Henrik Brehmer
Senior Vice President Corporate Communications
Phone +46-8-6580452
Mobile +46-76-1113414
Henrik Brehmer Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications since 2007. Employed and Member of Group Management Team since 2007. Born 1964, Bachelor Human Resources Management and Business Administration.
Henrik's most recent position was with Securitas AB in London where he was responsible for Investor Relations and Group External Communication. He also has many years of experience from Ericsson and the Swedish Armed Forces.
23 Aug, 2007
How did you first come into contact with Swedish Match?
"I was working as Senior Vice President, Investor Relations and Group External Communication at Securitas AB in London when Swedish Match contacted me. Despite the fact that I did not have any detailed knowledge of Swedish Match, I had a positive view of the company. When I met President Sven Hindrikes, I found that the personnel chemistry between us was also compatible. The impression I had of a well-run and professional company is being strengthened the more that I get to know the operations and people," says Henrik.
You are a new employee at Swedish Match, what do you hope to contribute to the company?
"I have previously worked with many different aspects of the area of communications, everything from financial information to internal communication, in such industries as telecommunications and service. As the Senior Vice President, Corporate Communication at Swedish Match, I will have the opportunity to utilize the breadth of my experience and that feels very exciting. The first step will be to get to know the company, our operations and corporate culture by meeting employees in the operations and visiting our units throughout the world," he explains.
Can you describe your role in Group Management?
"My role is to support the company's business and priorities by providing the communication activities required. The operations and business control our actions and using communication in the right way can contribute to achieving our goals for the company. Communication is a highly important function in a listed company. I see communication as a coherent process that involves providing all target groups, from shareholders and investors to employees, with a balanced, clear and correct view of Swedish Match. This is a lot about setting the right expectations externally and creating involvement internally."
Do you take much notice of the public debate about tobacco?
"The debate exists and we have to establish a relationship with it. We shall participate on our terms and help fill the debate with factually correct information, for example, by continuing to present information on harm reduction, that is, that snus is a considerably less harmful alternative to cigarettes."
If you were to highlight one thing that Swedish Match is good at, what would it be?
"Swedish Match is good at many things, but perhaps most of all the company is good at building strong brands. In addition to its products, Swedish Match is in itself also a strong financial brand, something that has been achieved through hard and dedicated work. My impression is that we have a very professional and at the same time open and friendly corporate culture," believes Henrik.
What could Swedish Match do better?
"My impression is that we are a focused company and very skillful at what we do. However, we must continuously endeavor to become even better over time, and work aimed at growing our operations is a key priority. Organic growth is the base and we can then supplement this with acquisitions, primarily within the cigar area. Swedish Match has many strong brands that we must take care of and build further upon through active product development in order to support continued growth. I also believe it is important that Swedish Match endeavors to continue to be perceived as a shareholder-friendly company."
What do you think characterizes good leadership?
"In my opinion, good leadership is characterized by creating involvement, being resolute and clear in one's actions. These three elements are closely linked. Creating involvement produces a better basis for decisions and commitment to the actual implementation of the decision. A leader who has the ability to make decisions and who is clear in what they say and do makes it easier for employees to both take responsibility and to act independently in their work," he explains.
What are your personal guiding principles in your work?
"I enjoy participating as part of a greater whole and from that, develop things in my own areas of responsibility. Communication is very exciting and creative as a profession. I find it interesting to get involved in complex issues and be creative in developing communication solutions. I also enjoy coordinating projects and employees. The results of communication are often dependent on the work of many people. It is very satisfying when you get it right and it has the desired outcome."
What will be the greatest challenge for Swedish Match during the coming year?
"The greatest challenge will probably be to grow organically in the snuff segment, for which the US market is currently offering excellent opportunities. For this reason, it will be exciting to see the results of the launch of snuff under the Red Man brand in the US and how we can provide information that snus is a less harmful alternative to cigarettes on the North American market. For cigars, a combination of organic growth and acquisitions will further strengthen our position. Another challenge is to reach out to consumers despite increased restrictions surrounding the marketing of tobacco products," concludes Henrik.