Staffan Åkesson

CTO, Telia Sverige

Staffan Åkesson is Chief Technology Officer of Telia Sweden and is ultimately responsible for the operator’s national fixed and mobile telecoms networks, which are the backbone of the digital society. The networks are at the core of Telia’s business and form the basis of the company’s products and services. In recent years, Staffan and his unit have been responsible for a multi-billion euro investment to modernize Telia’s mobile network – upgrading the entire 4G network while building a brand new 5G network throughout Sweden – which when completed will cover more than 99% of the population and more than 90% of Sweden’s surface. The investment in 5G is a huge investment in the country’s digital infrastructure – and is a prerequisite for the continued safe and sustainable digital transformation of Sweden. Not least for all the industrial projects now underway in northern Sweden where digitalization plays a key role – and where the digital infrastructure is at least as important as the physical one. A robust and secure digital infrastructure is also important given the challenging geopolitical situation and the increasing number of cyber threats to businesses, people, and society at large.

With a genuine interest in people and how to build high-performing teams – combined with an engineering degree and an incurable curiosity about how things work – it’s clear that leadership and technology are a common thread throughout Staffan’s career. He has held several senior roles in the telecoms sector – both in Sweden and internationally. In addition to his current role, Staffan has also held managerial positions within Telia’s global IT and technology organization, but also at Ericsson, where he led various global units in both Europe and the Middle East for many years.