TØNNESEN REACHES THE TOP AT CURRYS

Since March 2023, he has been chief executive of Elkjøp Nordic, and from 3 August he will move up to the corresponding position (Group Chief Executive Officer) at the British owner Currys plc, where Elkjøp Nordic accounts for 40 per cent of revenue.

The news is being announced on 3 June, when many of Tønnesen’s Nordic colleagues are gathered at Gardermoen for one of several rounds of the Elkjøp Campus training fair. The work of finding Tønnesen’s successor in the Nordic region now begins.

– I am very pleased to welcome Fredrik as our next chief executive. He has extensive experience from the business and has led a highly impressive improvement in operational results over the past three years. He understands our customers, our colleagues and our culture from the inside, and brings the right combination of clarity, energy and leadership to further develop Currys, building on the strong foundation Alex and the team have laid, says chairman Ian Dyson in a press release.

Tripled

It states that the appointment follows an extensive recruitment process in which both internal and external candidates were considered. Fredrik Tønnesen succeeds Alex Baldock, who will step down from the board on 3 August 2026.

– Fredrik is an outstanding leader, and I am pleased to see him take the helm at Currys. His experience and results speak for themselves, most recently through his work leading the rebuilding in the Nordics. I look forward to following Currys’ continued growth under his leadership, says Alex Baldock, outgoing chief executive, in the press release.

Among the roles Tønnesen has held on his way to the top position are managing director for Norway and chief operating officer for the Nordics. According to the press release, he has delivered outstanding financial and operational results, with more than a threefold increase in operating profit, while employee and customer satisfaction have been raised to a high level.

Strong momentum

– This is a fantastic company made up of thousands of skilled and dedicated colleagues, and it is very exciting to take over the leadership during a period of such strong momentum. My task, with the full support of the leadership team and all colleagues, is to maintain this momentum and find every opportunity to accelerate it. I am looking forward to getting started, says Fredrik Tønnesen in the press release.

Currys plc operates in the United Kingdom and Ireland, in addition to the Nordic countries through Elkjøp Nordic. Of Currys’ around 24,000 employees, about 10,000 are attached to around 400 stores in the Nordics: Elkjøp and Elkjøp Phonehouse in Norway, Elgiganten and Elgiganten Phonehouse in Sweden, Elgiganten in Denmark, Gigantti in Finland, Elko in Iceland, Elding in the Faroe Islands and Pisiffik in Greenland.