In early 2026, Coop Östra announced that the association was approaching a merger with Coop Syd, as a step in the work to create a common business plan for all of Coop in Sweden. In connection with this, the then CEO Meta Persdotter left her assignment. Since then, Fredrik Brandel has acted as interim CEO.
Now, just over half a year later, the board has recruited a permanent replacement.
From Fuels to Groceries
The choice fell on Jeremy Knights. He most recently comes from the role of CEO of Circle K Sweden and will take on his new role at Coop Östra on December 1st.
His main task will be to drive the initiated transformation work forward and focus on the 2 million members.
We are very pleased to welcome Jeremy Knights as the new CEO of Coop Östra. We are on a journey of transformation where we are seeing concrete improvements, while we still have more to do to strengthen profitability. Jeremy has the right experience and leadership to further develop Coop Östra and make the association even stronger, says Kerstin Wallentin, Chairman of the Board of Coop Östra.
To Increase Sales
The newly appointed manager will navigate the business based on the national strategy that connects the various associations in the country. The focus is on increasing member benefits, driving sales and securing profitability in the store network during an ongoing phase of change.
I look forward to building on the transformation journey that is already underway. We have a clear plan and strong momentum. Now it's about continuing to implement, develop our offer and create long-term sustainable results for our members and customers, says Jeremy Knights.