With an international career in technology, industry, and executive leadership across several publicly listed companies, Susanna Schneeberger combines sharp business acumen with genuine curiosity and a drive for transformation. Today, she is an established board professional within both Swedish and European companies, particularly focused on industry, technology, automation, and transformation. By transitioning from transformation leader to board expert, she has become a voice to be reckoned with in both Swedish and European boardrooms – a voice that clearly shows that curiosity, courage, and customer focus are just as important in the boardroom as in daily operations. We met with her for a conversation about her path to the boardroom, what future boards will require, and how more women can take on leadership roles.

Susanna, can you share your career journey and how you became a board professional?

“I grew up in the south of Sweden in a very internationally oriented family that travelled a lot, and from an early age I was politically active – locally, nationally, and in Brussels – driven by a desire to influence society on a broader scale. After high school, I wanted to live abroad and worked as a tour guide in the Alps, where I learned German. That laid the foundation for my choice to study International Economics with a focus on German at Lund University.

When it was time to choose a path, I was deciding between politics and business. I chose the latter, particularly drawn to an international trainee program at the media company IMP, where we were 16 trainees from 13 countries. This led me to a role in Munich with responsibility for music and digital products in the German-speaking markets in the late ‘90s. It was an intense period focused on data-driven customer optimization and subscription models through direct marketing – something that still feels highly relevant today.

After that came roles in digitalization at Icon Medialab, followed by a position as Head of Strategy at an international software company, where I was responsible for both organic and non-organic growth strategies, as well as marketing communications. When the company later merged with an international competitor, I led the integration and transformation work, which taught me to dive deep into customer segments and business models. I’ve always tried to bring a customer-centric perspective to everything I do – that’s something I’ve carried with me throughout my entire career. This approach has allowed me to offer a different point of view and create value in the industrial and tech companies I’ve worked with, even though I don’t have an engineering background.

We returned to Sweden in 2007, where I started working at Trelleborg AB. There, I held a variety of roles focused on business strategy, excellence programs, customer focus, sales, and marketing – which also involved digitalization and value-based selling. It was a massive transformation journey for an engineer-driven company.

In 2015, we moved back to Germany for my role as CEO at Demag, headquartered in Düsseldorf, a company that had been publicly listed, but was recently taken private again by an American corporation when I joined. It was a turbulent time, but we succeeded in implementing a significant turnaround and future-proofing the company. It was an exciting shift from more functional roles to full operational responsibility. After a successful merger with Konecranes, I moved on to Kion Group – a publicly listed industrial company with a large Chinese ownership – where I was part of the executive leadership team and responsible for the business unit in automation solutions, robotics, and autonomous trucks worth over 30 billion SEK. At the same time, I led the company’s digital transformation as Chief Digital Officer.

When I left Kion, I began focusing fully on board work, something I had actually started already in the early 2000s – both in Swedish and international companies, listed firms, and private equity. My first role on a public company board was at Concentric AB in 2015, and I’ve since taken on several assignments, primarily in industry, technology, and transformation. Today, my family and I live in Munich, and I hold board positions at Sandvik, Modulaire Group, Yunex Traffic, SKF Group, and Hennecke Group.”

What are the biggest challenges you see that boards face today – both short-term and long-term?

“Most companies today operate in a complex reality with major geopolitical risks, regulatory demands – particularly from the EU – and disruptive technological shifts that are transforming entire industries. Board assignments today require much more work and responsibility than they did 20 years ago, so I believe it’s largely about finding the right competence, both in leadership and on the board. In Sweden, board member compensation is relatively low in comparison to the responsibility and time commitment required, which also affects the ability to attract international talent. Additionally, there’s sometimes a tendency to focus primarily on financial backgrounds, when in reality, broader competencies are necessary. Boards now need versatility and an understanding of market dynamics, business transformation, technology, and sustainability.

The German corporate governance model for listed companies is highly formal – almost bureaucratic – while Sweden tends to be characterized by greater collaboration, pragmatism, and less prestige. This creates better conditions for the board to contribute actively. In Germany, I generally prefer private equity assignments over listed companies because they allow greater proximity to the business and more rapid influence.”

How important is it for women to take on greater roles in boardrooms?

“It’s absolutely crucial that different perspectives are represented, but for me, it’s not about gender – it’s about perspective and being relevant in the conversation. Diversity leads to better discussions and greater value creation; otherwise, it can easily become one-dimensional and consensus-driven.

As CEO at Demag, I launched the term ‘diversity of minds’ because ultimately, it’s not about external traits – it’s about how different experiences, personal qualities, and viewpoints lead to better decision-making.

In Sweden, I’ve had the privilege of serving on relatively gender-equal boards, but internationally, it often looks different. I’ve been the only woman on several boards, and female board chairs are still rare. This is even more true in operational roles – a concrete example was in Germany, where it was sometimes a bigger deal that I was a mother of three and a CEO than the fact that I had successfully turned around a company. That shows we still have work to do.”

How has your background impacted your board work?

“My international, operational background and experience of holding full responsibility mean that I’m willing to challenge things in a way that someone from a more functional role might not be. I’m confident that I can contribute based on my broad experience in leading businesses from a market and customer perspective. I also highly value learning from others in the boardroom. I am curious by nature and try to combine my questioning with attentiveness and humility.”

What advice would you give to the next generation of women who want to enter boardrooms?

“You need to combine breadth with specialization. You must be a specialist in something but also have a solid understanding of the bigger picture. My strongest advice is to build a solid operational foundation – ideally in a P&L role where you’ve led a business and understand what it really means to be a CEO. In addition to that, get involved early in boards, for example, through industry organizations or non-profits, to learn about governance structures, formalities, and work procedures. Being business-relevant carries more weight than formal board certifications – those can complement, but not replace, real operational understanding.”