Press release 13 December 2017
This information is information that Ratos AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact persons set out below, at 7:45 a.m. CET on 13 December 2017.
Ratos's Board of Directors has appointed current Chairman of the Board, Jonas Wiström, as the company's new CEO as of 13 December 2017. In conjunction with this change, Magnus Agervald will step down from Ratos effective immediately. The Board of Directors has appointed Per-Olof Söderberg as the company's new Chairman of the Board, and Jan Söderberg to the new position of Deputy Chairman. The Board's assessment is that these changes are necessary to enable the company to create value.
"The Board is not satisfied with Ratos's performance. To succeed in implementing the new strategic direction established during the year, we believe a different leadership is needed. We believe Jonas Wiström's experience and leadership is more relevant for the updated strategic agenda. During its more than 150 years as a company, Ratos has continuously changed and reinvented itself, and this type of change is more necessary today than ever before," says Per-Olof Söderberg, the company's new Chairman of the Board.
"I look forward to taking on an operational role at Ratos. The Board of Directors and I believe in the new strategic direction. Now my goal is to work with Ratos's organisation to figure out how to best implement it. The management teams and boards of the portfolio companies possess critical expertise that I also want to leverage to ensure better value creation for Ratos as a whole. My task is clear: to increase shareholder value," says new CEO Jonas Wiström.
Chairman of the Board Per-Olof Söderberg, concludes:
"The Board also wants to extend its sincere thanks to Magnus Agervald, who left an important mark during his time at Ratos. He has cut the company's operational administration costs, discontinued underperforming companies and completed an important platform acquisition."
According to his employment contract, Magnus Agervald is entitled to a notice period of 12 months, which will be offset against any income earned from new assignments. A maximum total cost will be recognised in Ratos's next interim report.
For further information, please contact:
Per-Olof Söderberg, Chairman of the Board of Ratos, +46 8 700 17 98
Helene Gustafsson, Head of IR and Press, +46 8 700 17 98
Financial calendar from Ratos:
Year-end report 2017 16 February 2018
Interim report January-March 2018 3 May 2018
Interim report January-June 2018 17 August 2018
Interim report January-September 2018 25 October 2018
Ratos owns and develops unlisted medium-sized companies in the Nordic countries. Our goal as an active owner is to contribute to long-term and sustainable business development in the companies we invest in and to make value-generating transactions. Ratos's portfolio consists of 14 medium-sized Nordic companies and the largest segments in terms of sales are Industrials, Consumer goods/Commerce and Construction. Ratos is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and has a total of approximately 13,400 employees.
