Johan Lindvall is the new General Secretary of Swedish Professional Football Leauges. Johan currently works as the CEO of Visby Golf club and has previously been sponsor manager and brand manager at Svenska Spel and worked at Destination Gotland. For the past six years, he has also been on the board of the women elite football organization EFD.
“I am very proud of the opportunity to lead Swedish Elite Football into the future”, says a happy Johan Lindvall.
The recruitment process was going on for several months.
“We have had a solid process with good support from professional recruiters with good experience in this type of recruitment. The board is very satisfied with the recruitment of Johan. After eleven years at Svenska Spel and six years on the board of EFD, he has built a wide network of contacts and has a good knowledge of football and its mechanisms. At the same time, he has not been so deeply involved in our movement, which means that he can combine the insights with a valuable perspective from the outside, says Simon Åström”, chairman of Swedish Professional Football Leagues and continues.
“Johan is a strong and clear leader and a person with a lot of empathy. We are convinced that he has the leadership required for the role. He will make the internal organization continue to develop in a positive way and his qualities will also be important in the work of developing relationships to nurture and strengthen cohesion within the entire elite football and with other stakeholders. Johan is also strongly commercially oriented, something we think is important based on the continued development journey we want to make with our leagues and clubs.”
Johan Lindvall has a background as a sports journalist where, among other things, he covered elite football closely. In addition to a long time at Svenska Spel and employers such as Destination Gotland and Generate Partnerships, he has also worked at board level as, among other things, chairman of Gotland’s Hospitality Industry and Elit Fotboll Dam (EFD).
“I have worked directly and indirectly with Swedish football for 25 years and to now have the opportunity to work professionally with the development of Swedish elite football feels extremely stimulating”, says Johan.
“Now I just want to get started and meet my new colleagues, the board, partners, all clubs and supporters around the country”, says Johan.
The current General Secretary of Swedish Professional Leagues, Mats Enquist, is leaving his post in connection with the annual meeting on March 24. It is not yet clear when exactly Johan Lindvall will take up his new role. During the transition period, Lena Engström, currently Operations Manager at Swedish Professional Football Leagues, will be Acting General Secretary. Mats Enquist remains as strategic advisor to the board.