When ITAB Group was looking for a Vice President Operations for its Nordic operations, personality was a key focus. “We were looking for a synergy creator with experience working cross-functionally in larger organizations,” says hiring manager Jan Andersson.
Based in Jönköping, ITAB is an international retail interiors company, primarily active in Europe. The focus is on consumer experience: through expertise, services, and a variety of products and solutions, ITAB helps its clients translate their brand experience into a physical reality.
“The challenge for our clients is to meet the competition from online retail. For many, it remains crucial to have a physical store presence — our business opportunity lies in supporting them to strengthen their brands and make their stores visible to consumers in an effective and impactful way,” says Jan Andersson.
Store fittings, checkout counters, entrance systems, lighting, and digital solutions are all part of ITAB’s comprehensive offering.
“We also have a growing service segment, where demand is steadily increasing.”
As Senior Vice President for ITAB MBU Nordic, Jan Andersson is responsible for ITAB’s marketing, purchasing, and production units in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland, with around 500 employees, as well as the partnerships ITAB maintains with various subcontractors in the region. In 2024, the organization was strengthened with a Vice President Operations Nordic — a recruitment carried out by Finnveden Executive and Martin Dambergs.
“The role focuses on further reinforcing the various units in the region, both individually and in terms of collaboration between them. Our VP is also part of a cross-functional group working to create synergies between different regions,” explains Jan Andersson.
ITAB was seeking someone with experience working cross-functionally in a larger organization.
“We have skilled site managers at our production facilities, but historically there has been a tendency to work in silos. That’s why we were looking for someone who knows how to integrate operations and encourage collaboration to generate synergies.”
This was Jan Andersson’s first time working with Finnveden Executive, based on a recommendation. He describes Martin as attentive.
“I felt that Martin asked the right questions. He didn’t just focus on theoretical knowledge — we agreed that it was equally important to find the right personality to fit into the team and the work environment.”
Martin presented around ten different candidates, identified through both advertising and Finnveden Executive’s own network. Five were selected for final interviews.
“I think there was a very good range of candidates, all of whom were qualified. Some had the potential to grow into the role, and one may even have been slightly overqualified in hindsight. All were chosen with an emphasis on the combination of expertise, personality, and direction.”
“We are very happy with the recruitment. It turned out great — the right person, competent yet humble. Martin provided a thorough review of strengths and areas for development, along with key insights from the assessment tests. He was highly diplomatic in his guidance, though he could have been even more direct without overly influencing our decision.”
Jan Andersson also believes that having Finnveden Executive handle the recruitment contributed to the strong selection.
“I believe the strong brand of Finnveden Executive serves as a quality mark that can make certain candidates more interested. The Finnveden brand attracts candidates who are aware of its strong reputation in executive-level recruitment.”
“I believe the strong brand of Finnveden Executive serves as a quality mark that can make certain candidates more interested. The Finnveden brand attracts candidates who are aware of its strong reputation in executive-level recruitment.”
Jan Andersson, Senior Vice President at ITAB MBU Nordic.
