Svenska Spel strengthens management: Katarina Borstedt appointed Chief People Officer

Svenska Spel, the Swedish state-owned gambling operator, is bolstering its executive team. Katarina Borstedt has been appointed as the new Chief People and Culture Officer. Her position, which she will assume in September 2026, is strategically important for the company's human resources and organizational development. She will report directly to Anna Johnson, the Chief Executive.

Borstedt brings extensive experience from various industries. She is tasked with further developing the organization, leadership, and working methods at Svenska Spel. This underscores the importance Svenska Spel places on human capital and corporate culture.

Numbers and facts

Katarina Borstedt joins Svenska Spel from Munters, where she served as Vice-President of People and Culture since last February. Prior to that, she spent two years as Chief People and Culture Officer at Proxify and four months as Vice-President of People and Performance at Instabox. She also worked for nearly four years at Northvolt as Director of Growth and over a year at Ahlstrom as Vice-President of Talent and Development. Her early career began at Deloitte as a Senior Consultant.

Her diverse career across companies with different ownership models and growth profiles provides Svenska Spel with a leader experienced in change management, expansion, and organizational design. The company reported a 2 percent year-on-year increase in net gaming revenue (NGR) to SEK1.9 billion in the first quarter of 2026. This growth was driven by improvements across all verticals.

Anna Johnson, CEO of Svenska Spel, expressed her positive views on the appointment:

“She has broad experience in leading HR and organisational issues in companies undergoing change and building for growth. This expertise will be important for us as we continue to develop Svenska Spel with a focus on sustainable growth, customer satisfaction and corporate culture.” - Anna Johnson, CEO of Svenska Spel

Katarina Borstedt also looks forward to her new role. She aims to contribute her experience in developing organizations, leadership, and working methods during growth and change phases. Joakim Karlsson, who has served as interim Chief People and Culture Officer since October 2025, will return to his role as Head of Talent Acquisition and Tech.

Background

Borstedt's appointment is part of a broader realignment at Svenska Spel. The company has made several important personnel decisions in recent years. In October 2023, Patrik Hofbauer, the then CEO, announced his departure. Erik Strand then became interim CEO until Anna Johnson, formerly CEO of Grant Thornton Sweden, took over in spring 2024. Johnson has been praised for her ability to work in teams and her focus on profitable growth.

In 2023, Svenska Spel recorded a slight decline in revenue to SEK8.03 billion. While the lottery and sports & casino segments grew, there were declines at Casino Cosmopol and Vegas. This led to a 2.7 percent decrease in net profit to SEK1.94 billion.

Sweden re-regulated its gambling market in January 2019. The Swedish Gambling Authority (Spelinspektionen) is increasingly under scrutiny. An audit by the National Audit Office is to clarify how effective its supervision is. This is particularly relevant as traffic to unlicensed gambling websites is said to have increased tenfold since 2019. The channelization rate for regulated online gambling in Q3 2023 was only between 70 and 82 percent.

Why it matters for German players

While the developments at Svenska Spel do not directly affect German players, as the company does not offer its services in Germany, they highlight a trend. Regulated gambling providers, even in stable market environments, recognize the importance of professional management and organizational development. This includes fostering a robust corporate culture.

For German players, the key remains to engage solely with online casinos licensed by the Joint Gambling Authority of the Federal States (GGL), listed on its official whitelist. The German market, governed by the Glücksspielstaatsvertrag 2021 (GlüStV 2021), imposes strict player protection measures. These include a 1 Euro per spin limit for online slots and a monthly deposit limit of 1,000 Euro, monitored by the LUGAS system. Adhering to GGL-licensed providers ensures legal compliance and access to these vital protections.

What it means for GGL-licensed casinos

For GGL-licensed casinos in Germany, establishing strong leadership and a sound corporate culture is equally crucial. The highly regulated German market demands exceptional compliance and responsibility. A well-structured HR department can be instrumental in training employees to adhere to the stringent GlüStV 2021 regulations and promote responsible gambling practices. This encompasses proper use of LUGAS, enforcement of deposit limits, and overall player protection. Such internal developments are critical for meeting market demands and gaining player trust. Ultimately, they contribute to stability and sustainable growth within the regulated German market.