Anna Johnson took over as President and CEO of Svenska Spel in June 2024. She spent more than two decades in finance before joining the gaming industry. Her career includes 26 years at Grant Thornton Sweden, the last eight as the firm’s CEO. Today she leads one of Sweden’s best-known gaming and lottery brands.
Quick Facts About Anna Johnson
| Detail | Information |
| Full name | Anna Johnson |
| Current title | President and CEO |
| Company | Svenska Spel |
| Appointed | June 2024 |
| Previous role | CEO, Grant Thornton Sweden (2016 to 2024) |
| Education | Master’s in Economics, Mid Sweden University |
Anna Johnson’s Career Timeline
Johnson built her career at Grant Thornton before moving into gaming leadership. The table below is confirmed against Svenska Spel’s official leadership page and two independent career records.
| Years | Role | Company |
| 1998 to 2005 | Audit Assistant | Grant Thornton Sweden |
| 2005 to 2014 | Authorised Auditor | Grant Thornton Sweden |
| 2014 to 2016 | Office Manager and Partner | Grant Thornton Sweden |
| 2016 to 2024 | Chief Executive Officer | Grant Thornton Sweden |
| 2016 to 2023 | Board Member | Grant Thornton International |
| 2019 to 2024 | Board Member | FAR (Swedish accountants trade body) |
| 2024 to present | President and CEO | Svenska Spel |
Johnson’s audit career included a short break. From 2001 to 2002, she worked as Finance Manager at Contento AB before returning to Grant Thornton, where she stayed for the rest of her career there.
Education and Leadership Training
| Institution | Program | Years |
| Mid Sweden University | Master’s degree in Economics | 1994 to 1998 |
| Grant Thornton International | Advanced Manager Program | 2013 to 2014 |
| Harvard Business School Executive Education | Senior Leadership Program | 2023 to 2024 |
Johnson qualified as an authorised accountant partway through her time at Grant Thornton. Her Harvard program ran just before she stepped into the Svenska Spel role.
Awards and Recognition
Johnson made her debut on Sweden’s Most Powerful Women in Business list in 2020, entering at rank 98 as CEO of Grant Thornton. She returned to the list in 2022 at rank 105. The list recognizes top female executives across Swedish industry, not just gaming, and has run under Dagens Industri since 2020.
Career Highlights
Johnson joined Grant Thornton Sweden as an audit assistant in Stockholm in 1998, straight after finishing her economics degree. She left briefly in 2001 to work as Finance Manager at Contento AB, then returned to Grant Thornton the following year and stayed for the rest of her career there.
She qualified as an authorised auditor in 2005 and spent the next nine years building her practice on Gotland. In January 2014, Grant Thornton named her Office Manager and Partner. Two years later, the firm appointed her CEO, a role she held for eight years while also sitting on the board of Grant Thornton International.
In September 2019, Johnson took on a board seat with FAR, the trade association for Swedish accountants and tax advisers. She kept that seat alongside her CEO duties until she left Grant Thornton in 2024.
Svenska Spel announced Johnson as its incoming CEO in December 2023, succeeding Patrik Hofbauer, who moved to lead telecom group Telia. She officially started in June 2024.
Leading Svenska Spel Through a Regulatory Test
Johnson stepped into the CEO role while Svenska Spel Sport & Casino, the company’s digital arm, was contesting a major regulatory penalty. In March 2024, Sweden’s gambling regulator, Spelinspektionen, issued a SEK 100 million fine over duty of care failings tied to a 2021 review period, months before Johnson’s arrival.
Svenska Spel appealed, and in June 2025 the Administrative Court in Linköping overturned the fine. Spelinspektionen appealed that ruling to the Kammarrätten (Court of Appeal) on June 18, 2025. As of publication, the regulator’s own case tracker shows no ruling yet, so the case remains open.
Svenska Spel operates as Sweden’s state-owned gaming and lottery company, which means it carries a public-interest mandate on top of its commercial goals. That dual role puts responsible gambling and player protection at the center of Johnson’s agenda.
In Her Own Words
When Svenska Spel announced her appointment, Johnson described the company as one of Sweden’s strongest brands. She said the group has a chance to run gaming that brings
“joy and excitement to the benefit of the Swedish people,” in her words, alongside Swedish sports.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Anna Johnson, CEO of Svenska Spel?
Anna Johnson is a Swedish executive who became President and CEO of Svenska Spel in June 2024. She spent the prior eight years as CEO of Grant Thornton Sweden, after a 26-year career in accounting and finance.
When did Anna Johnson become CEO of Svenska Spel?
Svenska Spel announced her appointment in December 2023. Johnson officially took over as CEO in June 2024, succeeding Patrik Hofbauer.
What is Anna Johnson’s professional background?
Johnson built her career in audit and finance at Grant Thornton Sweden, starting as an auditor in 1998 and rising to CEO by 2016. She holds a master’s degree in economics and completed executive training at Harvard Business School.
Is Svenska Spel a state-owned company?
Yes. Svenska Spel is Sweden’s state-owned gaming and lottery operator, and it holds a public-interest mandate alongside its commercial operations.
What challenges has Svenska Spel faced under Anna Johnson’s leadership?
Svenska Spel’s digital arm was fined SEK 100 million in March 2024 for duty of care failings from 2021, before Johnson’s tenure began. Svenska Spel appealed, and a Swedish court overturned the fine in June 2025. The regulator has since appealed that decision to the Court of Appeal, and the case is still open.
Where did Anna Johnson study?
Johnson earned a master’s degree in economics from Mid Sweden University between 1994 and 1998. She later completed the Advanced Manager Program at Grant Thornton International and the Senior Leadership Program at Harvard Business School Executive Education.