How Sjöson combines group governance with entrepreneurial drive

As Sjöson added companies, boards and group-wide initiatives, it needed more structure, transparency and control, without losing the entrepreneurial drive that runs through the whole group. The answer was one shared approach to board and management work, with Hippoly at the centre.

The challenge: keeping governance in step with growth

Sjöson is built on strong values (mutuality, courage, sharpness and joy) and builds its businesses for the long term. As majority owner of its companies, with a clear group structure, it set high standards for governance and board work early on.

But as the number of companies, boards and shared forums grew, the way of working became more and more fragile. Board communication and document handling ran largely through SharePoint and email. That more or less worked internally, but it quickly got complicated once outside board members and subsidiaries had to be involved. Access issues, different email addresses and no clear overview created needless admin and uncertainty.

Sjöson had also tried a dedicated board tool before, but found it a blunt instrument, hard to fit to the reality of an entrepreneurial group. The result was a patchwork of parallel solutions, and a sense that nobody really had full control.

The turning point: one way of working for a growing group

In early 2025, Sjöson started actively looking for a new way of working. The requirements were clear:

• Easy for busy CEOs and managers to use
• Secure access for internal and external people alike
• The ability to work across several boards and groups at once
• Structure and traceability without needless complexity

After comparing several options, Sjöson chose Hippoly. What tipped the balance was the combination of ease of use, security and separate workspaces, built for organisations with many boards and forums.

The solution: one hub for the whole group

Today Hippoly is the shared platform for board and management work across the Sjöson group.

• The group board and each company board have their own workspaces
• Internal groups such as the CEO network, digitalisation and the marketing forum work the same way
• The same basic structure, adapted to each company’s circumstances

Ulrika Garbrant, the Group CEO, sits on every subsidiary board. Together with Louice Lundgren Tutak, CFO & Governance, she holds it all together. With clear working rules and shared principles for meetings, minutes and reporting, Hippoly has become the group’s shared source of board information.

The result: better governance, less admin

The difference showed quickly.

• Considerably better control of governance
• Less admin and fewer manual steps
• Easier distribution of monthly reports and board packs
• Far less vulnerable when people change roles

When everything goes through Hippoly, we minimise the risk of information getting lost. Nobody can say they didn’t get the board pack.

When Sjöson changed the CEO at one of its subsidiaries, the new CEO quickly got to grips with both the history and the current position. Nothing depended on one person or one inbox.

Audits have become much simpler too. Sjöson invites auditors straight into the relevant workspaces. That saves both time and frustration.

The result is less reliance on individuals, easier handovers, simpler audits and stronger information security.

Genuinely simple

It’s a bit like an iPhone. You understand how it works straight away.

One important lesson has been how quickly people took to the new way of working. CEOs set up meetings themselves, extra board meetings included, without any help or training.

Why Hippoly?

For Sjöson, the choice came down to the right level, not the longest feature list.

• Powerful enough for a complex group
• Simple enough to use every day
• Considerably more cost-effective than many alternatives

Looking ahead

With one shared approach to board and management work, Sjöson is better placed to keep growing. New companies, new boards and new initiatives can be brought in without building new structures each time.

The focus can stay where it belongs: on the business, on development and on creating value over the long term.