With more than a decade in senior positions at the global hygiene and health company Essity, Robert Sjöström has played a significant role in shaping both strategic directions and operational structures. In his career, he has been part of Essity’s Executive Management Team, serving as President Global Operational Services & CIO, Senior Vice President, and Head of Group Strategy, Business Development, M&A, and IT. With his finger on the pulse of complex transformation journeys, Robert has increasingly taken on board assignments, where his experience makes him a leader with both vision and a practical toolbox. His experience-driven view on leadership, board work, and change management is a reminder that professional excellence develops in step with the world around us – and that even in the boardroom, courage is required to challenge, evolve, and push the business forward.
We talked to him for a conversation about leadership, board work, and the opportunities of Executive Interim Management.
Your career has taken you through several industries and large corporate environments. How did your path toward the boardroom take shape?
“I began my career in banking and finance, then moved into telecom, and later to Cap Gemini, where I held several global roles. After that, I started a long career at SCA and later Essity. Regardless of the industry, I have almost always had personnel responsibility, which has shaped my leadership – I simply like people. Understanding people is central – it’s something AI cannot compete with. I am driven by developing others, something I believe comes from my background in team sports, especially elite hockey. That sense of team spirit and competitive instinct stays with me – both as a leader and as a board member.
My first board experience was at a young age in the hockey club I was involved with. There were many financial challenges and a broad spectrum of stakeholders. My first more formal board assignment came in 2006 at Ljung & Sjöberg, which collaborated with Cap Gemini. I became involved, joined the board, and later became a co-owner. The company helped organizations handle issues related to employees with dependency problems – a meaningful and challenging assignment. After that, more board roles followed, often in entrepreneur-led companies, ranging from small firms to listed billion-dollar companies in Australia and Colombia. This has given me a broad understanding of how board work looks in different contexts – from the highly business-driven to the more formal.”
What do you see as the main challenge for boards today?
“The greatest challenge, both in the short and long term, is to truly contribute to value creation. It is surprisingly easy to lose that focus when you get caught up in governance and regulatory compliance. That’s where the chair has a special responsibility – to steer the conversation toward what drives the business forward commercially. Without that, the board easily becomes a filter rather than an accelerator.”
When it comes to board composition – what are your thoughts on competence needs and diversity?
“It’s about experience, perspective, and the right attitude. Diversity of competence is crucial – but it’s not primarily about gender. Background and mindset determine the impact you can have in a boardroom. I sometimes feel the discussion focuses on the wrong things. For board work to create real value, all members must be willing and daring to contribute, not just guard their place. Board members should be a tool for management, not a control function at a safe distance.
I don’t quite agree that there are too few women on boards – in smaller companies, we often see a larger proportion of female board members than in big corporations. At the same time, many senior people, both women and men, find that age sometimes becomes a barrier. After leaving Essity, I noticed myself in conversations with recruiters that there’s a perception that you should ideally be a 45-year-old woman. But experience should be the deciding factor – neither gender nor age – are relevant measures of a person’s ability to create value on a board.”
How do you see the evolution of the chairperson’s role?
“The chair’s role is changing dramatically. It’s no longer enough to have one meeting a month to ‘check the status.’ Much closer and deeper collaboration with the CEO is required, working together on strategic and operational issues. The chair should help develop both the management team and the business and know the company well enough to ask the right questions – at the right time. It’s essential that the CEO feels secure in board meetings but also experiences a certain degree of ‘positive pressure.’ The board must create an environment where honest dialogue is possible while still maintaining trust.”
What is your view on Executive Interim Management as a resource for boards?
“I see Interim Management as an incredibly important strategic tool, especially in times of change. It’s often an underestimated solution. For many companies – not least owner-led or fast-growing ones – it can be a great strength to bring in experienced leadership capacity at short notice, with the ability to drive transformation. That’s something I’m personally attracted to. I find it stimulating to work hands-on with change, especially in smaller companies where you can also act more operationally, for example, in negotiations with owners or investors.”
Looking ahead, what do you believe are the competence needs for boards, and what should the next generation of leaders focus on?
“It’s clear that expectations are rising. Board work will no longer be something you just ‘sit through.’ From once being a sort of coffee room, it has become an arena for complex problem-solving. Tomorrow’s board member needs a deep understanding of the company’s entire business, not just the board’s formal duties. The chair will need to take on more operational responsibility, and the board must function as a team in close collaboration with management. Being well-prepared isn’t enough – you must also be ready to take responsibility for both development and change.”