Carl-Henric Svanberg
Encyclopedia
Carl-Henric Svanberg, born on May 29 1952 in Porjus
, Sweden
, is a businessman and current Chairman of BP
.
in Applied Physics
from the Linköping Institute of Technology
and a Bachelor's degree
in Business Administration from Uppsala University
. Svanberg holds honorary doctorates from Luleå University of Technology
and Linköping University
.
Svanberg served as CEO of telecom company Ericsson
from April 8, 2003 to December 31, 2009. Following his resignation as CEO, he remained on the board of Ericsson and holds 3,234,441 shares in the company.
Before joining Ericsson, he led another Swedish industrial company - Assa Abloy
. Svanberg serves on other boards, including:
Svanberg joined the BP board as chairman-designate on September 1, 2009, and succeeded Peter Sutherland
as chairman on January 1, 2010.
He and his wife Agneta, an associate professor at Uppsala University, filed for divorce on September 17, 2009. They were married for 26 years and have three children together. Svanberg is a dedicated fan of Djurgårdens IF
and serves on the board of Djurgårdens IF Hockey
. He is a former ice hockey
player himself, having played for IF Björklöven
in Umeå
during his youth.
to discuss BP's responsibility for the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
. He caused a PR uproar by afterwards expressing BP's concern for the common people
along the Gulf Coast of the United States
whose livelihood is threatened by the oil spill by saying, "We care about the small people", drawing upon a Swedish phrase, den lilla människan. The correct translation of the Swedish phrase would have been "the common man". Svanberg subsequently apologized for the term and attributed his unfortunate choice of words to a "slip in translation".
Porjus
Porjus is a locality situated in Jokkmokk Municipality, Norrbotten County, Sweden with 317 inhabitants in 2005. Geographically it is situated by the shores of Lule River at 499 meter height....
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, is a businessman and current Chairman of BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
.
Life and career
Svanberg holds a Master's degreeMaster's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Applied Physics
Applied physics
Applied physics is a general term for physics which is intended for a particular technological or practical use.It is usually considered as a bridge or a connection between "pure" physics and engineering....
from the Linköping Institute of Technology
Linköping Institute of Technology
The Institute of Technology at Linköping University or Linköpings tekniska högskola is the faculty of science and engineering of Linköping University, located in Linköping and Norrköping in Sweden. Since its start in 1969 LiTH has had close ties with the Swedish transport and electronics industry...
and a Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Business Administration from Uppsala University
Uppsala University
Uppsala University is a research university in Uppsala, Sweden, and is the oldest university in Scandinavia, founded in 1477. It consistently ranks among the best universities in Northern Europe in international rankings and is generally considered one of the most prestigious institutions of...
. Svanberg holds honorary doctorates from Luleå University of Technology
Luleå University of Technology
Luleå University of Technology or Luleå tekniska universitet of Sweden is Scandinavia's northernmost university of technology. It has four campuses, located in Luleå , Kiruna , Skellefteå and Piteå .-History:The university was founded on 1 June 1971 at Porsön in Luleå as...
and Linköping University
Linköping University
Linköping University is a state university in Linköping, Sweden. Linköping University was granted full university status in 1975 and is now one of Sweden's larger academic institutions. Education, research and PhD training are the mission of four faculties: Arts and Sciences, Educational...
.
Svanberg served as CEO of telecom company Ericsson
Ericsson
Ericsson , one of Sweden's largest companies, is a provider of telecommunication and data communication systems, and related services, covering a range of technologies, including especially mobile networks...
from April 8, 2003 to December 31, 2009. Following his resignation as CEO, he remained on the board of Ericsson and holds 3,234,441 shares in the company.
Before joining Ericsson, he led another Swedish industrial company - Assa Abloy
Assa Abloy
The Assa Abloy Group is a Swedish lock manufacturer, the world's largest by sales. Assa Abloy was formed in 1994 when ASSA AB was detached from Swedish security firm Securitas AB. Shortly thereafter the Finnish high-security lock manufacturer Abloy Oy was acquired. The company was introduced to...
. Svanberg serves on other boards, including:
- The investment companyInvestment companyAn investment company is a company whose main business is holding securities of other companies purely for investment purposes. The investment company invests money on behalf of its shareholders who in turn share in the profits and losses....
Melker SchörlingMelker SchörlingMelker Schörling is a Swedish businessman. His investment company Melker Schörling AB has large interests in Securitas AB, Assa Abloy, Hexagon AB, Loomis and more...
AB - Stockholm Challenge Advisory Board
Svanberg joined the BP board as chairman-designate on September 1, 2009, and succeeded Peter Sutherland
Peter Sutherland
Peter Denis Sutherland, KCMG is an Irish international businessman and former Attorney General of Ireland, associated with the Fine Gael party . He is a barrister by profession, and is also Senior Counsel at the Irish Bar...
as chairman on January 1, 2010.
He and his wife Agneta, an associate professor at Uppsala University, filed for divorce on September 17, 2009. They were married for 26 years and have three children together. Svanberg is a dedicated fan of Djurgårdens IF
Djurgårdens IF
Djurgårdens Idrottsförening, more commonly known as Djurgårdens IF, is a Swedish sports club with several departments, located in Stockholm.-History:...
and serves on the board of Djurgårdens IF Hockey
Djurgårdens IF Hockey
Djurgårdens IF Hockey are a professional ice hockey team based in Stockholm, Sweden. They are the ice hockey department of the sports club Djurgårdens IF. The department was formed in 1922 with the help of Wilhelm Arwe and have since then become Sweden's most successful team, having won the Swedish...
. He is a former ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player himself, having played for IF Björklöven
IF Björklöven
IF Björklöven is a Swedish professional ice hockey club in Umeå, Västerbotten, in northern Sweden...
in Umeå
Umeå
- Transport :The road infrastructure in Umeå is well-developed, with two European highways passing through the city. About 4 km from the city centre is the Umeå City Airport...
during his youth.
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
On June 16, 2010, Svanberg met with US President Barack ObamaBarack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
to discuss BP's responsibility for the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which flowed unabated for three months in 2010, and continues to leak fresh oil. It is the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry...
. He caused a PR uproar by afterwards expressing BP's concern for the common people
Common People
"Common People" is a song by English alternative rock band Pulp. It was released as a single in 1995, reaching number two on the UK singles chart. It also appears on the band's 1995 album Different Class. The song is about those who were perceived by the songwriter as wanting to be "like common...
along the Gulf Coast of the United States
Gulf Coast of the United States
The Gulf Coast of the United States, sometimes referred to as the Gulf South, South Coast, or 3rd Coast, comprises the coasts of American states that are on the Gulf of Mexico, which includes Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida and are known as the Gulf States...
whose livelihood is threatened by the oil spill by saying, "We care about the small people", drawing upon a Swedish phrase, den lilla människan. The correct translation of the Swedish phrase would have been "the common man". Svanberg subsequently apologized for the term and attributed his unfortunate choice of words to a "slip in translation".
External links
- Tricia Bisoux, "Making Connections: Carl-Henric Svanberg, CEO of telecom giant Ericsson, takes on big problems by offering sweeping solutions" (profile of and interview with Carl-Henric Svanberg), BizEd (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International), January/February 2009, pp. 16–20, 22.