HS Interview | The head of a Swedish shopping giant: being Finnish is now an advantage in Sweden

Finns there is a very specific notion that times could turn for the worse.

This is the opinion of the CEO of Sweden's largest grocery group, Ica Gruppen Nina Jonsson. Finnish myself.

According to Jönsson, being Finnish is now an advantage, because Finns are used to a life where the historical effects of the war extend to current generations. Preparation is in the blood.

in Helsinki Jönsson, who was born and moved to Sweden during his studies, has been the CEO of the Swedish food giant Ica Gruppen since January 2023. Ica corresponds to Finland's Kesko.

The group also owns the Apotek Hjärtat pharmacy chain, and its business includes, among other things, Ica Banken, which offers financial services to customers. In 2022, ICA Gruppen's net turnover was approximately 132.5 billion kroner, or approximately 11.6 billion euros.

Jönsson was selected by Sweden last year As Ruter Damas female manager of the year.

Now he has arrived at Sälen's Högfjälls fell hotel. Sweden's traditional Folk och Försvar (People and Defense) security conference is underway. Ministers, army personnel, representatives of organizations and the media are buzzing around us.

We are trying to move to a quieter space on the floor below, but the room we are going to is actually reserved for the Prime Minister of Sweden by Ulf Kristersson for use.

At the security conference, Jönsson is not Jönsson but Ica. The Swedish media are discussing how they meet “Ica”. A golden chain adorns his neck. The pendant reads Ica.

Sweden is now looking for ways to strengthen defense and security of supply. The agenda of the last day of the conference includes crisis economy, financial defense, security of supply and food supply.

Jönsson will speak at the event about the opportunities and needs of the food industry during the crisis and when preparing for it.

Civil defense was driven down in Sweden after the Second World War. According to Jönsson, it is now necessary to invent new ways to improve security of supply also in the food supply, suitable for the current world.

“It is important that business, politicians, MSB and other authorities join hands,” says Jönsson.

According to Jönsson, Sweden can learn from Finland.

“For example, how do you draw a map that shows the number of stores that receive backup power and have a higher readiness level than others. In shops, we can also cooperate in electricity and water distribution and information technology,” he lists.

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“The war is getting closer, and we can no longer live the way we are used to.”

According to Jönsson, equipment and security of supply are seen as a really important issue in Sweden at the moment. According to him, the situation is new. Security of supply in the country must be quickly brought to a much higher level than before.

“We see that the war is getting closer, and we can no longer live in the same way as we have been used to,” says Jönsson.

European according to Jönsson, the rise in food prices caused by the unstable security situation has forced the market to quickly invent new operating models. The impact has been huge, but Jönsson looks at the situation positively. According to him, the industry's advantage is precisely its speed to adapt to new situations.

“New innovations always emerge from crises,” says Jönsson.

We have taken over a quiet conference room from the Högfjälls Hotel. Jönsson sits at the table, digs his phone out of his bag and shows across the table a picture of bunches of lettuce growing in a greenhouse from floor to ceiling, vertically.

In cold climates, vegetable production is low.

Ica has built greenhouses for the production of vegetables and salads next to hypermarkets in Sweden. According to Jönsson, difficulties related to production and transportation have given rise to self-sufficiency innovations in Europe and the Nordic countries.

Jönsson visited Sälen's Ica Nära Toppen store and met Göran Abrahamsson, who works in the store. Jönsson says that he often visits Ica stores to meet merchants and employees. Picture: Magnus Laupa

Jönsson's according to the pandemic also taught flexibility. The industry found new ways to make purchasing processes more flexible than before and work with an even wider network of producers.

In the crisis caused by the pandemic, the Nordic countries closed their borders. It became more difficult for people to move between countries.

“Nordic cooperation is particularly important in crisis situations,” says Jönsson.

The closure of Europe's internal borders also affected the free flow of goods and the supply of food. Now representatives of the business world are speaking at the conference about the resources needed to maintain free trade flows and improving the infrastructure in case of possible next crises.

According to Jönsson, law reforms should also be made in Sweden in case of crises.

“It's about, for example, things like whether receipts must be given to customers during a crisis, whether the best-before dates of products remain the same, and what we do about thefts, which often increase during a crisis,” Jönsson enumerates.

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Jönsson's Finnish straightforwardness has helped him in his career.

of the Högfjälls Hotel in the conference room next to Jönsson sits the director responsible for risk and safety at Ica Svergie AB Ulrika Dahlin. He represents the food industry in the preparedness discussions of ministers and authorities.

Sweden's ex-prime minister Magdalena Andersson in May 2022, the government presented an official reform on food availability to ensure food supply. With the reform, the Swedish Food Agency became the emergency authority responsible for the food and drinking water sector.

In August, Kristersson's government said it would prepare additional instructions for the report. The new report was supposed to be completed in December, but its processing time has been extended.

Swedish Minister of Civil Defense at the conference Carl-Oscar Bohlin said that the government will make a proposal for a new national coordination body that will be responsible for security of supply work.

In his speech, Bohlin also emphasized the importance of cooperation between the business community, authorities and politicians in order to strengthen security of supply.

Finn Nina Jönsson has been the CEO of Ica Group since January 2023. Picture: Magnus Laupa

In the same in the speech, Bohlin said the sentence that shook the conference the most: “War may come to Sweden.”

According to Bohlin, citizens who have lived in peacetime for more than 200 years must learn to think that war does not necessarily always happen somewhere far away.

What does Finn Jönsson think of the Swedish ministers' war speeches?

“I've been lucky to live in peace in Sweden,” says Jönsson.

That is why, according to him, it is much more difficult in the country than in Finland to discuss issues related to preparedness.

Jonsson says that the Finnish attitude and straightforwardness have helped him in his career:

“Does what he says he's going to do, shows ability to act and calls things by their right names.”

Perhaps the same will also help Sweden, which is preparing for crises.