SCC's Jan Olsson is changing Chair

During his six years as Chair of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce, Jan Olsson has navigated the community through Brexit, COVID-19 and now the rising inflation. Now, as the Chairmanship has come to an end, the Link sat down with him to speak about his highlights, insights and what’s next in store.

"There have been quite a few changes taking place these years – some expected, some very unexpected,” Jan says. “During my time as Chair, the Chamber has had three CEOs, and the UK has had four different Prime Ministers, two ruling Monarchs, Brexit and a pandemic at its hands.” 

When Jan took over the Chairmanship, the UK had just voted to leave the EU, but knew nothing about COVID-19, nor the upcoming war in Europe. In the years that followed, the country has had to counter one crisis after the other, forcing both the Chamber and many of its member businesses to do the same.

“The pandemic was especially worrying, as it didn’t just affect the Chamber and our events, but basically all our members were struck in one way or another. But we did all we could to steer the community through the storm, and I think we came out on the other side in a much better condition than we had expected.”

Similarly, Jan believes that the outcome of Brexit has been better than many first thought. 

“Brexit was a big milestone. At first, the worry was huge – we were in so many crisis meetings and the circumstances seemed impossible. But we worked together, we managed and today our situation is actually better than before Brexit. My learning is that if you have great stakeholders – great employees, members, and leaders – you will always find solutions.”

Entering the community

Jan first encountered the Swedish Chamber of Commerce through his role as CEO Nordics at Deutsche Bank. As an active member of the international business community, he felt it only natural to get involved in the Swedish Chamber network.

“The various Swedish Chambers of Commerce provide an extremely important network internationally, especially here in the UK. By the time I decided to become a member, I had already encountered the Swedish Chambers abroad several times, and seen the value they bring to Swedish businesses.”

A few years later, he joined the SCC’s Board of Directors, and was then elected Chairman in 2017, succeeding Béatrice Engström-Bondy. He believes that his vision for the Chamber, along with his position at Deustche Bank, made him a good fit for the role.

“I really wanted to become Chairman – I had high ambitions for the Chamber and saw a lot of opportunities when it came to growing the membership. Apart from that, I believe my background in an organisation like Deutsche Bank meant that I could add a lot to the community.”

Over the years, not only has the membership grown, but the events and service offering changed significantly. Some events, such as the Spring Ball and Crayfish Party, have left the agenda, making room for new finance focused events, such as the Nordic Private Equity Forum and the Nordic M&A Forum. On the service side, Jan mentions the expansion of the business services department as especially important.

A new Chamber chapter

On 8 June, at the SCC’s Annual General Meeting, Jan passed on the torch to Peter Jelkeby, CEO & CSO of IKEA UK and Ireland, who will take over the role as Chairman. Jan believes Peter, coming from a different background than himself, will bring a new, valuable perspective to the organisation.

“Although I will miss being Chairman, I believe the time is right for this transition. Peter has lengthy experience from the retail sector, and is good at looking beyond London, which will be a great contribution to the Chamber.”

In the upcoming years, Jan hopes that the community will continue to grow outside of the capital region. “I would like to see the Chamber spread wider across the UK. I feel that there’s a demand from regions far beyond London, and the Greater London area. This work has already begun with our Swedish Footprint project, and I hope it will expand even more.“

When it comes to his own future, Jan is not planning to slow down. Apart from his role as CEO Nordics at Deutsche Bank, he is involved in several other boards, where he will continue his work. 

“I’m also Chairman of the International Bank and Finance Association, and on the board of the Swedish Bankers Association in Stockholm. Then I have a few other projects in the pipeline, so I doubt that I will get bored.”

More importantly, Jan will make sure not to miss out on the SCC events, which he will be able to enjoy with a more leaned back approach as he steps down as Chair. He wants to make sure to keep the bonds strong with both members and businesses, and says these have been the highlights of the Chairmanship.

“For me personally, the best thing has been the people I’ve met during my years at the Chamber. I’ve met some incredible individuals, with bright ideas and great fighting spirit, both internally in the organisation, and when meeting our member businesses.”