Klas Eklund

Blog and web site of economist, teacher and author Klas Eklund


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Klas Eklund

 

CV of Klas Eklund, Chief Strategist of Dahlgren Capital

 

Education and work

Klas Eklund (born 1952) is a licentiate of economics from the Stockholm School of Economics; the topic of his thesis was long-term industrial growth and transformation. In the 1980’s he worked in the Ministry of Finance (as Deputy Under-Secretary of State) and in the Cabinet office (as economic adviser to the Prime Minister). In 1990-91 he chaired the government’s Productivity Commission, analyzing the poor Swedish growth performance in the 1970s and 80s, as well as drawing economic policy conclusions.

Between 1994 and 2007 he was SEB’s Chief Economist, 2007-2015 SEB’s Senior Economist, and 2016-2017 the bank’s Sustainability Economist. Between 2001 and 2010 he was a member of the European Commission’s Group of Economic Policy Analysis, giving policy advice to the President of the Commission. 2009-2015 he was adjunct Professor of Economics at the University of Lund. 2018-2023 he was the Senior Economist of Mannheimer Swartling, the largest law firm in the Nordic region; the first ever economist at a prominent position in a Nordic firm.

Since 2024, Klas Eklund is the Chief Strategist of Dahlgren Capital, a Venture capital group, consisting of two funds and four startups. Klas will advise and help guide them to growth and IPOs.

Other positions

Mr Eklund has also held a number of other positions, e.g member of the Board of Governors of the Swedish Central Bank, member of the board of the 5th General Pension fund, Chief economist at Sweden Post, Chairman of the government’s Committee for Economic Studies of the Public Sector, Judge for the Swedish Quality Prize, etc.  In 2013-14 he chaired “The Committee to Solve the Housing Crisis”. In 2011-2013 he was a member of the Swedish Government’s “Commission for the Future”, and in 2015 he was named Chairman of the new Government’s “Group for analysing the future labour market”.

Furthermore, he chaired “The Commission to restart Sweden”, an initiative from the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, on how to create strong foundations for Sweden after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Much of his work has been on the economics of climate change. During his time at SEB he was on the team that launched the world’s first Green bond, together with the World Bank. Mr Eklund has been a board member of Mistra, a state foundation which funds environmental research (where he also was on the Asset management committee). He has written a book about sustainable growth. He has also been a member of the Task Force on Green Finance Reform and Green Transformation, CCICED (China Council of International Co-operation and Environmental Development).

Author

In 2020 Mr Eklund published a proposal for a comprehensive Swedish tax reform, commissioned by a think tank of the Ministry of Finance. His latest book, “Your economy” (2023), co-authored with Shoka Åhrman, discusses the links between societal economics and the private economy.

All in all, Klas Eklund has published more than 1,100 articles and columns and a score of books, including the best-selling Swedish economics text-book (also translated into Russian and Chinese, as well as published in abridged form for high school students and available on YouTube), books on the budget deficit, the Swedish tax system, economic growth and financial markets. In 2010 he published a biography of former PM Olof Palme, in 2011 a broad study of China’s political and economic development, and in 2012 a book on innovation policy. He has also published a text book on the economics of climate change.

Klas Eklund has also written a financial thriller about insider trade and murder in the Ministry of Finance. That book has been made into a movie, broadcast on Swedish TV.

Awards

Mr Eklund is a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences. He has received a number of honours and recognitions, including the King’s Gold Medal for “outstanding services as an economist”

 

More information on Mr Eklund can be found on his website https://www.klaseklund.se