Anders Slettengren has been appointed Executive Vice President, Strategy & Investments, and will join Axel Johnson’s Group Management by April 2026. In his position, he will work with business development within existing operations as well as new investments across the group, with a particular focus on Novax, where he will serve as Executive Chair.
Former Axfood CEO Klas Balkow is joining Axel Johnson’s Board of Directors following his election at the Annual General Meeting. With a solid background in retail and the food industry, including many years as CEO of Axfood, Klas Balkow will be a strong addition to the board.
The year 2024 can be summed up as a year of stable results in challenging markets. Sales amounted to SEK 144 (126.7) million and profitAX* to SEK 4.1 (4.4) billion. Our two largest group companies, Axfood and Axel Johnson International, managed to maintain their profit levels from their all-time high results of 2023.
The board of Axel Johnson has decided that Caroline Berg will continue as permanent CEO of the company after having served as interim CEO since November 2024. At the same time, Marie Ehrling, who has been vice chair of the board since 2015, will take over the role of chair of the board.
Axel Johnson announced today that Thomas Ekman and the board have agreed that Thomas will step down from his position as CEO of the company. Board Chair, Caroline Berg, will take on the role of interim CEO starting today, while a recruitment process to find a new CEO begins. Thomas Ekman will remain with the company until December 31, 2024, to ensure a smooth transition.
Hanna Graflund Sleyman, previously CEO for Kicks Group, among other positions, has been appointed Executive Vice President for Emerging Technology at Axel Johnson, with the task to further strengthen the capabilities and development of emerging technologies within the group.
Axel Johnson extends its partnership with The Global Village/Järvaveckan until 2026. This year's Järvaveckan takes place from May 29 to June 1, and Axel Johnson is participating alongside companies from the group and partners from civil society.
