Information from Industrivärden and its principal owners


Industrivärden and its principal owners, Handelsbanken with pension foundations and its pension fund, the Jan Wallander and Tom Hedelius Foundation and related research foundations, L E Lundbergföretagen and SCA’s pension foundations will be proposing certain changes to the nominating committees of Industrivärden and its portfolio companies ahead of companies’ Annual General Meetings this coming spring.

Sverker Martin-Löf has announced his intention to leave his directorships at the companies’ coming Annual General Meetings. The principal owners and Industrivärden will therefore work for the following changes in the nominating committee work:

  • to recommend Anders Nyrén as new Chairman of the Board of Industrivärden. The recruitment process for a new CEO is under way. Fredrik Lundberg will be appointed as Vice Chairman.
  • that Anders Nyrén leaves his position as Chairman of Handelsbanken. Pär Boman is proposed as the new Chairman. Fredrik Lundberg will continue as Vice Chairman, and Anders Nyrén will continue to serve as a board member. An announcement on a successor to Pär Boman as CEO of Handelsbanken will be made by its board of directors prior to the bank’s Annual General Meeting.
  • to recommend Pär Boman as new Chairman of SCA and as a new director of Skanska.
  • to recommend Bengt Kjell as new Chairman of SSAB.
  • to recommend Anders Nyrén as a director of Ericsson.

The principal shareholders are of the opinion that the proposed changes are well-suited for the respective companies and are suitable solutions for a succession change in the Group and thereby broaden the group of senior executives. The principal owners have taken note of the recent debate concerning the issue of personal constellations within the Industrivärden Group. The intention is therefore that the following principles shall apply in the future: Senior executives of portfolio companies shall not serve on Industrivärden’s board. In addition, such persons shall only be able to serve on another company’s board within the Group to a limited extent.

“I feel that the succession plan that has now been drawn up takes into account in a professional manner all of the conditions to meet Industrivärden’s ambition to be an active and long-term owner in major Swedish listed companies,” comments Sverker Martin-Löf. “It is gratifying to note that the pension foundations and others in Handelsbanken and SCA continue to be prepared to take their long-term ownership responsibility, and at the same time I can affirm that the favorable cooperation with Lundbergs continues and is developing further to the benefit of ownership stability in Industrivärden.”

Fredrik Lundberg, President and CEO of L E Lundbergföretagen, comments: “As Sverker Martin-Löf is now leaving his directorships in the Group, new talents are stepping in who are well-versed with the respective companies and will thereby ensure continuity. Sverker has a very successful career behind himself both as a CEO and Chairman of several different companies. We are very grateful for his dedicated work over many years. He has been of great service to the companies, which in many cases has been decisive for their development. We wish Sverker all the best for the future.”

Stockholm, January 22, 2015

The Board of Directors

AB INDUSTRIVÄRDEN (publ)

 

For further information, please contact:

Sverker Sivall, Head of Corporate Communications, tel. +46-8-666 64 00


Attachments

Viktig information IV_150122_eng.pdf