Katarina Grönwall appointed new VP of Comms and Sustainability at Ratos

Swedish private equity company Ratos has appointed Katarina Grönwall as Vice President Communication & Sustainability, following a three month search for her predecessor’s replacement.

Grönwall, who will join Ratos’ management team and assume the position by 17 March, has over 30 years of experience in management roles within communications and sustainability as well as extensive experience working in management groups for listed companies. 

She is currently Chief Sustainability and Communications Officer at renewable energy company OX2 and has previously held several similar roles, including at the Skanska Group, the Sweco Group and Handelsbanken. Grönwall has also been a partner at the communications firm Hallvarsson & Halvarsson.

“The strategy for the coming years will involve continued transformation, including divestments of existing subsidiaries to become a more focused business group, primarily within technological solutions,” Grönwall said in a statement.

The company announced in October last year that Ratos’s current Vice President Communication & Sustainability, Josefine Uppling, would be leaving the company to pursue opportunities, having spent three years with the group.

Ratos focuses on technological and infrastructure solutions, across 16 companies divided into three business areas: Construction & Services, Industry and Consumer, between them posting revenues of around SEK 32 billion (€2.8 billion). 

Ratos: Upcoming SBTi targets

In December, Ratos announced that it had adopted new sustainability targets on climate action and gender equality and joined the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

Ratos has set both short-term (by 2030) and long-term (by 2050) targets across the group for reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Details of the targets will be announced once they have been submitted to and validated by the SBTi in Q1 2025.

Meanwhile, Ratos aims to have a 40/60 distribution of women and men in senior positions including management groups and boards by 2030. 

In a statement issued at the time, Uppling, said. “We need to work more strategically to reach the entire talent pool when we recruit new employees and ensure that our sustainability targets are in line with the Paris Agreement. Sustainability isn’t just a responsibility, it’s an important driver of long-term profitability, ensuring that our operations continue to generate returns.”