Jan-Åke Jonsson
| Jan-Åke Jonsson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 18 September 1951 Valdemarsvik, Sweden |
| Nationality | Swedish |
| Education | Uppsala University (Business Administration) |
| Occupation | Business executive |
| Employer | Saab Automobile AB |
| Title | Managing Director |
| Known for | Leading Saab Automobile through restructuring and a change of ownership, 2005 to 2011 |
Jan-Åke Jonsson (born 18 September 1951) is a Swedish business executive. He served as managing director of Saab Automobile AB from 2005 to 2011, a period that included a lengthy restructuring and a change of ownership. He was later investigated on suspected tax offences and was acquitted.
Early life and education
Jonsson was born on 18 September 1951 in Valdemarsvik, Sweden. He studied business administration at Uppsala University. In 1973 he began his career in the automobile division of Saab-Scania, in Nyköping.
Career
Early career, 1973 to 2005
Jonsson's early career was spent in systems development roles within Saab-Scania's automobile division. In 1990 he became director for aftersales and service, based in Trollhättan. From 1991 to 1993 he was vice president for sales and marketing at the company's United States operation, in Atlanta, Georgia. He went on to hold further senior managerial posts over the following decade.
Managing director, 2005 to 2011
On 1 April 2005, Jonsson succeeded Peter Augustsson as managing director. During his tenure the company underwent a restructuring and a prolonged sale process, lasting more than a year, as its then owner sought a buyer. In 2010 the West Swedish Chamber of Commerce and Industry gave Jonsson its Swedish Business Award for Outstanding Achievements, citing his handling of the restructuring and sale negotiations; the citation also credited him with managing relations with creditors, car owners and employees through that period. On 25 March 2011, Jonsson announced he would step down, and he left the post on 19 May 2011, when Victor Muller of Spyker Cars took over the role.
Later role
Since leaving Saab Automobile, Jonsson has served as chairman of the board of Polstiernan Industri AB.
Tax crimes allegation, 2012 to 2017
In May 2012, the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) reported to police that it suspected Jonsson and two others of serious tax crimes. He was briefly detained and then released, and denied committing any crimes. In April 2017, Jonsson was acquitted of the charges.
Assessment
Jonsson's tenure is chiefly associated with the way he steered the company through a difficult restructuring and an extended sale process, work recognised by a business award from the West Swedish Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 2010. Against this record stands a serious tax crimes investigation opened the year after he left the post, from which he was fully acquitted five years later. The available sources give no further detail on the substance of that investigation beyond its outcome.