SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Svenska Spel has announced the inbound appointment of Anna Johnson as the new CEO of Sweden’s state-owned gambling and lotteries group.
As declared by the board of Svenska Spel, Johnson will join the company in June 2024, succeeding outgoing CEO Patrik Hofbauer, who is set to become the Chief Executive of Telia Company, Scandinavia’s largest telecommunications firm.
Johnson joins Svenska Spel from the multinational management consultancy and auditing firm Grant Thornton, where she served as CEO of Sweden since 2016.
The board of Svenska Spel branded Johnson a ‘proven leader’ with a track record of delivering on corporate transformation, efficiency, and reorganisation projects for mass-market enterprises.
Erik Strand, Chairman of the Board of Svenska Spel, commented: “We have undergone significant changes in recent years and are well equipped today to offer sustainable gaming experiences that contribute to a better Sweden. The board and I are very much looking forward to working together with Anna and her management team.”
Johnson will take charge of Svenska Spel’s leadership, as the state-owned operator begins the reorganisation of the Casino Cosmopol and Vegas Slot units, which have underperformed since the global pandemic.
Johnson commented on joining Svenska Spel, “This is a fantastic opportunity, and I am both grateful and humble for the trust. Svenska Spel is known as Sweden’s premier gaming company with many well-known gaming experiences.”
“The group has a unique position and opportunity to drive sustainable gaming that contributes both joy and excitement for the benefit of the Swedish people and Swedish sports. I am really looking forward to leading Svenska Spel’s change journey together with the employees and continuing to create results.”
2024 sees Swedish operators prepare for a further year of adjustments, as the government continues to revise the market protections of the Gambling Law 2018 and as Parliament will debate increasing gambling income taxes from 18% to 22%.
