Swedish retailer ICA Gruppen has made a number of new appointments at the top level following the resignation of group CEO Per Strömberg and ICA Sweden CEO Anders Svensson.
The company's board of directors has appointed Plantagen top boss Nina Jönsson (pictured) as its new group CEO, effective 1 January 2023.
Per Strömberg commenced his role as chief executive of ICA Gruppen in 2012. He will step down as CEO on 31 December 2022 and is expected to be proposed as a member of ICA Gruppen’s board of directors at the beginning of 2023.
Jönsson boasts more than 20 years of experience in various senior positions in the retail and food industries.
'Unique Experience'
Commenting on Jönsson's appointment, Claes Göran Sylvén, chairman of ICA Gruppen, said "With the combination of her broad background from both supplier and retailer operations, she has unique experience that is required for the role as CEO of ICA Gruppen. Nina has also demonstrated strong leadership that is grounded in delegating a strong sense of responsibility and mandates out in the organisation, empowering people to act with speed.
"In addition, Nina also has a broad foundation of business knowledge and perhaps most important of all is a highly regarded former leader within ICA with a keen understanding of the ICA model, having served for six years as director of assortment and buying for ICA Sweden."
Jönsson stated, "It will be very exciting to return to ICA Gruppen, and of course it feels extra stimulating to take on the role as CEO. I have always been motivated by working closely with consumers, and in this regard ICA is the strongest force in the industry. Through its grocery retail, pharmacy, banking, insurance and real estate businesses, ICA contributes in so many ways to people’s daily lives.
"In the Baltic countries, Rimi has equally strong and important customer relationships. What I am looking forward to most of all is working together with all of ICA’s employees and retailers to continue developing the ICA Idea, ICA’s entrepreneurial spirit and its customer focus."
Read More: ICA Gruppen Posts ‘Stable Performance’ In Second Quarter
Other Management Changes
Elsewhere, Anders Svensson has decided to leave ICA Sweden after 13 years as the chief executive of ICA Sweden.
Eric Lundberg, who currently serves as the CEO of Apotek Hjärtat, will replace Svensson in the role, effective 1 September.
Following this appointment, Monika Magnusson, director of sales at Apotek Hjärtat, will succeed Lundberg as the new CEO of Apotek Hjärtat.
Anders Svensson will stay with ICA Sweden through the third quarter to ensure a smooth transition, the retailer noted.
Eric Lundberg, CEO-elect of ICA Sweden, said, "It is a great honour to be entrusted with driving the ICA Idea forward through ICA Sweden in what is both an exciting and challenging time for the grocery retail trade. Helping to make every day a little easier for our customers, in cooperation with our employees and retailers, feels more important than ever before."
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Conor Farrelly. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
