Johan Grönlund Appointed New CEO of Forte Digital

Johan Grönlund has been appointed the new CEO of Forte Digital. He takes over from founder John Kårikstad, who now assumes the role of CEO at Forte Group, the holding company that controls the entire group across Germany, Denmark, Poland, and Norway.

In November 2023, Johan Grönlund was hired as the new COO of Forte Digital Norway. Starting August 1, he will take over the role from John Kårikstad, who has led the company since its inception in 2017.

– I am excited to pick up the baton from John, who over the past seven years has created a company I believe is truly unique. What started in 2017 as a small group of technologists has today become an interdisciplinary competence house with over 300 experts across four countries. John deserves much of the credit for this. I am humbled by the trust he and the board have placed in me to take Forte Digital Norway to new heights, says Grönlund.

Grönlund holds a degree in industrial engineering and management and has previously held leadership roles at PwC and most recently Circle K. He has extensive experience in bridging business and technology, product development, and digital innovation.

– Most companies can extract much more value from investments in digital development, and they can become even better at creating value based on smart use of data. In this area, Forte Digital is leading. My ambition is for Forte Digital to be the first choice when ambitious companies seek a growth partner to succeed digitally, Grönlund states.

European Heavyweight

John Kårikstad, now CEO of Forte Group, is confident that Grönlund is the right person for the job and believes the timing is right.

– Johan has the necessary leadership and personal skills to drive Forte Digital Norway forward. I am absolutely certain that we have found the right man for the job, says Kårikstad.

Kårikstad explains that the leadership change comes as a result of significant growth in Europe, creating a need to build structures across Norway, Poland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Denmark. The goal is to become a European heavyweight in digital transformation and to leverage expertise and capacity across all the markets where Forte is represented.

– The timing is right considering the growth we are now experiencing in Europe. We recently opened offices in Switzerland and Austria, creating a European network of digital experts in six countries. My job will be to create good synergies across all these countries,” says Kårikstad.

Kårikstad notes that many Europeans look to Norway and Scandinavia as leaders in digitalization. He believes Scandinavian business culture is seen as a mark of quality on the continent.

– Our European colleagues call it Scandinavian pragmatism. They have seen how we work with our customers in Norway and the value we create, and are now working to implement that mindset in the German-speaking countries.

The focus on the DACH region (Germany, Switzerland, Austria) was particularly highlighted as interesting when Ferd invested in Forte Digital in 2023.

– Society will become even more digitalized, and we strongly believe there are significant growth opportunities outside of Norway as well, especially in Germany and the rest of the Nordics, said Morten Borge when the news was announced just over 12 months ago.