Christos Selman

Christos Selman, 34, joined the Management Program in 2019. Today he holds his second role as CEO of a company within the group.

What made you apply to the Management Program?

I was working as a management consultant when I was contacted by a recruiter. Early in the process, I got the impression that this was a very well-designed program and an exciting opportunity to work with acquisitions while developing within leadership, strategy, and much more.

The clearly stated goal — to prepare participants to take on a leadership position early on in one of the group’s companies — sounded both exciting and challenging. Looking back, I can say that the program exceeded my expectations.

What makes the Management Program unique?

What makes the program unique is that you learn to think both from an ownership perspective — how to successfully acquire, own, and develop companies — and from an operational perspective, where the focus is on running businesses and leading people.

In my opinion, that combination is difficult to find elsewhere. Even though you are relatively young, you are given significant responsibility early on—both during the program and in the role you move on to afterward.

Tell us more about your time in the program

My first rotation was at a relatively newly established company within the group. There, I worked closely with the CEO, management team, and board on developing the company’s strategy and long-term plans.

My second rotation was at Thomée Gruppen and Heco. There as well, I worked closely with the CEO and board, with a particular focus on the acquisition of Heco — from the acquisition itself to the subsequent integration. I led important integration projects and worked on developing the new strategy, which, among other things, resulted in the decision to merge the FAST brand (then part of Thomée) with Heco.

I completed the program at the head office, where I worked on acquisition projects, including the divestment of a company. I also had the opportunity to work closely with the group CEO and management team, which gave me a broad understanding of how the entire organization operates.

After the program, what roles did you take on?

After completing the program, I took on the role of Marketing Director and Deputy CEO at Heco Nordiska AB, and quite soon after that I had the opportunity to step into the role of CEO — at the age of 30. As CEO, I was responsible for developing the company’s strategy, executing it, and driving the business forward together with all the fantastic colleagues at Heco.

It has been exciting and varied workdays, where I have handled operational challenges in the day-to-day business, made many different types of decisions, and at the same time led the company in line with our long-term plan. It is particularly rewarding to do this in a company that is growing and characterized by a strong entrepreneurial spirit.

I have learned to navigate external market factors and worked with production efficiency, digitalization, and the positioning of our brands and offerings. It has been incredibly educational and has given me a strong foundation to build on.

What is your role today?

After four fantastic years at Heco, I have now been given a new opportunity — to become CEO of Salix Business Partner and at the same time join the group’s executive management team.

Salix Business Partner is a service company that supports other companies within Salix Group with IT, warehouse and logistics solutions, as well as management systems. It is a different focus from my previous role, which feels both exciting and professionally rewarding.

What has the program given you?

The program helped me develop quickly in the areas I had hoped for — especially learning to think from both an ownership perspective (acquiring, owning, and developing companies) and an operational perspective (running businesses and leading people).

It prepared me to feel more confident in the role of a leader — in my decision-making and in my broader understanding of business. It enabled me to take on greater responsibility earlier than I might otherwise have dared. Of course, I approached the opportunity with humility, but I was also very excited about the challenge.

Do you have any advice for future participants in the Management Program?

Read more about the program here.

Meet some of our earlier participants – and learn what the program has meant for them.

 

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