Kristina
Sundin Jonsson
Chief Executive Officer,
Skellefteå Municipality
Let's Connect!
From attracting big business - to collapse and a new rise. Resilient city build.
Kristina Sundin Jonsson, Chief Executive Officer of Skellefteå Municipality, is one of our keynote speakers.
Few leaders in Europe have been as close to the frontline of transformation as Kristina. She has led Skellefteå through an extraordinary journey — from attracting one of Europe’s largest green industrial investments, to facing the shock of its collapse, and now guiding the city into its next chapter.
In addition, Kristina brings extensive experience from national-level assignments, which has strengthened her conviction that true progress can only be achieved when local, regional, and national actors work hand in hand.
Why is this relevant to you?
Because the lessons from Skellefteå mirror the very questions that many of us grapple with:
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How do you attract global investment without losing local resilience?
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How do you secure and re-match talent when your flagship employer falters?
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How do you protect your city brand and keep visitors, investors and residents engaged through both rapid growth and sudden setbacks?
Kristina doesn’t speak from theory. She has lived the tension between aspiration and crisis, navigating politics, business and community all at once. Her perspective is a rare insight into what resilient leadership and adaptive governance really look like when the stakes are high.
Photo: Älvsbacka, Jonas Wästling
More about Kristina Sundin Jonsson
As the Chief Executive Officer of Skellefteå Municipality, Kristina Sundin Jonsson leads the ambitious development agenda, driving innovation, sustainable growth, and large-scale collaboration between industry, academia, and society.
With extensive boardroom and leadership experience, Kristina has served on the boards of municipal companies, regional development organizations, and national level, for example Kommuninvest in Sweden AB, Adda Inköpscentral AB, and since 2024 she is also a government-appointed member of the advisory body at the Swedish Agency for Digital Government (Digg). Through these national assignments, she has contributed to shaping strategies in areas such as municipal finance, procurement, and digital governance. Her ability to navigate complex challenges while uniting stakeholders behind a common vision has made her a recognized leader far beyond Skellefteå.
Kristina has been nominated several times as one of Sweden’s most outstanding leaders in the public sector. Notably, she was shortlisted for “Årets offentliga ledare” (Public Leader of the Year) by Dagens Samhälle, and she has been highlighted among the most influential leaders in Swedish local government. These recognitions reflect her proven track record in driving transformation, building strong organizational cultures, and showing courageous leadership in times of rapid change.
At PLACExNordic, Kristina will share her unique insights from leading one of Europe’s most dynamic municipalities through extraordinary growth. Her talk will spotlight how visionary leadership, cross-sector collaboration, and a clear focus on sustainability can empower communities to thrive in a global transformation.