The Board of Directors appoints Claes Westerlind as new CEO of NKT

Claes Westerlind (41, Swedish citizen) joined NKT in 2017 when NKT acquired ABB HV Cables in Sweden and since 2019, Claes has held the position as Executive Vice President, Solutions Karlskrona, and been a member of the global leadership team in NKT. Together with the strong and seasoned team, he has been instrumental in securing the record-high order backlog in the high-voltage business as well as leading the investment and expansion programs in Karlskrona launched in 2020. 

Chairman of the Board of Directors, Jens Due Olsen, says:

- The Board of Directors is pleased to announce Claes Westerlind as the new CEO. Since 2019, Claes has been the Executive Vice President of our high-voltage business in Karlskrona, Sweden, which contributes a significant part of the company’s improved results. He has been a pivotal leader focusing on building high performing teams, demonstrating strategic acumen, ability to execute complex expansion plans and deliver long term shareholder value through customer centric and innovative solutions. With the appointment of Claes as the new CEO of NKT, we have found the right profile to further strengthen our power cable business and continue positioning us to benefit from the green transition and electrification of societies.

President and CEO, Claes Westerlind says:

- I am delighted by the trust from the Board of Directors giving me the opportunity to lead the next stages of our strategic journey. I am passionate about the power cable business, and it is a privilege for me to lead a company with such a long heritage and tremendous potential given the strong market outlook for power cable solutions. I look forward to continue the focus on growth, innovation and sustainability together with the global leadership team and all the NKT colleagues around the world.

Prior to joining NKT, Claes worked in various technical-, sales and managerial roles in ABB (today Hitachi Energy) from 2006-2017, both in the power cable and the high-voltage DC converter business units.

Claes Westerlind replaces Alexander Kara who has decided to leave the company for personal reasons. 

The Chair of the Board of Directors, Jens Due Olsen says:

- I would like to thank Alexander for his commitment to NKT since he joined the company in 2019. He has successfully headed the transformation of the cables business since 2019, which has lifted the financial performance. The company is now in a strong position to grow with the green transition and electrification of societies.