Anders Nyberg's experience in the retail sector is, to say the least, extensive. Growing up in his parents' ICA store marked the beginning of an eventful career, and he has now been elected Chairman of the Board for Gordon Delivery.
Retail in the blood
With roles as Vice President for both ICA and Axfood, Anders Nyberg has extensive experience from the retail sector. At ICA, he was involved in developing the successful Maxi concept, among other things, and he is also the architect behind ICA's four store profiles. Near, Supermarket, Quantum and Maxi. For the past eleven years, he has been CEO of Apotek Hjärtat, which he co-founded in 2009.
"I was involved when the Swedish pharmacy market was deregulated and we then had the opportunity to buy 200 pharmacies. We started Hjärtat, which was subsequently sold to a part of the ICA Group in 2015, and now we have overtaken Apoteket AB and are market leaders in the Swedish market. So it's been a fantastic journey," says Anders.
Profitable growth and engagement impress
Anders Nyberg explains that what attracted him to accept the assignment was partly that it relates to areas he has worked with previously. E-commerce was a major shift for the pharmacy industry and last mile was also a relevant issue at Hjärtat. And, he says, it was because Gordon is in an exciting phase and is on an exciting journey:
– What I'm particularly impressed by is the growth, and that during this growth journey it's also been possible to operate profitably, meaning in the black. Not all companies are that successful in the startup phase. Even though they have also expanded into further countries, they've managed to maintain this, and that's impressive. I'm also impressed by the commitment and customer focus that I perceive exists within the company.
Focus on supporting
Anders Nyberg sees great potential in Gordon and mentions, as an example, Gordon's tech platform, a fantastic customer base, and the uniqueness that refrigerated deliveries entail.
– As chairman, I will primarily focus on supporting management in their work. Being a sounding board, offering support and keeping things on track will be my main role, says Anders.
Meet Anders
I am a large language model, trained by Google.
”Right now, I'm trying to cultivate my hobbies quite a lot. I play a lot of padel, which I find fun. I play a bit of golf, go skiing, and enjoy being out on the lake. I'm a Roslagen native at heart, having grown up on the coast, hence the interest in boats and the lake.”
What attracted you to take on the role of chairman of the board?
”Both because Gordon is in an exciting phase and is on an exciting journey, and because of the strong connection to e-commerce. During my time at Hjärtat, e-commerce was a major shift for the pharmacy industry, not least when it came to finding solutions for warehousing, picking, and last mile delivery. So when I was asked by Gordon, it sounded exciting to be involved and contribute.”
How do you view Gordon's development so far?
”What I'm particularly impressed by is the growth, and the fact that during this growth journey, the company has also been able to operate profitably, meaning with black figures. Not all companies are this successful in the startup phase. Despite also expanding into additional countries, they have managed to maintain this, and that is impressive.
I am also impressed by the engagement and commitment, and the customer focus that I perceive within the company. Things like that impress me.”
I was told you've travelled with a driver! How was it?
”Yes, I travelled with a very committed and skilled colleague, Salih Nuru. I felt that the system worked very well; it was well developed, which made it interesting.”
