportunities to grow, the relationships I get to build with partners. I really like talking with my partners and helping them grow." Sometimes those relationships become surprisingly meaningful. "When it's time to hand over a customer you've worked with for a year, it almost gets emotional."

She also points to something else that has stayed remarkably consistent.

"What's really cool is that the culture has stayed the same even though we've grown so much. People here are very open and friendly. Some of my best friends today are also working at Wolt, and we have a lot of people the same age. This is a big reason why I have stayed for so many years: I really like the work environment here.

It’s also a place where you can talk about new ideas and actually try them out. Everyone wants the platform to be better for our partners. This approach was one of the big surprises for me when starting at Wolt, especially when talking to people with experience from other workplaces. Everyone here wants to succeed and grow. ”

And as Wolt has grown, so have the opportunities to collaborate across countries. "I've had the chance to work with colleagues across the Nordics and even travel with partners to Athens. Those experiences have been amazing."

What skills do you need to succeed in Retail Account Management?

For Anna, succeeding at Wolt is about much more than being good at sales. You need to be someone who's good at problem-solving, eager to learn, and able to think strategically.

Being outgoing certainly helps, but so does adaptability. The work moves quickly, priorities change, and no two days are alike. After four years and three different roles, Anna feels she's still growing.

"My next goal is to become a Key Account Manager. I feel ready for the next step."

Ready for your own next step? If you enjoy solving problems, building relationships, and helping businesses grow, Retail Sales at Wolt could be the perfect place to start.

Explore our open Sales roles and see where your journey could take you. 🚀