” No – and yes. No, because his name has been mentioned in speculation before. Yes, because there is a folkrörelsekultur of the savings banks, where Swedbank has its roots. In addition, Göran Persson of experience from board positions in a bank – more specifically, the bank of åland plc.
– it can be said that the bank’s second largest shareholder is Folksam insurance company, where Jens Henriksson is president and ceo. He was political adviser in the ministry of finance when Persson was finance minister. Henriksson continued as the planning manager and the secretary of state in the department during the time Persson was prime minister. And Henriksson sits in the nominating committee.
– Nevertheless, the news surprising. The nomination committee has, so to say, chosen a person out of it, in a broad sense, the private sphere. A person with a long folkrörelsebakgrund van to swing a presidency. The more daring option might have been a lawyer with integrity and with experience of international business.
” Absolutely not. But in the position in which Swedbank is in the required humility and responsiveness. The bank risk mångmiljardböter and lost customers. Of course it is good with a valid person as the president, but it also needs a person who can build trust both internally and externally.
– First and foremost, to appoint a new management. Anders Karlsson is the acting ceo and even if he did good when the interim report was presented last week – better than anyone else in the management has done since the scandal briserade in February – so he has been a part of the management that are now being questioned.
But more important than that is that Persson will take the criticism directed against the bank; that he stands for transparency and humility. We do not yet know if the bank has been a tool for extensive money laundering, but much to indicate that this has been the case. It is not enough to say ”now we turn the leaves, we now look forward”. The documents must be presented and the investigations must be made public.
