Kai Wärn named Husqvarna president & CEO

Husqvarna Group has appointed Kai Wärn as President and CEO, effective from July 1. He will replace Hans Linnarson, who has held the role since 2011, and who will continue to work for the company until he retires early next year.

Born in 1959 and a graduate from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden, Mr Wärn has had a varied career. Between 1985 and 2004 he worked for ABB, where he held various senior international positions including roles in Belgium, Germany and the UK. Between 2004 and 2010 he was president and CEO at Seco Tools, a global metal cutting tools company, at that time listed at NASDAQ OMX Nordic stock exchange. Most recently he held the position of operations partner at private equity company IK Investment Partners.

Husqvarna chairman Lars Westerberg said, “On behalf of the Board, I want to welcome Kai to the position as president and CEO of Husqvarna AB. In Kai Wärn, Husqvarna finds a president and CEO who in his previous positions has demonstrated strong leadership and strategic skills and who is well acquainted with global businesses. At the same time, we would like to thank Hans Linnarson for his great contributions as president and CEO during a couple of challenging years.”