Swedish Space Corporation CEO Retires, Replacement Appointed

Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) has announced Charlotta Sund as its new President and CEO. Sund, who will take office in autumn 2023, will replace Stefan Gardefjord, who retires after serving the company for 12 years.

“Sweden can take a leading role in the global space development - with our engineering expertise, our geographical location between the Baltic Sea, the Atlantic and the North Pole, our global presence on all continents, and with Esrange Space Center as the EU’s only mainland-based spaceport. Therefore, I am pleased that the SSC Board has decided to employ a CEO with solid experience both from commercial and international business operations, as well as from critical societal infrastructure. Both these aspects will be needed to lead SSC to the next level,” said Anna Kinberg Batra, SSC Chair of the Board.

Sund currently serves as the President and CEO of Tekniska verken in Linköping, an industrial group tasked by regional community owners with creating resource-efficient energy systems for a sustainable society. She has led the organization through times of change, the current energy crisis, and has adapted to new regulations and expectations from both private and commercial actors on sustainable, safe and secure services.

Sund has also held several senior positions in Ericsson, a global telecom group, and brings a customer-focused mindset and deep knowledge of integrating sustainable innovation into the core business.

“It feels incredible to join the space industry during this historic period in time. As space infrastructure gets increasingly important for our modern societies on Earth, SSC is truly establishing itself as a societal builder. I hope to combine my background in digitalization and sustainable innovation with the deep knowledge and experience that I know exist in SSC. And I will bring my passion for leadership and organizational development to this exciting journey,” said Sund.

Sund's appointment comes at a crucial time for SSC, following the inauguration of Spaceport Esrange in January, which brought worldwide attention to the company.

“The inauguration of Spaceport Esrange in January brought worldwide attention to our company. But none of that could have happened without the decisive efforts and hard work of our retiring CEO Stefan Gardefjord. I want to thank him for his meritorious efforts for both the company and for Swedish space operations,” added Anna Kinberg Batra.