It was in May that Karin Lindahl joined Åhléns after working as commercial director at the discount chain ÖoB.
According to a press release, she now receives expanded responsibilities and steps into the role of vice president. While assuming the new title, she retains her current responsibilities regarding operations and sales within the company.
I am pleased and proud of the trust placed in me. During my time at Åhléns, I have been impressed by the strength and commitment within the organization and see great potential in the company. I look forward to continuing to develop Åhléns together with the team, strengthening our position in the market and creating long-term profitable growth, says Karin Lindahl.
The owner and CEO Ayad Al-Saffar states that the appointment is part of the work to focus on growth and the department store experience.
Karin has solid experience in strategy, growth and profitability improvements within retail and has strongly contributed to our development since joining Åhléns. In the role of vice president, she will receive expanded responsibility to continue developing Åhléns together with the organization and strengthen our profitability, says Ayad Al-Saffar.
Growing Figures and New Names
The rapid promotion takes place in a situation where the company is growing financially.
During the most recent fiscal year, Åhléns had a turnover of SEK 4.9 billion. This is an increase of almost 7 percent compared to the previous year when turnover was SEK 4.6 billion. Operating profit also increased, landing at SEK 95.9 million, which corresponds to an increase of 11 percent from the previous year's SEK 86.2 million.
At the same time, the company has made changes to its board of directors. During the late summer, several members left their positions and were replaced by new ones.
Those who resigned from the board at the end of August were member Emma Kjellerby and Anna-Karin Göransson, both of whom are anonymous profiles without board assignments in other well-known companies. In addition, Henrik Persson left his position as external vice president of the board.
The members who have now stepped in to replace them are Josefina Lindström, Anna Sandseth and Serdar Abdulrahman, all three of whom take their places as new employee representatives in the company.
The Path from the Fashion Chain
Before Karin Lindahl stepped into the role at Åhléns, she has had a career in retail. She is best known as CEO and owner of Indiska, a fashion chain she bought in 2018 after initially leading a change effort in the company. However, in the autumn of 2022, Indiska went bankrupt, and new owners subsequently took over operations.
After a period as an independent consultant and commercial director, her career now continues at Åhléns.