Linus Almqvist

Group Head of Brand Communication and Partnerships

Vattenfall

 How do you take a state-owned energy giant and make it more consumer-friendly, responsive and contemporary? Not an easy task, especially in an increasingly environmentally-conscious world that requires enhanced consumer and corporate marketing programs.  However, Linus Almqvist, Head of Brand Communication and Partnerships of Vattenfall, has some innovative answers. His role is to improve the company’s reputation, support its business operation and position its market image.

Vattenfall-- Swedish for "waterfall" and an abbreviation of the original Royal Waterfall Board-- is a Swedish power company that also operates in Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, and the United Kingdom.  Its goal is to create a strong and diversified European energy portfolio, comprised of electricity, heat and gas, while also being a leader in developing environmentally sustainable energy production.

Linus Almqvist championed Vattenfall as the official sponsor of Swedish skiing and the International Ski Federation to serve both national and international interests by underscoring “energy for winter sports.”  Vattenfall emphasized how it produced electricity to make the skiing experience better—with energy to light slopes, run lifts and power snow-making equipment.  The introduction of their King of the Slopes app for downhill skiers with smart phones became their successful activation tool in the program and an inventive step forward for the company.

King of the Slope helps skiers of all levels monitor their performance, while results can be compared with other skiers at the same ski resort or throughout the world and easily shared on Facebook. Thousands of ski resorts are registered in the app’s database, which automatically sets a specific ski system via a mobile’s GPS. Anyone can add a favorite resort to the app via Vattenfall’s website. Plus, the Swedish national Alpine team tested the app.

Linus has been at Vattenfall in brand and marketing communications since 2004.  His prior marketing experience included Nordic regional roles at SAS/Scandinavian Airlines, Barilla Italian Foods and Arla, the largest producer of dairy foods in Scandinavia.