Klarna
WINNER OF THE 2016 GOLDEN GAVEL – PRIVATE COMPANIES
The jury’s announcement
Klarna is one of the Swedish IT sector’s brightest stars. Eva Cederbalk chaired the board of the company from 2011 to autumn 2016. During this time, the company grew by around 40 per cent per year and its value more than quadrupled.
Eva Cederbalk played a major part in this success. By virtue of her extensive knowledge of the industry, strong focus on the key issues for the future and a close, trusting collaboration with the company’s executive management, she created effective board processes that decisively shaped Klarna’s strategic direction. Her management style is characterised by low-key objectivity, wisdom and the ability to see the whole picture, which creates respect and confidence in both the board and management.
The role of chair in a rapid-growth IT company, with a board consisting of young, enthusiastic entrepreneurs, financially demanding venture capitalists and strong, independent colleagues, is complex and demanding. Eva Cederbalk has fulfilled this role in an exemplary manner.
Fact file
Eva Cederbalk
Chair of the Board of Klarna Holding 2011-2016.
Educational background
Master of Business Administration: The Stockholm School of Economics
Other current directorships
Chair of the Board of TicWorks AB, Board Member, Gimi AB, Svolder Aktiebolag, Stockholms Stads Brandförsäkringskontor och Bilia AB.
About the company
Company name
Klarna Holding AB
Domicile
Stockholm
Klarna’s operations include acquiring receivables, providing factoring and hire purchase credits, acquiring loan deposits from the public, owning and managing securities and other compatible activities. The company also provides invoicing and ledger services, debt collection services, credit checks and other compatible services. The company is a registered credit market firm and falls under the supervision of the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority.
The Company provides payment solutions for the e-commerce sector, where the consumer receives the goods first and pays afterwards, with the aim of making it easier for people to shop online. Klarna takes the full credit and fraud risk, with some exceptions, so that the e-retailer is guaranteed payment. In 2014, Klarna merged with SOFORT to create Klarna Group.
Klarna Group employs around 1400 people and handles approximately 400,000 transactions daily. It is active in several countries, mainly in northern Europe, where it has a market share of approximately 10 per cent. In 2015, Klarna also filed for a banking license from the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority.
| Key figures | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| Turnover (MSEK) | 1 170 | 1 572 | 2 193 | 2 776 |
| Profit after financial items (MSEK) | ||||
| Number of employees | 672 | 778 | 1 017 | 1 074 |
