On a sunny afternoon before a board meeting, we had the pleasure of meeting Ronny Roos and asking him some questions. Ronny greeted us with a warm smile and a box of chocolates to mark the occasion. This thoughtful gesture speaks volumes about Ronny's background and the values he upholds in his crucial role of supporting entrepreneur-driven companies on their growth journey with empathy and a wealth of experience.
Over coffee and delectable chocolates, Ronny Roos shares his insights on what it takes to inspire individuals to stay and perform at their best. "Leadership and strong teams are crucial," Ronny asserts. "Civil society has long recognized the value of diverse perspectives and embracing differences. It's often a winning combination." For Ronny, it's essential to feel a sense of purpose and strive to make a positive impact on society. "It's important to stand for something and work towards creating a better world," he adds.
Ronny Roos has a diverse educational background, having studied both law and economics. However, he admits to never having pursued a career in law. Ronny's early experience was in the sports industry, where he played a key role in the development of the Malmö-based club Olympic, taking the team from division five to division one. "Creating a high-performing team based on trust, support, and accountability was a pivotal experience for me," Ronny recalls. "It shaped who I am today."
Ronny also credits his time at WM-data (now CGI, the largest IT company in the Nordics) as a significant influence on his leadership philosophy. "I was fortunate to work at a company that was ahead of its time, emphasizing soft values and leadership as far back as the 1980s," he notes.
The increasing importance of value-based companies
Ronny Roos was immediately drawn to Elastx's founders, Henrik Grankvist and Joakim Öhman, due to their holistic approach to individuals' roles in society and the workplace. Ronny was introduced to Elastx through Sobro, an investment company founded by the Söderberg brothers, Ragnar and Per-Olof. With a strong focus on value-driven leadership and extensive experience in business development, Ronny was a natural fit as the board chairman for the new partnership.
For Ronny, creating sustainable conditions for individuals and society is just as important as generating profits. He believes that companies should prioritize taking care of their employees and setting standards for value-driven work environments. "More and more people are choosing to work in companies where employees trust and support one another, standing up for each other and bringing their whole selves to work," Ronny emphasizes.
Diversity of perspectives - a success factor
The need for new and diverse perspectives has proven to be a key factor for success. According to Catalyst, companies with diverse leadership teams earned 38% more over a 3-year period compared to those with less diverse management teams in terms of gender, age, background, and ethnicity. Similarly, McKinsey's Diversity Wins report highlights that organizations with diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds in management have increased performance by 36%. Additionally, management teams with equal gender distribution generate better-than-average profitability in 25% of cases.
Ronny Roos believes that the IT industry, predominantly male, has a tendency to take itself too seriously and prioritize maintaining power rather than building successful organizations. "Hierarchical management, where the manager makes all the decisions and employees only help the manager, is not how you build successful organizations," Ronny emphasizes.
Today, active diversity and inclusion work has become a hygiene factor for companies. It's crucial to be aware of the skills and perspectives that may be missing and to open doors for individuals beyond those we meet in our immediate vicinity.
Anonymized applications ensures competence-based assessment
One simple tool that Ronny recommends is anonymized recruitment processes. By not revealing the applicant's name, gender, or appearance during the first selection, the assessment can be based purely on competence rather than familiarity.
Ronny emphasizes the importance of making biases visible to combat the tendency to favor those who resemble us. He suggests questioning why a particular candidate was chosen over another. Was the decision based on logical reasoning or gut feeling? Choosing based on gut feeling increases the likelihood of selecting someone similar to oneself.
At Elastx, we take pride in our inclusive value foundation, which serves as the basis for our cloud platform. This includes anonymized applications, ensuring that candidates are evaluated purely on competence. We also set operational goals based on an intersectional analysis, preventing us from missing out on important perspectives and markets.
As we wrap up our conversation with Ronny, we feel the warmth of the sun and the contentment of having such an esteemed chairman of the board. Our company's success is rooted in a combination of advanced technical skills, innovative platform solutions, and a solid value foundation.
Quick facts
Residence: I live on a horse farm located in the outskirts of Skurup, a town situated in the Skåne region.
Interests: I have always been fond of sports, particularly ball sports. Nowadays, however, I mostly enjoy playing golf.
Culinary Preferences: I am a fan of home-cooked meals, and I relish dishes of all varieties. Pork pancake and meatballs with mashed potatoes are two of my all-time favorites.
Top TV Show: I thoroughly enjoyed watching a series called "Couplings," and I also have a penchant for classics like "Fawlty Towers."