The recognition as �Leader of the Year� is being awarded for the sixteenth time by the recruiting company Futurestep and the Affarsvarlden business weekly. The naming of �Leader of the Year� is intended to focus attention on positive role models within the Swedish business community.

�Decentralized service companies must be managed with values and corporate culture. This is why they are interesting from a viewpoint of leadership. Roland Nilsson has done an outstanding job with this decentralized service company,� says Arne Martensson, CEO of Handelsbanken and a jury member.

The Jury�s motivation, Leader of the Year 2000:

The Leader of the Year, Roland Nilsson, Scandic Hotels AB, was awarded this recognition for his work in making Scandic Hotels a successful hotel company, which has become a model for the industry.
 

Roland Nilsson has carried out a turnaround of the company and today it is highly respected by the stock market. The company was first listed on the exchange in 1996 and currently has a market capitalization exceeding SEK 6 billion. Scandic is continuing to grow through acquisitions and has developed a system that makes it possible to �add a new hotel to the family� in six to twelve months. Succeeding in managing a company such as Scandic Hotels requires a leadership style that permits decentralization and that is based on common values within the company. Roland Nilsson has been very successful in this respect. He is a leader with the ability to listen and promote participation and a feeling for results, regardless of where a person serves in the organization. The jury for �Leader of the Year� comprises Sven Wallgren, Chairman, Per-Olof Eriksson, Professor Christer Karlsson, Stockholm School of Economics, Arne Martensson, CEO of Handelsbanken, Anitra Steen, President of Systembolaget, Caroline Drabe, Manager of Futurestep Sweden, Anders Gulliksson, Managing Partner of Korn/Ferry, and Par Isaksson, Acting Editor-in-Chief, Affarsvarlden.

Scandic sells five Provobis hotels  November 13, 2000 - Scandic Hotels AB have signed agreements for the sale of five of the hotels included in the acquisition of the Swedish hotel chain Provobis Hotel & Restauranger.  These hotels are Stora Hotellet in Jönköping, Växjö Stadshotell and Luleå Stadshotell for which the purchaser is Elite Hotels of Sweden, owned by Bicky Chakraborty, and Grand Hotel in Halmstad and Hotell Galaxen in Borlänge which have been purchased by MJN Hotell AB.  The five hotels have a combined total of 622 rooms and a turnover for 1999 of approx. SEK 135 million. The reason for the sale is primarily that the five hotels are not entirely in line with Scandic�s structure and brand name.  The sale will generate a capital gain, which will be used to reduce the goodwill created through Scandic�s acquisition of Provobis.  The remaining 12 hotels that were included in Scandic�s acquisition of Provobis will, as of 15 November, have changed names to Scandic Hotel and be incorporated into Scandic�s marketing, sales and operational systems.

 

Scandic Hotels AB is the Nordic region�s leading hotel company with 155 hotels in 10 countries. Scandic Hotels� strategy is to be a dedicated hotel operator. Its business concept is �to offer as many people as possible the best value for money hotel accommodation possible, whether they are travelling on business or for pleasure�