Swedish Chambers APAC Virtual CEO Talk 17 October – Magnus Ahlqvist President and CEO of Securitas Group
On Thursday 17 October, we had the honour of hosting Magnus Ahlqvist, CEO & President of Securitas Group, for the 8th session of the Swedish Chambers APAC CEO Series, engaging over 120 participants in our Zoom room. This initiative brings together Group CEOs from leading Swedish companies to share their insights on industry trends and the evolving market landscape in the APAC region.
In today’s rapidly changing geopolitical and economic environment, the security industry is undergoing unprecedented transformation. Securitas, the world’s second-largest provider of security solutions, is leading the charge with over 340,000 employees across 44 markets.
In this session,Magnus Ahlqvist spoke about the key opportunities and challenges he faces as the leader of a major multinational corporation in the security industry. He talked about initiatives Securitas are developing to maintain its position at the forefront of the sector, and what role innovation is playing to make it happen. Magnus talked about how technology is shaping the future of the industry and how Securitas is driving innovation to help clients proactively identify risks and vulnerabilities, moving away from traditional reactive security measures. Additionally, Magnus’s shared insights into the opportunities in Asia Pacific, a key growth region for Securitas and how this region differs from other regions worldwide.
Magnus highlighted and elaborated on three pivotal capabilities that Securitas has identified to stay ahead in this transformation:
- Presence – Expanding diversity and footprint
- Technology – Global deployment and monitoring
- Data – Harmonising and leveraging ever growing volumes
With a strong commitment to ethics, integrity, and sustainability, Securitas stands as a strong leader of innovation, celebrating 90 years of excellence this year.
The conversation with Magnus Ahlqvist was be led by Nicholas Fang, Senior Advisor, The Asia Group.
Read below key message summarised by virtual event participant and SACC Member, Stephen Bowhill, CEO Howwe ANZ Pty Ltd, Howwe Technologies:
“I learned that it’s a massive global group with over 340,000 employees world-wide, headquartered in beautiful Stockholm. However, Ahlquist said he had no interest in building the biggest security group, only the best, as there is no marginal benefit in being the biggest in guarding. However, he said it’s a balance on best vs. scale, and in the IT and Intellectual Property side of security there is a definite advantage to having scale as technology is fundamental to the future of security, where you need both coverage and density. Being fully digital is the group priority as scaling the operation, also scales the data which can then be used for strategic insights and Securitas has developed a global client platform.
I asked a question via the chat link on the call of – how you balance the strategic and important vs. the tactical and urgent? Magnus said that this is really a question of scaling great leadership. He said values are hugely important to doing this and who you are as a person, and building trust is fundamental to being able to execute successfully. Magnus mentioned that he’d expect that his 44 Leaders and ~400 Area Leaders are working 10-15% of time on their Strategy 2030, and their current planning period ends 2025.
Ahlquist is clearly passionate about being the best and driving the group forward. It was fantastic that Magnus took the time to address the 150 people or so on the call.
Thank you to all who joined the CEO talk and special thank you to the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Singapore for coordinating this event!
More about the speaker and Securitas:
Magnus Ahlqvist, President and CEO of Securitas Group
Magnus Ahlqvist joined Securitas in August 2015 as Divisional President of Securitas Services Europe. On March 1, 2018, he assumed the position as President and CEO of Securitas AB and continued to hold the position as Divisional President of Securitas Services Europe until March 2019.
Prior to joining Securitas, he held various management positions in the telecommunications industry. Magnus has served as Corporate Vice President, EMEA & India after joining Google-owned Motorola Mobility. Before that, he worked for 12 years for Sony and Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications as President for Greater China, General Manager of Spain & Portugal and General Manager of Canada.
Magnus Ahlqvist holds a Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration from the Stockholm School of Economics, and a leadership exam from Harvard Business School.
He is the Chair of the International Security Ligue.
Discover Magnus’ insights on the transformation of the security industry in his featured article on Forbes – find the link here.
About Securitas: Founded in 1934 in Helsingborg, Sweden, Securitas is today a global leader in safety and security solutions, dedicated to making the world a safer place through a comprehensive range of services, including security guarding, mobile patrolling, monitoring, investigations, and consulting. With a turnover of SEK 157,249 million in 2023 and a workforce of 341,000 employees across 44 markets, Securitas stands as the second-largest provider of security services worldwide. By harnessing technology in collaboration with their clients and adopting an innovative, holistic approach, Securitas is at the forefront of transforming the security industry for the 21st century.
Previous guests at Swedish Chambers APAC CEO Series:
Helena Hedblom, President & CEO Epiroc Group
Micael Johansson, President & CEO Saab Group
Göran Björkman, President & CEO, Alleima
Jesper Brodin, CEO, Ingka Group
Mats Ramström, President & CEO, Atlas Copco Group
Christian Levin, President & CEO, Scania Group
Jonas Samuelson, CEO, Electrolux AB
