Astrid Lindgren’s children and grandchildren – the owners of The Astrid Lindgren Company – are appointing a new chief executive officer from outside the family.

This change is part of an overall strategy to transfer from an owner-managed organization to owner-governed, with the owners primarily focusing on long-term strategy and policy issues.

“We, the owners, have for some time discussed how our business should be organized and managed to best reach our long-term goals,” says Olle Nyman, who will be stepping down as chief executive officer and stepping in as chairman and group legal director. “We have grown from a small family business into a professional and modern licensing company. While still preserving the strong culture founded on Astrid Lindgren’s guiding principles, we look forward to this next step.”

The new chief executive officer of The Astrid Lindgren Company is Cilla Nergårdh, who up until now has worked as the head of communications.

“I am incredibly proud to have been entrusted with the task of leading Astrid Lindgren’s stories into the future,” says Nergårdh. “To me, as the new CEO, there is great value in the owners remaining with the company, albeit in new roles. They possess great knowledge and experience, as well as an inner compass in terms of how to stay loyal to the original stories and to Astrid Lindgren herself.”