New Perspectives on leadership

Pelago is committed to leadership success, and our goal is to partner with leaders who dare to be visionary, challenge their known truths and who are passionate about creating long-term and sustainable change.

We act as speaking partners to individuals, teams and organisations on a broad set of leadership issues. Our belief is that we as individuals have an ability as well as a responsibility to make a difference and contribute to a better society. Such changes also require a committed and value-driven leadership.

As a firm, we are passionate about both you as a leader and the organisation you lead. We solve our clients’ leadership challenges, combining in-depth business understanding with evidence-based leadership assessment methods.

Regardless if you are in a period of fast growth or experiencing disruptive change, Pelago is there for you. As a team, we provide a wide range of leadership services in a highly collaborative and transparent fashion – aiming to be challenging and transparent towards all our stakeholders, and aspire to work closely with you whether you develop your organisation or yourself as a leader. Our team is personal in style, highly professional, always assuming a long-term responsibility for you and your organization.


Many of the great challenges we, as a society, face today, will only be solved if leaders from all sectors – private, public and NGOs – come together. Thus, an essential part of our firm’s DNA is to contribute to a more sustainable and diversified society. We work actively with e.g. leading international human rights organizations and social entrepreneurs with the ambition to connect the private sector more closely to NGOs and thereby actively facilitate a sustainable society and supporting the creation of a strong civil society.

We aim to be your speaking partner advising on a broad set of leadership issues. When working with us, you choose to work with some of the most senior leadership advisors in the Nordics and get our full personal attention and dedication throughout the entire process. At all phases, you can rest assure that all matters are handled by a senior Pelago individual and team.

Our Team

The Pelago team has vast experience from working with Board of Directors, owners, CEOs and management teams supporting our clients in building and developing their leadership teams.

Stina Arenius

CEO, Founder and Partner. Experienced leader and consultant, advising clients within executive search, executive assessments as well as targeted development initiatives such as executive coaching. Previously COO and Senior Consultant within leadership services at Alumni Nordics and various roles at McKinsey & Co.

+ 46 76 115 91 95

stina.arenius@pelago.se

Tobias Eklund

Founder and Partner. Advisor to a wide range of Swedish, Nordic and international clients within executive assessment and development as well as executive search. Licensed Psychologist with more than 20 years’ experience from leadership assessments and executive development of teams and individuals at Alumni, Assessio and PDI.

+46 76 115 92 65

tobias.eklund@pelago.se

Jan Hemmingson

Founder and Partner. Experienced advisor on leadership and governance matters, combining in-depth understanding of people, leadership and businesses. Previously Partner and Managing Director Nordics at Alumni as well as management consultant at Bain & Company.

+46 76 858 50 65

jan.hemmingson@pelago.se

Anna Hjertstedt

Partner and Head of Pelago Executive Interim. More than 15 years’ experience of Executive Interim Management as co-founder and Managing Director at Impact Executives. Anna was previously Board Member at the public listed company B3 Group.

+46 73 055 00 08

anna.hjertstedt@pelago.se

Christoffer Lindblad

Founder and Partner. Experienced advisor to Boards and CEOs across a wide spectrum of leadership matters. Previously Partner and Country Manager Sweden at Alumni Nordics. Background as lawyer at Mannheimer Swartling and senior HR-executive at Fortum. Christoffer was previously a board member of the human rights organization Civil Rights Defenders for a number of years. Today he is a board member of the charity foundation Min Stora Dag and also chair of the nomination committee at Transparency International Sweden.

+46 70 344 08 63

christoffer.lindblad@pelago.se

Jan Pörtfors

Experienced advisor with a focus on development and assessment of executives and management teams. Jan has extensive experience, working with senior level assignments in both Sweden and internationally. He comes most recently from a role as partner at Omino Business Psychology Advisors and has previously worked at e.g. Cohr Group.

+46 73 805 23 12

jan.portfors@pelago.se

Ida Högberg

Senior Consultant with broad experience in Executive Search, with a special focus at roles within sustainability, communication and advocacy, and as an advisor for management teams. Ida comes most recently from a role as Senior Consultant at Novare Executive Search, prior to that she has worked with Executive Search in London and in various finance roles in Stockholm.

+46 76 103 02 63

ida.hogberg@pelago.se

Erika Holmqvist

Consultant working within search and assessment and development of executives as well as succession planning, talent management and leadership development. – Licensed Psychologist with a background from Assessio and A&D Resources as well as from a line position within HR.

+46 70 660 89 24

erika.holmqvist@pelago.se

Maria Lilius von Essen

Consultant and Licensed Psychologist who is focused on executive search as well as development and assessment of executives and management teams. Prior to joining Pelago, Maria worked as a Senior Consultant at Assessio. Earlier experience includes positions in Executive Search and Learning & Development in London.

+46 73 661 09 29

maria.lilius@pelago.se

Victoria Torell

Consultant with several years of experience from executive search and leadership advisory, both internationally and locally, focusing on private equity and finance. Victoria most recently joins from the international Executive Search firm Russell Reynolds. Before this, she worked with investments at Investor and Fouriertransform and as an M&A advisor at Citi. She holds a BSc in Business Administration from Stockholm School of Economics.

+46 70 287 37 47

victoria.torell@pelago.se

Malin D. Humbla

Consultant focusing on Pelagos Executive Interim. Background in operational development, marketing and administration within Executive Interim Management at Impact Executives as well at a leading Swedish law firm. Has also run her own rental and decoration business.

+46 76 125 76 18

malin.humbla@pelago.se

Jessica Hanser

Associate focusing on Office Management & Business Administration. Jessica has many years of experience in customer relations and first-class service in the hotel industry from hotels like Grand Hotel Stockholm and Hotel Ett Hem. She has also worked with the Non-Violence Art Project as Head of Sales. Jessica holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Hospitality Management from Glion Institute of Higher Education in Switzerland.

+46 735 12 25 52

jessica.hanser@pelago.se

Lovarth Malmlund

Lovarth supports Pelago in a wide range of tasks related to our core business in management consulting. Lovarth has previous experience in executive recruitment and studies psychology and economics at Uppsala University in parallel with his work.

+46 730 87 62 40

lovarth.malmlund@pelago.se

Pia Hedbäck

Principal Researcher with extensive experience in Executive Search. Pia most recently worked at Novare Executive Search, where she also held the role of Head of Research. She has extensive experience from Executive Search firms such as Flensby & Partners and Transearch, as well as from running her own recruitment business. Pia has worked extensively on recruiting for senior roles across various industries, most recently with a strong focus on greentech and sustainability.

+46 73 036 28 34

pia.hedback@pelago.se