By
Rebecca Gibson |
Stena Line’s Gunnar Blomdahl will retire from his role as the company’s CEO in January 2013 and will be succeeded by the current chairman of Stena Line, Carl-Johan Hagman.
During Blomdahl’s ten-year appointment, he helped to develop Stena Line into one of the world’s largest ferry companies. Under his leadership, the company invested around SEK 11 billion in new tonnage and geographic expansion and has produced some of the most profitable years in Stena Line’s history.
"I am very pleased with Stena Line's development under Gunnar's leadership and over the past year, the company improved its result by SEK 275 million,” said Stena AB's CEO, Dan Sten Olsson. “Apart from this, Gunnar has led the work with continuous improvements, development and expansion in an extraordinary way and he leaves Stena Line, despite a certain loss in 2012, in a very good condition."
Blomdahl will continue to hold positions on various of the Stena group’s boards.
"I have been the Chief Executive Officer for 10 years and it is time for a new CEO to take over and continue the development of Stena Line," Blomdahl said. "I will now continue in the Stena Sphere, including positions on the boards of the Ballingslöv Group, Stena Recycling and Stena Technoworld."
Hagman will take over as CEO with effect from 1 January 2013, when he will retire from his role as chairman of Stena Line. Although he will be succeeded by Olsson as chairman, Hagman will remain the CEO of Stena Group’s shipping operations, a position he has held since autumn 2011.
Speaking about his new role, Hagman said: "Stena Line is one of the linchpins in Stena AB. The company's strategy remains in place and our continuous efforts to offer comfortable, cost-effective and environmentally efficient ferry transport, to both private travellers and industry, will continue. I would like to congratulate Gunnar on successfully leading the company through a sometimes volatile period and thank him for handing over a very well managed company.”