He describes himself as energetic, always on the go, driven, someone who likes things to move quickly, and a natural competitor. When we sit down to talk, however, the lasting impression is of someone who is calm, thoughtful, self-aware and down to earth. That said, one senses his drive, passion to succeed, to be the best and to build. Still, Lars has been doing this for so long now, and with such success, that he can control his energy and expend it when needed and in just the right amount. With so much experience and success as a leader, and his self-insight, he has managed to package all of that drive, passion and competitive instinct as warm-hearted self-assurance.

“I like to drive change, to be involved, I like to help and perform services that make a difference, whether big or small. I get just as much of a kick out of helping an elderly person cross the road as I do out of helping a company to grow,” says Lars regarding what he is passionate about.

Lars shouldered a leadership role early in his professional life; he was only 21 when he took on his first management position. Naturally, this was a big responsibility and many of his colleagues were almost twice his age, which presented a challenge in itself. Still, if there’s one thing Lars relishes, it’s a challenge. And he took the challenge of being sales manager at Telia seriously and developed himself and his department for eight years before seeking new challenges as head of business development for the multinational staffing and recruitment agency Manpower. There too he remained for eight years advancing to COO before moving on to take up the post of President and CEO of Proffice, now Randstad. Once again, he found himself at a staffing and recruitment agency, this time as a relatively young CEO. Keeping to his previous pattern, he remained at Proffice for eight years. It was towards the end of this period, while sitting on the board of Uppstart Malmö, that he got to know Dan Olofsson.

“When I got to know Dan, we quickly realised that we shared a view of many things and that we saw business and entrepreneurship in the same light. In 2014, our shared philosophy of growth and a long-term approach led to me taking over leadership of Sigma IT (now Nexer). At the same time, Dan Olofsson, Martin Hansson and I started our partnership Danir Resources,” explains Lars concerning how he ended up in the Danir Group.

Throughout his years as a leader, Lars has learned from experience. While he has certainly learned from the successes, according to Lars himself it is the setbacks that have provided the most valuable lessons over the years.

“I’m not much of a micro-manager, I’m probably more encouraging and I’m completely convinced that it’s always best if people work with what they’re good at. Then again, I make sure that I’m clear about my expectations of an employee. This makes life easier and employees appreciate it when it is clear what the objective is and what part they have in achieving it,” says Lars, as we continue to discuss leadership.

Over the years, Lars has formulated his leadership style in three parts: a cool mind – focus on the strategic and have control over the analysis of a situation; a firm hand – focus on clarity, direction and staying safe and standing firm in a storm; and a warm heart – it is important to show that you care about your employees, people in general and the society and world around you.

In February 2021, Lars and his colleagues went one step further, not quite eight years since his last move and this time he remains within the Danir Group. As it turns out, discarding the Sigma brand to become the Nexer Group is a stroke of genius. Despite a pandemic, Nexer is a roaring success and Lars can add another successful chapter to his story.

“I love to build up a company and I’m passionate about business. It’s putting all of the building blocks in the right place that drives me. It’s hard work and it demands some sacrifices, but I have no regrets. Perhaps I would have regrets if I hadn’t had such good relationships with my loved ones,” says Lars about what it takes to build companies and lead groups at a high level.

Lars is an active person, constantly seeking something else to do. When he is not busy building businesses, he likes to work out, preferably every day: a trip to the gym, a few hours of kickboxing or a long run. If there is any time left over, the gap can be filled by taking care of the family’s five horses. While sitting still is not his strong point, he may occasionally cast an envious glance at those who can and who enjoy simply being. Still, Lars loves nothing more than always having something to do, something to build, and then he will do it to very best of his abilities. Preferably in the long term and ideally for eight years.